Rock-Off: Melancholy and the infinite rockiness
Written: Jul 22 '01
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Pros: Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area, bountiful beauty in Big Sky country.
Cons: Those damn rocks. Shucks, I miss them.
The Bottom Line: Plan and prepare accordingly. Unpredictable weather changes can wreak havoc; temperature fluctuates up to 40º+/- between day and night. The area is significantly beautiful, but you must respect the rocks.
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| sleestakk's Full Review: Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness |
In a former life, I was a fairly avid hiker/backpacker. Those years were filled with some terrific trips that spanned across our sometimes great nation. From the Adirondacks in upper New York to the Smokies in Tennessee, from the Quetico boundary waters of Ontario to the arid Badlands and scenic Black Hills of South Dakota, from Mt. Hood, Oregon to Red River Gorge, Kentucky; I was there and then some. And as my neighbor buffoonery might say, that and a buck fifty will get you a ride on the subway.
But when wrestled to ground and a thick Vibram® sole forcibly holding my head down, I can be muscled into giving up my favorite location of all my backcountry adventures. And that would be the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area in Montana. Although all my trips had definite moments of grandeur, none have blown me away as this northwestern locale did each of my nine days on the scene. I surmise my feelings may have more to do with where I was in my life at the time but that doesn't depreciate any of the magnificence that is Absaroka-Beartooth¹.
¹The name "Absaroka" is derived from Crow Indians, once native to the land (Absaroka means "crow"), and "Beartooth" was chosen for the sharp crags along the range that resemble bear teeth.
Focusing in, the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area is part of the Shoshone, Custer, and Gallatin National Forests just north of the Wyoming border above Yellowstone National Park on the map. It takes roughly a 2-hour car ride southwest from Billings to get to the meat of the trailheads. The drive on the Beartooth Highway creates the ideal mood entering the wilderness area beginning at Red Lodge, once an old mining town now a tourist haven and a place for rabid skiers and snowboarders to kick back in the local tavern sharing war stories. Even we stopped in for a brew before and after our journey (this is highly recommended).
Leaving Red Lodge, the highway climbs the Beartooth Plateau weaving higher and higher as altitude gains. Eventually the snow zone is reached and is only passable outside of the winter season; otherwise it remains closed due to heavy snowfall. On a clear day, all of Montana stretches across the horizons in every direction. Unfortunately, when we drove through, the dense fog allowed visibility for only the nearest objects. Yet in the middle of August, we couldn't help but pause occasionally to play in the white ice, fashioning angels in the snow and writing our names. Heh.
Jeff, one of my backpacking buddies, planned our excursion and decided that our first outing would be the trek up to Fossil Lake at nearly 10,000ft elevation. Taking the south trail north is The Beaten Path® as we encountered plenty of flyfishermen and backpackers along the trail, many with the same destination plans. We also met a couple of cute girls spending their summer in the park working on trail rehabilitation. Later we discovered their "hidden" campsite was within viewing distance of our secret spot, a perfect out-of-sight setup on a cliff above the trail. With our Sony HandyCam® we could even zoom in on them. That was interesting.
Jeff and I only spent a day exploring the hilltops, rock croppings, and snow banks around Fossil Lake. The alpine tundra with minimal lifeforms at this elevation is barren yet outstanding; the immense snow banks were impressive. However, we decided that there were more than enough visiting campers around to keep it interesting. It can get very crowded for such a secluded area. Fishing seems to be the most desirable sport at Fossil and the fish are so plentiful that Jeff hand-caught a few cutthroat trout in the small tributaries feeding the lake. After two nights on the ridge, we humped all the way out, back down the trail in a day's time during a sporadic downpour. That was a feat in itself.
We spent the night in Cooke City drinking beer with the locals and the following morning we drove up a dirt road to access a less popular trailhead on the west side of the area, south of the Aero lakes. That move paid off in spades immediately; during the early hours we ran into a family of moose chowing down on the nearby vegetation. We walked up as close as twenty paces to capture some excellent shots shaking in our boots the whole time. Please do not try this at home. Moose are not animals that appreciate gawking tourists. After that exercise in stupidity, we prepared our gear at the trailhead for the expedition towards Granite Peak², the highest point in Montana at 12,799ft.
² As part of the Beartooth Mountains, Granite Peak is a prime example of the geologic formations throughout the wilderness. Precambrian granite makes up most of the range composition. Due to active land shifts and glaciation, the granite has been pushed upwards exposing broad plateaus that rise over 12,000ft above sea level.
We hiked for day until establishing our camp near Zimmer Creek at the base of the rocky trail that leads up to Lower Aero Lake. After a complete day of relaxing around the vicinity, we decided it was time to make the trek up to Lower Aero. Funny thing is... there isn't so much a trail to reach that area, as there is a path of rocks³. One is forced to crawl over boulders and jagged rocks ascending roughly 1000ft in a very short distance before reaching the top. At that point, the world opens and beauty that surrounds Lower Aero Lake spreads across the vista. It is quite a site.
³ Due to extreme glaciation, the upward shifts have developed U-shaped valleys with almost vertical rock faces. Rocky debris is strewn below and between the peaks. The Absaroka Mountains are younger, shorter glaciated peaks (~11,000ft) marked by significant volcanic stratifications.
As we hiked the ridge around the lake, we enjoyed clear views of Granite Peak, Tempest Mountain, Mt. Villard, Mt. Wilse, and Glacier Peak. Although the day seemed perfect, we quickly learned to expect the unexpected as the light drizzle transformed into showering snow pellets. We took refuge under a large rock hoping the white BBs from heaven would stop. The inclement weather only worsened so we made a run for it, the best we could, scampering over endless amounts of rocks.
Having been stuck on the opposite side of the lake during the snowstorm, reaching the other side and traversing the rocky steps back down to our campsite before nightfall appeared next to impossible. Considering the dropping temperatures, our lack of respect for potential conditions, and the situation at hand, this was the first time I was truly scared on a backpacking trip.
Even with flashlights, scaling over and around large rocks is no walk in the park when the sky is black. Those damn rocks. It's all about the rocks, isn't it? The fear filled our adrenal glands as we marched in double-time back to our camp. The dark had taken over by the time we found our Marmot Nutshell® tent being pummeled by the rain at the lower altitude. In total darkness, we moved our tent to a safer, less drenched spot of land, had dinner, laughed about our day, and I read out loud another chapter of Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul before we fell fast asleep. Yes, we slept like rocks.
In the morning we witnessed the sun sparkling from the newly anointed white peaks that looked down on us. Just like the song says, these were mountains of majesty. Soon the chasm of sharp rocks that seemed to thwart our vessels the day before became simply an afterthought as Jeff and I picked up and pulled out. Realizing what we were leaving behind stirred a sense of sadness while we walked our final footsteps out of Absaroka-Beartooth. We exited the area on Beartooth Highway still captivated by the overwhelming scenery. Content, yet sad, we already missed the rocks.
Indeed, Montana rocks.
My article is part of the Rock-Off, administered by our ever so congenial hosts, Hypotenuse and scmrak. The purpose was to recognize and appreciate all things geologic. Rocks, my friends. JK persuaded my participation and now that I'm finally here, I'm honored to join the fine writers listed below. Please take a moment to read what rocks them.
Christoff, emptywishes, eplovejoy, Fez_Monkey, Grouch, Hypotenuse, jarno_m_l, jkkelley, Joubert, kidquick, mangiotto, prfstars, purplewiz, scmrak, Sloucho, Sordid-1, sumo_rhino, sundogg99, teddiec, wiseokc
The rocky web page for this event can be found here:
http://www.llaboratory.com/rock-off/
I encourage everyone with even the slightest interest in the nature that inhabits the world to check out the articles. Or if you just like rocks, that's ok too.
Author's note: There's so much more I would've liked to cover in my article but due to my severe lack of brevity, that just wasn't going to happen. If you have any questions about Absaroka-Beartooth that were not answered here, please feel free to email me. Also, temporarily, I will have a few photos on my profile page illustrating the rocky-snowy conditions of the area. Check 'em out now before they're gone.
Respect the rocks.
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Hiking & Trails
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Epinions.com ID:
sleestakk
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Member: Jay Stakk
Location: Chicago
Reviews written: 186
Trusted by: 331 members
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