We left the hotel and stopped at Walmart to look for some micro SD cards. While there, someone saw our bikes and started talking with us and we mentioned we were headed to Beartooth Pass. He highly recommended it, so we were stoked. We left Walmart and headed towards Dayton, WY. I wanted to take route 14 through Big Horn National Forest because there is some gorgeous scenery. I went through there in 2019 on my last cross country trip and I really wanted to go through there again. Before getting to Dayton, we took a long dirt road. It was the same road I took as last time. It was a lot better on the Tiger Triumph since it is an adventure bike!
From there, we reached Dayton and got onto route 14 where there are some really fun turns and elevation gain. The views on the way up are amazing! There are a few pull offs, so we stopped for some photos. We continued to meander our way up to the top. Once we got to the top, we stopped for breakfast at Bear Lodge Resort. I remember is being a nice lodge, so I wanted to be sure we stopped. This time we arrived around mid morning. There were some others there and suggested we try their “famous” pies, so I had a piece of one of their “famous” pies. Well, I had a strawberry rhubarb and it was flippin’ delicious! It did not disappoint!
After eating, we got back on the bikes and continued on to Lovell, WY. The western section of Big Horn National Forest is spectacular with its rock formations and colors. We got some great views as we slowly descended the mountain due to road construction. We got to the bottom and it was like a desert continuing along route 14 between Lovell, WY and Red Lodge, MT on our way to Beartooth Highway (route 212). We decided to go up and over Beartooth Pass after Eddie asked a Facebook group which roads would be good to take. Someone suggested Beartooth Highway.
Just before getting to Red Lodge, we pulled off to take a break and lube the chains. We pulled off at the Smith Mine historic marker where you could see an old mine. Well, it was a tragic historic marker where 74 miners lost their lives in 1943 due to an explosion of methane gas. It was the worst underground coal mine disaster in Montana history.
Just up the road, we arrived in Red Lodge and fueled up. It was going to be a long distance until we would pass another gas station. We headed into Custer National Forest. Unfortunately, the weather was crumby and the views were not what we were expecting. When we first got to started on Beartooth Highway, storm clouds were coming in. Eddie had high hopes that the rain would hold off, but we weren’t so lucky! We made it a few miles in and it started to rain and hail. So, we decided to turn around so that we could enjoy the road when the storm was over. We got into Red Lodge and looked for a place to wait out the weather in the mountains. As we rode through the town, we could see the aftermath from the June 2022 floods. We rode by the one building and is was in bad shape. Check the link -> (https://www.foxweather.com/watch/play-5b974ebab000a15)
After a little break and watching the radar, we headed back for round two! The roads were a little wet and it was incredibly foggy, but it was quite amazing! There was switchback after switchback until we reached the top of the pass. Beartooth Pass stands at 10,947 feet above sea level. Along the way we stopped for pictures. It was have been spectacular on a clear day. If I am ever back in the area, I will definitely be doing that again!
From there we descended the other side and were on our way to Cody, WY. Once we made our way back near the bottom we turned onto route 296. This road did not disappoint either. The clouds were “trapped” in the mountains on the other side so the skies were more clear and the roads were dry. We rode through some more beautiful scenery until we started to climb the Absaroka Range on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway. There were some great switchbacks here too where we were able to enjoy the ride up. We got to the top of Dead Indian Pass and, yet again, more amazing views! Dead Indian Pass stands at 8,071 feet above sea level and looking down you could see the roadway we just took.
After taking some photos at the top, we continued to Cody and found a hotel. We got some food and hung out. Overall, it was an awesome day! We only did about 320 miles on the day, but it felt like a long day since we stopped a few times and saw so many great views!
More photos: Day 5 Photos
Adventures of Matty Q 