Riding The Beartooth Highway !!!

Saturday was a very exciting day for us. It was the day that we would ride the Beartooth Highway. It was probably the main reason that we came here. The rally itself was great and the people were awesome but

with everything that I've read and heard about the highway, this is what I was here for and I couldn't wait to get started.

After gassing up we headed out of town following a group who were doing the Beartooth Poker Run. We decided not to do the Poker thing because I thought that we'd spend some time just enjoying the ride and the scenery.

The route we took brought us around the southern way rather than the shortest route to the highway. After a stop at one of the poker run bars, the folks that we had met and rode to this point with felt that the skies looked a little threatening and decided not to take the chance. The clouds were rolling in around the mountains and you could tell that it was raining in spots. But I came to ride the highway and I wasn't about to let a little rain spoil it !

The way that we came in brought us to the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway and we did put our leathers on because we knew we'd be climbing and the cloud cover made it a little cool.

The Chief Joseph is a beautiful ride with many winding roads climbing up and down and around the mountains. The only problem we had was that we thought that we were riding the Beartooth so as much as we loved the views and the curves and the scenery, when we arrived at "The Top Of The World", I must say that I was kind of disappointed and thought that if that's what all the hubbub is about, then I felt it wasn't worth the trip.

BUT !!!!! While taking a break at "The Top" we got to talking and some people had asked which way we came and they told us not to worry...there's plenty more and the best was yet to come !!!

Years ago as a roving correspondent for CBS, Charles Kuralt criss-crossed the United States in an RV looking for stories about extraordinary people and places.

On a stint out West he drove the Beartooth Highway, a 64-mile ribbon of pavement that cuts across the mountain wilderness of northwest Wyoming.It impressed him so much he called it America's most scenic drive. He expressed no doubts. No question marks. No equivocation.

This is the reason that I came to drive the Beartooth. I've been on many beautiful roads all over the country and some are long straight runs through miles of nothing while others are tight switchbacks through mountains. They are all breathtaking in their own right but at this point I have to agree with Mr. Kuralt. The pictures that follow cannot do this road justice in even the smallest way. At some of the highest elevations you're close to 11,000 feet and at times you can see all the way down to where you were at the bottom. It's definitely not a road for the large campers or if you're afraid of high winding roads without guard rails along most of it.

So after thinking that i had done the ride and was left a little diappointed, I found that the ride had only begun and this has definitely become my favorite ride. I will be back to do it again and maybe even again !!!

Many many lakes and lots of snow covered ground.. The skies cleared somewhat and the rain in the area stopped and soon we were back to shirt sleeves and riding in perfect conditions with perfect weather.

You can get an idea of how high you climb and looking down you can see the winding road that you took to get to this point. Totally awesome ride !!!!