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We bailed off the bike and promptly scrambled up a jum-
bled mass of scattered rock (which initially seemed much
closer than it actually was), reaching an even better vantage
point to take in a 360-degree panorama.
The plateau is comprised of gneisses, granite, and schist
that formed approximately 3.3 billion years ago, according
to Axline's book, The Beartooth Highway: A History of Amer-
ica's Most Beautiful Drive. They are the oldest exposed rocks
in all of Montana, and are among the oldest known in the
world. It was a display of natural grandeur so astonishing it is
still difficult to comprehend. I'm not sure if it was due to the
impromptu high-elevation hike or the majesty of the view,
but I was unquestionably left breathless.
The Beartooth Highway continued on into Wyoming at
the top of the Beartooth Plateau, then dropped into a long,
gradual descent past mountain lakes, waterfalls, and boul-
der-laden meadows. Index and Pilot Peaks of Wyoming's
Absaroka Range stood out sharply against the sky as we
crossed back over the border into Montana, closing in the
historic mining town of Cooke City. The northeast entrance
to Yellowstone National Park sat just four miles beyond.
•••
Even before doing much research about the ruggedly
wild, 68-mile Beartooth Highway between Red Lodge and
Cooke City in south-central Big Sky Country, I knew I had
wanted to see the adventure from the seat of a Harley.
At nearly 11,000 feet, the sprawling alpine tundra at the
height of the Beartooth Pass has been referred to by many
as the "Top of the World." What better way to experience
the harrowing thrill of driving one of the highest-elevation
roadways in the United States than from the back of a motor-
cycle?
I'm not sure IF IT WAS
DUE TO THE HIGH-ELEVATION HIKE
OR THE MAJESTY OF THE VIEW,
BUT I WAS UNQUESTIONABLY
LEFT BREATHLESS.
