Today, we woke up early in Cooke City, went wildlife watching in the Larmar Valley, and then journeyed over the Beartooth Pass towards Red Lodge, MT and eventually down to Cody, WY.
Wildlife Watching
We woke up well before sunrise, threw on some warm clothes, and drove west into the national park to do some early morning wildlife watching. As we passed through Yellowstone’s not-yet-manned NW entrance booth, we saw a very large black bear scurry across the road in the dark. It scared us half to death, but I think it also scared the bear just as badly. We didn’t have much luck seeing any more wildlife in the Lamar Valley (maybe just another black bear or two and the usual elk and bison), but it was a beautiful sunrise and nice to be out in the crisp morning air. After a final stop at Warm Creek Picnic Area, we decided to head back to the ranch for breakfast.
We were almost back to Cooke City, in its tiny sister town called Silver Gate, MT, when I spotted a cow moose eating right by the side of the road in some bushes. We turned the car around, headed back, and were able to find her again, despite being well-camoflauged. Parking by the side of the road, we were able to watch her for almost 20 minutes before she disappeared deeper in the woods. I only managed to get one good photo because she was so deep in the brush, but I’m very pleased we got to have such a great view for so long.
Breakfast
Back at Skyline Guest Ranch, we settled in for some breakfast. They make breakfast to order for all their guests (granted, there aren’t very many), and today we enjoyed a goblet of fresh fruit, orange slices, homemade coffee cake, and and egg scramble with cheese and ham, plus orange juice, coffee, and milk. All the food was delicious, and we also grabbed some more of the leftover cookies from the day before.
After breakfast, Dad sat on the porch while I took a shower and called home. While he was sitting out there (without his phone of course), another large moose came trotting through the front yard right in front of him! We loaded up the car, said goodbye to the owners, the horses, and the peaceful setting, and hit the road again.
Skyline Guest Ranch
Cooke City, MT
We loved our time staying at the ranch. The hospitality is great, and the food is amazing. They just published a cookbook, and we ordered a copy as soon as it became available.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Beartooth Highway
Starting the traverse east, we continued on US-212, also known as the Beartooth Highway. In 2021, on our first trip to the Yellowstone area, we drove this highway, but returned back west to the park. This time, we decided we’d continue on east and south to Cody, WY, one of the gateway towns we haven’t visited yet.
Waterfalls
First, before the highway reaches its higher elevations, we stopped at a set of waterfalls and did a couple short hikes to get a closer look. First came Crazy Creek Falls, and then Lake Creek Falls.
Yellowstone Overlook
We stopped at the Yellowstone Overlook, which has a view of (you guessed it!) Yellowstone’s eastern boundary in the distance. The sharp peak you can see is often mistaken for “The Bear’s Tooth”, like the name of the highway, but it is actually called Index Peak.
Clay Butte Lookout
Next, we turned off the main highway and drove up a 2.6 mile one-way road called Clay Butte Lookout Road. This leads to a fire tower the has panoramic views of the Beartooth Butte, Beartooth Lake, and the Beartooth-Absoroka Wilderness. The lake and butte you see in the pictures below is Beartooth Lake, the same lake that we’ll be at the shoreline of soon. It was a long, bumpy drive up to the stop, but since we had a Jeep and plenty of time, I’m glad we tackled it.
Beartooth Falls
The next stop, just to the side of the road, is an overlook for Beartooth Falls. The last time we came through here, they were completely redoing the road, and there were long constructions delays that also prevented you from stopping to see the view or the waterfalls. Thankfully, the road project is now complete, and we got to actually enjoy the sights from a very large roadside pullout.
Beartooth Lake // Island Lakes
As I mentioned before, we pulled down by the shore of Beartooth Lake, which is framed by the reddish-colored Beartooth Butte.
The next road is for Island Lakes Campground, which was mostly closed for the season. The view from the top is very nice, though. After a quick pull-in at the Top of the World Store, we were back on our way to the top of the plateau.
Beartooth Plateau
At the top of the pass, we stopped at the vista point and some of the surrounding pullouts to take in the spectacular views. We saw pikas scurrying along the ground, and various raptors circling overhead. The alpine lakes were glistening in the fall sunlight. Can you spot the pika in the photos below?
Just below the pass, there’s a spot were you have a brief view of the actual “Bear’s Tooth”.
Rock Creek Vista Point
At the east side of the pass, before the road drops sharply down a series of switchbacks, there’s one last vista point that overlooks the Rock Creek Valley. Dad and I walked out to the point, and enjoyed the views of the fall colors lining the mountainsides below. It’s easy to see why this mountain pass was barely used for most of its existence…it’s so rugged and remote, there’s not much of any reason early inhabitants/settlers would have ever thought it was worth the risk to cross.
Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture
Finally at the bottom of the valley, we continued into Red Lodge, MT, where we eagerly hurried to our lunch reservation at Piccola Cucina Ox Pasture. This is a very intentional repeat from our previous trip, as it is the best Italian meal we’ve ever had in the United States.
This time didn’t disappoint either. We got a variety of things to split: bread service with tomato oil, caesar salad, lasagna Bolognese, and cacio e pepe, which they flambéed tableside in a wheel of Pecorino Romano cheese. Everything was phenomenal, and left us exceptionally full and satisfied. The homemade pasta had the perfect al dente chew, and all the ingredients are simply world-class. It’s not at all what you’d expect in a tiny town in Montana, but we’ll keep coming back every time we’re in the area.
Picola Cucina Ox Pasture
Red Lodge, MT
Simply put, one of the best Italian meals you’ll ever have.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Downtown Red Lodge
After lunch, we desperately needed to walk around to let our food settle, so we browsed around downtown for a while. We unfortunately hadn’t been able to hold dessert at lunch, but we did eventually pick up a small Wilcoxson’s huckleberry ice cream sandwich to split at Montana Candy Emporium, an old-fashioned candy barrel similar to Mast General Store. We also went in Cattail Bakery to pick up a couple of baked goods for future breakfasts and snacks.
Wapiti + Pahaska Tepee
We continued south into Wyoming, arriving in Cody and heading to their Walmart to pick up a few more supplies we were lacking, namely laundry detergent. After checking into our Airbnb, we decided to drive part of the way in the east entrance road to Yellowstone (unexplored territory for us) to get the lay of the land before we re-entered the park that way tomorrow. A series of tunnels brings the road alongside the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, with ragged cliffs and gulches on all sides.
About 20-30 minutes down the road, we came across a small crowd watching something up on the hillside. It turned out to be a huge, blubbery grizzly bear. He was a giant. He was sitting down eating berries or something up on the hillside. I never managed to get a clear view, and as soon as he got into the open, he started lumbering down the hillside towards us, so we all had to scramble for the safety of our vehicles. So, enjoy some blurry pictures of the biggest bear we saw the whole trip.
Less than a mile up the road, we saw another smaller female grizzly on the opposite side of the road, right on the edge of the North Fork of the Shoshone River. We parked, and from behind the guardrail on the bridge above, watched her swim across the river and eventually disappear into the woods.
Bigg Chill + Wind Chill
Back in downtown Cody, we walked the streets for a while, going into various stores, and the famous Irma Hotel. Most restaurants are closed on Sunday, so we struggled to find a place to eat that didn’t have a preposterous wait time. So, we ended up just getting a couple cups of ice cream at Bigg Chill for our “dinner”. We both got white chocolate huckleberry and “Choco Noir”; both were very good.
After dinner, we drove down by the river to the Paul Stock Nature Trail in hopes of getting a quick sunset hike. However, the wind had picked up so much that we couldn’t even hold onto our hats. Plus, it had become cold exceptionally fast, and we were very underdressed for it. So, we snapped a quick picture, and headed back to our Airbnb to do a load of laundry and then head to bed.
Bigg Chill
Cody, WY
Good rotating ice cream flavors. Homemade quality and friendly service.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Wrapping Up
Back at the Airbnb, we reworked our itinerary (due to the museum timetable change), and after making our final time calculations and solidifying a breakfast plan, we headed off to bed.
Video
Here’s a video from today’s adventures.
The Best Things we Saw Today
Isaac
The best thing I saw today was… “a tie between the moose in Silver Gate and the grizzly crossing the river”.
The best thing I ate today was… “cacio e pepe”.
Jerry
The best thing I saw today was… “the moose running across the front yard at Skyline Guest Ranch”.
The best thing I ate today was… “the Italian meal and coffee cake for breakfast”.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! Click here to subscribe to email notifications.
Tomorrow we’ll head back into Yellowstone via the east entrance road, rejoining the Grand Loop Road by Yellowstone Lake and Fishing Bridge.
– Isaac & Jerry
2 Responses
I enjoy seeing all the waterfalls in your videos!
The aspens are beautiful! What a great time of year to visit that area!
Jerry hangs in there like a 30+ year old!! 😊