Log for Thursday, July 3, 2003

Sheridan, Wyoming
Cooney Reservoir
Beartooth Lake

I got up and ran three miles this morning down Main Street in Sheridan, Wyoming. I ran behind Main Street along Goose Creek on a very nice paved path. Along Goose Creek, I saw my first cottonwood tree near 7th Street. What a wonderful town this is! I had no idea I would like it so much. It's a very nice oasis from the surrounding landscape. Sheridan has as many computer stores along main street as sporting goods stores. The shops along Main Street are welcoming and well kept. Running east along Main Street I could see the Big Horn Mountains and their snow-covered peaks raging up against a vivid blue sky.

After my run I came back to the hotel and swam in the indoor heated pool for twenty minutes. After several days in a row of camping I was very happy to get back to a bed, a warm shower and an Internet connection. However, I missed seeing the stars and sitting out by the campfire in the late evening reading.

After a great breakfast I drove down to Big Horn Sporting Goods store on Main Street to try to buy a replacement for the Thule rubber wheel holder on the bike rack. It was lost somewhere along I-90 in the South Dakota winds. I also needed to buy a 512MB Flash memory card. My 1 gigabyte microdrive died in my Canon G2, so I was somewhat limited as to the number of images I could take for QuickTime VR panoramas.

There were very friendly people at the Big Horn Sporting Goods store. I bought an extra set of Yakima straps for my kayak since I was concerned about driving through high winds on the Beartooth Highway. I had come through the high winds in Indiana and South Dakota, but was unsure about the mountains. I wanted to be safe. The proprietor, Alan Mason, was very helpful and walked out to the parking lot out back to admire my kayak. He and his whole store were going on a kayaking trip to the Big Horns for July 4th and 5th and had a sign on the front door saying that they would be closed to go kayaking. I loved that. This is an area where they know how to set their priorities.

I drove out of Sheridan and headed towards Billings, Montana on Route 90. I had a wonderful view of the Little Big Horn River as the highway passed over it. This is very lovely country between Sheridan and Billings but quite empty except for the occasional Crow Indian settlement. I was still getting used to the 75-mile-per-hour speed limit which I've been participating in since entering South Dakota. I wonder what it will feel like when when I return East and return to the 65-mile-per-hour speeds. It may seem as if I am driving in slow motion.

I was very impressed to see so many bicycists coming from Billings, heading towards Buffalo, Wyoming on Route 90. They had to be very strong to make that distance in those hills. I was full of admiration each time I saw them slogging up the hills in the hot sun. It made what I was doing not seem so adventurous after all. I'm not sure what they would do if they couldn't make it to Sheridan as there was really nothing in between on Route 90.

Each time I encountered the ubiquitous train tracks that often paralleled Route 90 I felt strangely reassured. It's as if a big 'on-course' signal was being given out to confirm my location. The GPS unit has been invaluable, especially at the ends of distances to help gauge how much further to a particular point.

I was tempted to stop at Hardin, exit 497, to turn off and head to the Big Horn River Recreation Area which was 44 miles from Route 90 but I decided to press on. I didn't want to arrive at the start of the Beartooth Highway too late in the afternoon.

At 1:45 p.m. I entered Billings, Montana. It was 93 degrees and the sky was clear and blue. The odometer was at 2,490 miles when I entered the Beartooth Highway at 2:00 p.m. I was optimistic at this hour but the drive eventually took a total of 5 hours with all the photo stops and 20-mile-per-hour curves. I filled up with gas before getting onto US 212 and was encouraged when I saw a 70 mph speed limit posted the first few miles. The first five miles on this two-lane road have you asking "What's so special about this highway? Yeah, it's scenic enough with the mountains in the distance." But just wait...

After approximately 22 miles I entered Boyd, Montana, where I turned right onto Boyd County Road at the sign for the Cooney Reservoir. I drove eight miles down a narrower two-lane road to the north entrance of Cooney Reservoir Recreation Area. A self-pay system is in place at Montana State Parks, so I read the list of fees and determined mine was $5.00 for day use. Luckily I had a five dollar bill so I tucked it into the small green enveloped provided, tore off the receipt for my windshield and dropped it into the slot in the box. Just as I placed the money in the slot I remembered that I had purchased an annual Montana State Park sticker. Oh well, money well spent.

I drove a bit further on to find the boat ramp in an unshaded area. The sun was really beating down in the afternoon. Putting in was a bit difficult because of the steep grade on the boat ramp, so I used the grassy area on the edge of the boat ramp. There are many waterskiers on the reservoir so you have to be aware of sudden wakes. The boaters were courteous enough but I found myself hugging the shoreline quite a bit. This is a very beautiful paddle mainly because of the snow covered Rocky Mountains in the distance. The elevation reading was 4,240 feet at Cooney Reservoir, and a very hot 95 degrees. Kayaking felt wonderful and the view was spectacular.

I continued on the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge. I'm sure this is a welcome site for tourists coming the other direction on the highway. There were lots of motels and places to spend the night and recuperate from the white-knuckled drive through the mountains. I saw a sign for Island Lake Recreational Area and made a note to stop there next time. Outside of Red Lodge I found myself stopping at nearly every pull-out spot. The scenery was just too good to pass up. I took many photos as the light was just right against the mountains and blue sky.

I kept checking the altitude on my GPS and when it got to around 9,000 feet I found myself near a scenic parking area with bathrooms. I stopped and took more photos then continued upwards. The tall tree limbs placed at the road's edge on both sides really helped at the higher altitudes. The sky would have made it difficult to see the road's edge without them. It's hard to describe the exhilarating, scary and awestruck feeling one posseses during the ascent but it was not like anything I have experienced before.

Before Beartooth Lake I passed several small glacial lakes that although not for kayaking were wonderful to see. Reaching Beartooth Lake was a big thrill after seeing its waypoint dot approaching on the GPS for so long along the curvy road. I pulled out and headed to the boat ramp which was clearly marked. The first thing you see upon entered the Beartooth Lake area is a large grizzly bear territory warning sign. I was relieved to see two other cars in the parking lot. One couple had just finished taking out their inflatable kayak. They looked pretty cold and told me that it was great but that the water was very cold. They were dressed in hats and winter jackets. I added a few more layers and unpacked my boat. In addition to the ramp the launch area has a grassy area where I managed to launch without getting my feet wet, which I was grateful for given the temperature and wind. The mountains rise so high here that looking up from a kayak on the water almost causes a crick in the neck. The scenery is more beautiful than I could have imagined. I kayaked along the shore of the lake taking care to watch for large boulders. The north end of the lake empties into a stream so I avoided getting too close to that action. Although it is not a large lake, for breath-taking beauty and sheer mountain scenery this has got to be one of the best kayaking spots on the planet.

At Beartooth Lake it was 56 degrees but the wind was blowing pretty hard. I strapped the kayak back down and continued the descent into Cooke City. A few small raindrops fell and it clouded over briefly but I was soon back looking at sunny skies. I traveled through some of the burn area of a previous forest fire and was struck at the light yellow scars on some of the trees left standing as if the intense light had been burned into their bark. Just before entering Cooke City I saw a lone wolf cross the road in front of me. He was carrying his dinner in his mouth. After he crossed over to the right side he glanced back at me. It was a very erie feeling. A few miles back I had seen a deer about to dash out in front of me, hesitate, then cross behind me.

I entered Cooke City at 7:00 p.m. It was 57 degrees and the elevation was around 7,000 feet. I filled up with gasaline and checked into the Antlers (no apostrophe) Lodge Cabins for the night. After making it over the Beartooth Highway I was not in the mood to continue driving on to Gardiner. I was really glad I bought the set of Yakima straps to tie the kayak down doublywith the Thule straps. I experienced very high winds along the Beartooth Highway, especially on the final ascent to the highest point (name) 10,924 feet. I slept well in my cabin and awoke to the sounds of birds.