Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Beartooth Pass

Location: Beartooth Pass, MT/WY Border

On July 15, my friend John and I drove over the Beartooth Pass, a spectacular mountain pass road that runs northeast from Yellowstone, starting in Wyoming but ending in Montana. The road ascends through hills and switchbacks until the tree-line is but a memory and the terrain has become scrubby tundra. When we reached the summit, at 10,947 feet, snow was still on the ground, ice patches could be seen on lakes, and the wind had turned cold. Everywhere patches of tiny flowers of all colors dotted the otherwise rocky landscape like a ground cover. They have to be hearty and quick -- their growing season is only 45 days in mid-summer. Sky pilot, a bluish-purple flower that only grows at high altitudes, was in abundance, as were patches of yellow, white, and pink flowers.

Click for Larger Image of the Tundra

Click for Larger Image of Sky Pilot

Click for Larger Image of Beartooth Summit

Click for Larger Image of ZoAnn Near Summit

Click for Larger Image of John and Mid-July Snow

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