Ride Across Canada Part 2: West Yellowstone to Red Lodge to Cody, WY via Beartooth Highway / Pass

Last night I arrived in West Yellowstone, found my hotel, and then walked around for awhile. Asked a couple of locals where to eat and I ended up at this place that served me the biggest Prime Rib dinner of my life. The side was a baked potato the size of a slow-pitch softball. Waddled out of the place and went to the post office to pay a few bills which I don't have set up on-line.

Met a Harley rider who had plates from Florida. Asked him what part of Florida he was from. He frowned and said he was from Spain. Ended up that he rented the bike in San Francisco. Speaking of Harley's, there are thousands of them - evidently the HOG rally in Sturgis, SD is going on and many riders are heading west towards Yellowstone, Tetons, etc. Will be hard to get a hotel room for a few days.

Again, rose very early to get on the road before traffic. Went to the park entrance, paid fee and headed for the northern route through the park. The family did Yellowstone many years ago, but focused on the tourist stuff like old faithful, waterfall, hot springs, etc. I was not that impressed with the park, plus there had been recent fires, so many of the mountains were bald. However, the north route completely changed my thinking about the park.

The Beartooth highway has been called the most beautiful drive in America. The highway climbs up to the Beartooth pass which is close to 11,000 feet. No trailers, trucks, motor homes allowed :) :)! Just amazing scenery. The route starts out in the valley and goes through varied topography. As I started out I kept smelling something. It smelled like Tommy Boy after he has eaten 4 burritos. Fowl is the only way to describe the oder. I kept seeing steam escaping from the ground. I was sure that Tommy Boy was laying on his stomach, letting out the fowl gas and then running through the woods to the next corner I would arrive at.