Showing posts with label Red Lodge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Lodge. Show all posts

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Big Sky Panorama... Montana, 2010

big sky country panorama
Is it any wonder we love visiting Montana... we were there in June, 2010 and I'm clearly way late in posting anything about our adventures from this trip. This image is a panorama, stitched together from several images taken off Route 78 and Fox Road outside of Red Lodge, Montana. (We have a vacation home there, available for rent when we are not using it.)

This is a teaser... I hope to post more from our trip soon and hope you'll enjoy this image in the meantime!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

September 15, 2009: Hanging out in and near Red Lodge, MT...

Mike's cousin Tom and his wife Helen came from Utah to visit us while we were in Red Lodge this year. They arrived the evening of September 14th in time for dinner... after a LONG day of driving. Our day together on the 15th was a bit low key with a somewhat late breakfast together before wandering around town.

Our house (which is available as a vacation rental when we are not using it) is in the "Hi Bug" area of Red Lodge which is where the larger homes were built by the "upper crust" of Red Lodge in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Several of the homes on our street were designed by the same architect, Seth Hunneywell, as our house was. Our walking tour of Red Lodge with our guests included wandering up our street all the way to route 78 and then back again, reading both from a book on the historic homes and a book on the history of Red Lodge as we wandered around.

Photos I've chosen to include today include some from our walk as well as a couple from later in the day when we drove up to Red Lodge Mountain and stopped at Silver Run before returning to town.

Chapman House, Red Lodge, MT
Chapman House was completed in 1902, having been built by W.S. Smith at a cost of $6,500 from plans drawn up by Seth Hunneywell. It was described as one of the finest residences in the state of Montana at the time.
grain elevator
Heading back toward town, a structure of a different sort... this grain elevator is no longer used for grain and currently stands idle. I'm not sure whether it will be eventually torn down or repurposed... the angles and shapes against the cloudy sky struck me as worthy of recording. The fencing in the foreground is part of a relatively recent addition to the town of Red Lodge, a childrens playground.
rail car
Trains no longer run to and from Red Lodge but this rail car is preserved outside the Art Gallery.
Helen, Tom and Mike (left to right)
Family photo... Mike (on the right) with cousin Tom and Tom's wife Helen.
West Fork of Rock Creek at Silver Run outside Red Lodge, MT
The parking lot at Silver Run outside of Red Lodge, MT is accessed by crossing the West Fork of Rock Creek. Silver Run is a multi-use trail with several loops that allow the hiker, biker or cross country skier (in winter, of course) to choose how long they want to make the trail. This photo of the West Fork was taken from the bridge one must cross to reach the parking lot.

Friday, October 9, 2009

September 13-14, 2009: Coaster Classic and House Guests...

If you follow my Photography Addict's Showcase blog or my Flickr stream, you may already know that on our return home from our western trip, I was invited by a local Bethesda, MD art gallery to have a show of my photography in February, 2010. SO... the excitement over that has kept me hopping recently and I'm way behind on finishing up the saga of our three weeks in Idaho, Wyoming (Yellowstone National Park) and Red Lodge, Montana. Before I forget entirely... thought I'd better work on finishing my posts of our adventures!

The day after Oktoberfest (previous post), the Coaster Classic (Cruiser Classic?) happens... an event involving bicyclists who have their bikes trucked up to the State Line (or to Rock Creek Vista which isn't quite as far up the highway) on the Beartooth Highway and then coast back down. The meet-up spot is on the Rock Creek Road at the campground parking lot where everyone gathers 10ish (timing isn't exact) with their bicycles and various vehicles involved in carting the bikes up the mountain. Of course Mike participated in this adventure but I'd fallen the previous day (on my way TO Oktoberfest) and had skinned up my knees pretty badly so didn't take part.

Without further blathering, I'll leave you with a few photos from the event... And a teaser about our house guests... Mike's cousin Tom (from Utah) and wife Helen arrived at dinner time on the 14th and there will be a couple of final posts about their visit and the end of our stay... will try to finish this trip before TOO long!

view of Beartooth Mountains from parking lot at Rock Creek Campground
We, of course, were the first people at the parking lot... and witnessed a truck pulling into the parking lot with the driver rushing out, throwing up the hood, hollering did anyone have a fire extinguisher and throwing dirt on this engine block while hollering some more about needing a fire extinguisher! He was supposed to help drive bicyclists and bikes up the mountain... but was unable to do so... and I didn't get a photo because I felt bad for the guy... so enjoy this view of mountains from the parking lot instead.
Classic bicycles ridden in Coaster/Cruiser Classic
The bicycle in front with the banana seat was ridden by an adult, all the way down the mountain from the state line (Montana/Wyoming border) on the Beartooth Highway.
Boys in truck
These boys rode down the mountain too ... but from Rock Creek Vista which is a shorter ride.
ALTtag
The gentleman standing on the rear of the fully loaded flatbed truck is the driver of the flatbed and hauled MOST of the bikes up to the two drop off points... here he is giving instructions to the crowd and cautioning them that they ride at their own risk!
fully loaded van
Fully loaded... Lucas drives riders up the mountain in his truck/van complete with couch for seating in the rear. Mike is on the right, bicycle helmet already on and ready to ride.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

September 10-11, 2009: Red Lodge, MT with friends

This post may only be of interest to family and friends... or those who would like to know more about what is available in the way of food, friends and fun in the Red Lodge area. At this point in our vacation, I'm having trouble remembering exactly what we did each day but have a few memorable moments to share in pictures! (when you get to the photos mentioning Wolfie's spot on Red Lodge Mountain... Wolfie was our friend Tim's dog who is no longer with us... we leave you to conclude what is meant by "Wolfie's spot" on Red Lodge Mountain)

No trip to Red Lodge is complete without a trip to Roscoe, MT for a marvelous steak dinner at the Grizzly Bar. Below are snapshots of friends Mary and Evan and of Mike and myself in the parking lot prior to our annual fine dining experience at the Grizzly.
evan and mary at grizzly bar victoria and mike at grizzly bar

On the next day, we started out in the morning with a 'townie' bike ride (or girlfriend ride as Mike likes to call it when he goes slow) and here's a photo of Mary, Evan and Mike on one of the bridges across Rock Creek.
mary, evan and mike

After our townie ride, Mike and Evan went mountain biking while Mary and I were treated to a ride up Red Lodge Mountain, courtesy of our friend Tim, where we had a picnic lunch at Wolfie's spot with spectacular views of the ski runs (below) and the valley and palisades (subsequent photos)
Red Lodge Mountain ski runs

palisades and valley as seen from Red Lodge Mountain
Tim setting up for our picnic lunch... spectacular view in the background...
palisades and valley from Red Lodge Mountain
View of the palisades and valley from Wolfie's spot on Red Lodge Mountain..
dog in back of truck
Koda, Tim's current dog, is one happy camper riding in the back of Tim's truck.

The last two photos show the end of our adventure up the mountain with Tim (we stopped to look back at the entrance to Red Lodge Mountain) and the last evening of our visit with friends Mary and Evan (the best of our squinty eyed photos taken at Sam's Tap Room looking into the sun) before their return to real life back home in Maryland.
entrance sign for Red Lodge Mountain four friends at Sam's Tap Room in Red Lodge, Montana

Friday, September 18, 2009

September 9, 2009: Beartooth Highway Adventure...

Mike unfortunately had to work today... so Mary, Evan and myself drove up the Beartooth Highway until we hit the construction at the Montana/Wyoming border at which point we turned around and came back down the mountain. For those of you unfamiliar with the Beartooth Highway... it is the stretch of route 212 from Red Lodge to Cooke City, MT and was described by Charles Kuralt as "the most scenic drive in America."

What follows are a few photos of the adventure experiencing the scenic beauty of this wonderful road... a route I never tire of no matter how many times I drive it. From several vantage points along the Beartooth Highway, the Hellroaring Road and Plateau are beautifully visible!

rocky outcropping on Hellroaring road
You may recall from yesterday's post that we drove up the Hellroaring Road to the Plateau... the rocky outcropping in the above photo is the spot where we stopped and had our lunch yesterday.
end of road on Hellroaring Plateau
Look closely and you will see the last couple of switchbacks before reaching the top of Hellroaring Road... we parked our car at the end of this road yesterday and explored the plateau on foot for an hour or more.
jeep trail on Hellroaring Plateau
The road seen here is a jeep trail on top f the Hellroaring Plateau that is no longer open to vehicular traffic.
Hellroaring Road and Plateau as seen from Rock Creek Vista on the Beartooth Highway
Hellroaring Road and Plateau as seen from Rock Creek Vista on the Beartooth Highway...
ALTtag
Another view of the Hellroaring Plateau as seen from the Beartooth Highway... the switchbacks in the center foreground are lower down on the Beartooth Highway.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

September 8, 2009: Hellroaring Plateau Adventure

Post updated July 25, 2012: Our 2008 attempt at navigating the 7 miles of ROUGH road to reach the top of the Hellroaring Plateau failed due to snow drifts (before) and downed logs (after) blocking the road near the spot where we ate our lunch in June of 2008. Snow is almost always melted by August so we vowed that 2009 would be the year we made it all the way up the road to the very end where we would then wander around and explore the plateau. Although this road is definitely NOT for the faint of heart, nor would we recommend it for anyone with back problems since it is 7 miles of bouncing around no matter how carefully and slowly one drives, the views to be had are spectacular.

Friends Evan and Mary, Mike (driving our "Hyundai Santa Fe") and myself set out from our vacation home in Red Lodge, MT at about 10:00 AM on a gorgeous, sunny day ... destination Hellroaring Plateau. After a stop at Café Regis for sandwiches and chips for lunch, we were on the road and shortly bouncing along at a very slow pace up Hellroaring Road. Enjoy the day with us through photos included below...

Hellroaring Road as seen from Rock Creek Vista point on the Beartooth Highway (route 212) out of Red Lodge, MT
Hellroaring Road as seen from Rock Creek Vista point on the Beartooth Highway (route 212) out of Red Lodge, MT... this is the road we followed to the summit in our September 8, 2009 adventure (this photo was taken on September 7, 2009)
Beartooth Highway as seen from Hellroaring Road
View of the Beartooth Highway from part way up Hellroaring Road... we were at approximately the same elevation here as the photo taken the previous day looking toward Hellroaring Road from Rock Creek Vista lookout on the Beartooth...
Views of the Beartooth Highway, Rock Creek and Hellroaring Roads
Views of the Beartooth Highway (right, with ends of some switchbacks visible at extreme right), Rock Creek (middle, up the valley) and Hellroaring (left) Roads as seen from where we ate lunch on our way up to the Hellroaring Plateau...
Victoria, Mike, Mary and Evan
Intrepid adventurers Victoria, Mike, Mary and Evan on rocks at our lunch spot overlooking the Rock Creek Valley on Hellroaring Road...
coming down a rocky spot
Sometimes, the safest way down from a high rock outcropping is on your butt... Evan (below) and Mike (above) watch Mary make her way down from a place I would not go!

Rock Creek Valley
Looking up Rock Creek Valley toward Glacier Lake (not visible) from the same spot where the photo of Mary scrambling down the rocks was taken...
Mount Rearguard as seen from Hellroaring Plateau
Mount Rearguard - 12280 feet high... it's possible to hike to the summit but we didn't as we weren't properly prepared for such a hike... this year!
ALTtag
Our deer-dented, faithful vehicle in the parking area at the end of the Hellroaring Road... there are jeep trails beyond the parking area but vehicles are no longer allowed to go past the spot where we were parked in order to preserve the natural beauty of the plateau...
view of switchbacks on Hellroaring Road
Look at all those switchbacks, barely visible through the trees below... view of the Hellroaring Road from near the top of the road to the plateau...
Hellroaring Road descending with Beartooth Highway across the valley
Another view looking down Hellroaring Road and across the valley to the Beartooth Highway...