Welcome to the Beartooth Highway...
This was a very challenging day. This was the first mountain pass that I have climbed on my bike that was over 10,000 feet. My lungs hurt, my legs hurt...actually that was it. Just my legs and lungs. After the climb, it was all the way downhill into Red Lodge (with a wind at my back). The ride was nice for a while - I had wide shoulders, but from 1/4 of the way to the top to 10 miles to Red Lodge I had no shoulder. This made for very irritating riding. I rode in the middle of the road to make sure that drivers didn't try to squeeze by me and run me off the road. Overall, the traffic wasn't that bad.
This is what it looks like to turn back as you drive east out of Cooke City.
Pilot Peak. A very unique peak visible for miles. See later photos.
Well it turns out that bikers do more than sit and rev their engines. They also play bagpipes. At least this guy did.
Climbing the Beartooth. Can you see Pilot Peak in the background?
This curvy road didn't seem so bad from the south summit, but let me tell you...
That little pointy peak in the middle? That's the Beartooth. Welcome to Montana.
In the descent into Red Lodge, these amazing glacial valleys are visible. Actually these valleys are only a 30 minute drive from Red Lodge.
The descent was steep and fast and wet. It had just rained and hailed.
Imagine the ride over Donner Pass from Sacramento to Truckee, CA. I have always found the descent from Donner Pass a little frightening. Now imagine instead of the slowly mostly strainght road that descends from Donner Pass to Truckee that there is another road. This road abrubtly turns right towards Donner Lake and then proceeds to switchback 5 times finally arriving in Donner Lake instead of Truckee. That is what the descent is like.
Day 23 - Cooke City to Red Lodge - 72 Miles - Dedicated to Pat Keegan
