The extra mile turned out to be well worth it, we had the lake to ourselves the entire night! Delete The Beaten Path is an iconic Montana trail that begins near Cooke City and winds up and over the Beartooth Mountains and drops into East Rosebud (near Red Lodge) 29 miles later. Day 1 Cooke City to Russell Lake: The night before Carrie flew in from Tucson I headed off to East Rosebud to drop a car at the end of the hike, and then recruited my sister to drive us to the trailhead just outside of Cooke City, Montana. ( Log Out /  Twin Lakes: Off-the-beaten-path in Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains If you’re looking for off-the-beaten-path fun in Montana, Twin Lakes in the Bitterroot National Forest certainly qualifies. ( Log Out /  This week's adventure takes us to Montana's Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and “The Beaten Path” Trail. Knowing full well we could have easily done the hike in two or three days, we decided to take the leisure route and do it in four. Trip Overview. Definitely a gem of Montana, I will be returning. Off the Beaten Path Transport is a shuttle company providing local shuttle service transportation / airport service in Eugene, OR. The Ultra Beaten starts at East Rosebud, runs to Clarks Fork Trailhead (near Cooke City), and then back to East Rosebud, turning a common 3-5 day one way backpacking trip into The Ultra Beaten (53 miles - … We packed up camp and hit the trail again bound for the most beautiful section of the trail. Summer memories on @nathansatranphoto’s bachelor, Rowdy friends tell the best stories @rockeater.co, I hope you enjoyed my trip across northeast and no, Seeing a preserved prairie ecosystem feels like ta, Spent the weekend down in a dust bowl with @rockea, A Weekend in Casper, Wyoming + the Importance of Traveling Safely and Responsibly, Leave No Trace Principles in the Beartooth Mountains, Take the Next Exit, Three Days in Glacier Country’s I-90 Corridor, Montana Spring Road Trip: Life on the Plains, Andy’s Guide to Dining in Billings, Montana. I stripped down to my skivvies and swam across the lake. My friends and I want to do the Beaten path late august, early September 2017 and we're from out of town. No need to make all the messy plans of taking several cars to shuttle and waste valuable time that could be spent riding. Day 3 – Twin Outlet Lakes to Rimrock Lake: Rolling out of the tent in the morning we were treated to the most beautiful sight I could imagine, blue skies! 2. Welcome to the wilderness! Highway of tears and the Icefields Parkway. Oh and follow Carrie as well on Instagram, here! The moose walked by about 20 yards from where our tent had been set up. Conveniently we swapped cars before the trip. Naps were welcomed in the sunlight, cookies were eaten, I pulled out my journal for some writing and the last of the microbrews we brought were cracked open. While the hike is literally called the Beaten Path, you will find that the wilderness is large enough to make it feel less travelled. Andy Austin is a Bozeman based adventure photographer who grew up in the mountains and plains of Montana. Change ), View #bjornanderson’s profile on Facebook, View wordpressdotcom’s profile on Twitter. A few minutes later I heard a laugh as Carrie had made it to the lake and was laughing at my foolishness to be swimming in pure snowmelt. If we had to do it again we would certainly spend a few more days along the trail. When I hiked the Beaten Path in 2015, we set up a pick up time beforehand, guessing when we'd be finished hiking. We made it to Rimrock early in the afternoon and opted for a lazy afternoon watching the clouds roll by. Colorado Trail-Waterton Canyon to Lost Creek. Set in Red Lodge, Beaten-Path offers air-conditioned accommodation with a patio and free WiFi. Past Duggan Lake, Big Park Lake, and Lake at Falls before finally arriving at Rainbow Lake. I pushed on as she’s a much faster and stronger hiker than I am, as I pushed up the hill I came across the small, but mighty Ouzel Lake. Easier said then done! Twin Lakes sits at 7,200 ft. with fishing, canoeing—no motorized boats allowed—and hiking available, making this a fun day trip or overnight camping getaway. And ghost stories and other scary tales are the best! The only reason we were able to fit this trip in this summer was that we had friends that were willing to do the key swap. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. "The Beaten Path" is a 25 mile trail traversing some of the most spectacular cou They hiked south and we hiked north. There were some beautiful spots to camp along this lake, but the drawback is the year-round fire ban on this section of the trial due to lack of resources to burn. Two days backpacking through the Beartooth Wilderness, on The Beaten Path. The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness spans an impressive 944,000 acres of southern Montana and northern Wyoming. We wouldn’t have even noticed if we hadn’t heard a branch break. You can go either direction, but we chose to go west to east for a few reasons. This is a great dog friendly backpacking trip with plenty of water along… We hustled the six miles to Russell and made it as the sun began to set. Quickly we retreated into the tent to the blissful sounds of a mountain thunderstorm, and within an hour the storm had blown over. Our friends had also left cookies and pastries waiting for us on the front seat, which was amazing! That being said from our experience we felt like this is a very doable two day trip. You can also tour the state via commercial bus lines, ... and shuttle services are available near the major airports. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/montana/the-beaten-path-trail Featured Photo: Fossil Lake Descent (photo by Robert) Why this Hike? We quickly set up camp and built a campfire, which not only warmed my toes but also my soul. Many people choose to do this hike in a day or even two, but us, we chose the leisure route at four days. A few Mama Carol cookies later and we were off to pass by Fossil lake before dropping to Dewey Lake and eventually our campsite at Twin Outlet. As we sit around the fire eating dinner it began to pour rain and thunderstorm. The Beaten Path is one Montana’s premier backpacking trips through the rugged 943,648-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, passing by 15 glittering lakes underneath mammoth granite cliff faces. 8 Places In Montana That Are Off The Beaten Path But Worth The Trip. Enjoy your time in Montana! Over the next 6.8 miles, we hiked under perfect blue skies alongside equally as majestic blue mountain lakes. The Beartooths are some of the most biologically diverse mountains on earth and the Beaten Path crosses over a sample of the 944,000 acres that comprise the Beartooth-Absaroka Wilderness Area. Two days backpacking through the Beartooth Wilderness, on The Beaten Path. I would highly recommend giving yourself at least three or four days to hike the Beaten as it is easily one of the most scenic hikes I’ve ever been on. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Late last summer, while most of Montana was on fire and views were nonexistent, I had an idea to escape it all without having to leave my home state. Rainbow Lake is located 7 miles from the trailhead and is a … Pescado Blanco: Off the beaten path - See 275 traveler reviews, 12 candid photos, and great deals for Whitefish, MT, at Tripadvisor. Distance: 26 milesLocation: Traverses from Cooke City to East Rosebud Lake through the Absaroka WildernessType: End-to-endTrailheads: Clarks Fork (near Cooke City, MT) and East Rosebud Lake (near Roscoe, MT)Timeline: Can be done in one day, would recommend 2-4 days to really enjoy itTerrain: Alpine lakes and meadows, woods, canyonDifficulty: Well-maintained and moderate, with some challenging sections Off-the-beaten-path reporters Patti and Tom Burkett share tome of their favorites collected in their travels across North America. Near some of the more popular lakes we say as many as 20 tents set up for the night. We finished the hike an hour early, so we just sat around and waited for our ride to come; it worked out pretty well. We hiked in a mile and a half in the dark and set up camp for the night. From Rimrock we descended down to Elk Lake, a hike I’ve done countless times as a day hike, and one of my favorite sections of trail in all of Montana. The Beaten Path will provide transportation for you and 1 bike (From San Diego, North County, & Temecula) and Bike Park Lift Ticket for only $75! Dave Shumway posted the route: The Beaten Path travels 26.6 miles from East Rosebud to Cooke City. Check out this latest video from Isaac T. on his last Palm Canyon trip. To get you started the park offers several trails for the rider to progress (Download Trail Map): The warmth of that quick vertical gain had me sweaty, and I couldn’t help the desire to go for a swim. Facebook | Instagram | Twitter. MONTANA MISSOURI RIVER COUNTRY SOUTHEAST MONTANA YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY GLACIER COUNTRY SOUTHWEST MONTANA ... limited remote destinations like well-off-the-beaten-path trailheads. After work on Friday we drove through Yellowstone National Park, to the trailhead outside of Cooke City. Follow me on social media (or just follow me around in real life if you want, but it’s kinda creepy) Set in Red Lodge, Beaten-Path offers air-conditioned accommodations with a patio and free WiFi. On day two we woke to a soft rain. The storms cleared just enough that we could see a beautiful sunset was imminent, so we hiked the mile back to Rainbow Lake to take it there. In summer, a swirl of cultures, accents and excitement accompanies Yellowstone’s most famous draws. In a perfect world we would have taken three or four days to do this beautiful hike through the Beartooths. August 10 (Friday) The backpacking portion lasted 10 nights, 11 days, from August 11 to 21, 2001. We slowly packed up camp while jamming bluegrass and brewing my favorite MoAv coffee. Day 2- Russell to Twin Outlet Lakes: The next morning was crisp, but a thick smoke had set in overnight to cover up the sunrise. Re: The Beaten Path by trent777 » Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:18 pm Hey I was mistaken about the cheaper shuttle I think we will have to go with Red lodge unless we can find cheaper but we only have 2 in our party and we could probably get to the trail head by 9 a.m. Specialties: We are business that provides first-class guided mountain bike and road cycling tours in San Diego and beyond. But the best part of all of this, to this point in the hike we had only seen SIX other people. Our time along The Beaten Path was unusually smoke free compared to the lower elevations. Life should always be so good. After an extra smoky fire season in South Western Montana, we were able to escape the smoke. 5 talking about this. Home sweet home reflections on a successful tour. that Montana has to offer. Three days of disconnection from society and I was far from ready to return to the hustle and bustle of regular life. The Beaten Path got its name because it’s considered to be one of the most well-trafficked trails in the Beartooths, yet six people in three days sure feel like you’re as far away from civilization as one can be. After work… Also known as "The Beaten Path", the East Rosebud Trail is a highly traveled and well maintained trail with amazing views and a handful of lakes along the route. We got on the trail in the late afternoon as the smoke was heavy and I began to question if we made the right choice. The Beaten Path by trent777 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 6:56 pm 10 Replies 4742 Views Last post by trent777 Mon Aug 10, 2015 9:53 pm Beaten Path Late July 1, 2 by granitepeaker » Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:12 pm 18 Replies 8948 Views Last post by peakhugger Sun Jul 01, 2012 7:36 pm The Beaten Path is a trail in south Montana connecting the Wilderness around the town of Cooke City with the East Rosebud, a drainage on the eastern slope of the Beartooth Mountains. Dinner was made and I was able to crack into the coveted bag of Mama Carol cookies that she was kind enough to provide. A photographer’s journal. The trail is ultimately 26 miles long and places you near Cooke City. ( Log Out /  We provide shuttle service to local trails for mountain bikers and trail runners in the Southern California area.… As we hiked towards our first campsite of Russell Lake we started to notice the shift towards clear air. After attending Montana State University, where he played football and earned a degree in psychology, Andy traded in his football helmet for a camera and now spends much of his time traveling around the world. We made it back to the car by noon, and of course the biggest greasy cheeseburger and a glass of ice cold beer were calling my name. This section of the trail was lined with more huckleberries and wild raspberries than we could possibly eat. Twenty-five miles of spectacular backpacking in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness of Montana, USA. Pushing higher we made it to the high point of the whole beaten path as we stopped to have lunch at Windy Lake. With an extra long shuttle and work responsibilities we where forced to crunch this trip into two days. The rain had knocked down the last of the smoke and I was looking at something most Montanans had not seen since early summer. This grand traverse of the Beartooth range in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness offers some of the most awe-inspiring scenery (and highest mountains!) When we got to the trailhead on Sunday my car was waiting for us. We could feel the temps dropping and a fire was going to be very welcomed for this night so we camped on the far side of Twin Outlet as the Beartooths Map has the fire ban line going directly down the middle of Twin. The trip continued after that to include a few days at Chico Hot Springs to soak our cares away. Yukon-rodents, rain, and robbers along the Klondike highway. The Beaten Path Trail, Beartooth Mountains. They call it The Beaten Path, but I sure as hell never heard of it before. The main reason is the East Rosebud side of the hike is without a doubt the most beautiful section, and we decided that saving the best for last would end on a high note. The final push of the Beaten Path was a trail I knew well. Featuring free private parking, the holiday home is in an area where guests can engage in activities such as hiking, skiing and horse riding. After sunset, we retreated back to our hidden camp spot for our final campfire of the hike. Ideally, you would have two cars and hike from one side to the other. we're planning on doing it from south to north - any suggestions on shuttles? Hope you guys have a great time hiking! Since 2007 we have documented thousands of abandoned places in over 75 countries and risk our life, freedom and health while doing this. We picked and filled our coffee cups to put into breakfast our oatmeal the next morning before pushing on. To date, he has photographed 41 countries and six continents but always returns home to the mountains of the West. For the past few months Montana had been in a strict fire ban and I spent many nights with my friends huddled around lanterns in the backcountry. Most People Don’t Know These 15 Hidden Gems In Montana Even Exist. Located in a sparsely populated area of Montana, a state boasting a population density of only seven people per square mile, The Beaten Path is a 26-mile thru-hike connecting the East Rosebud Trailhead to Clarks Fork Trailhead just outside Cooke City. Like this article? Our fire was drenched but still smoking, and a few huffs and puffs and the fire was raging once more. As expected the trail was heavily “Beaten”. It’s part of the experience, and it makes for top-notch people watching. Andy I called up my friend, Carrie, who lives in Tucson to see if she’d be interested in hiking the Beaten Path the 26 miles up and over the Beartooth Mountains. The Beaten Path is a breath taking 26 miles trail that stretches from Cooke City to North of East Rosebud. You might think that Montana itself is “off the beaten path.” But many of our top attractions are located near our cities and highways, requiring little effort to reach. Every step is … I called up my friend, Carrie, who lives in Tucson to see if she’d be interested in hiking the Beaten Path the 26 miles up and over the Beartooth Mountains. In order to avoid the crowds we pushed on to Twin Outlets lake for the evening. If you have a season pass or just want a ride up to Snow Summit we offer a shuttle only option. Late last summer, while most of Montana was on fire and views were nonexistent, I had an idea to escape it all without having to leave my home state. After a leisure morning, we headed off to camp two, which we decided would be Twin Outlet Lakes 5.2 miles away but our biggest vertical day heading up and over the 10,000-foot elevation mark of the trail. Shortly after breakfast we had a moose walk by our camp. More stories were told around the campfire before turning in for a chilly night of sleep. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. My feet hurt 54mi May 26, 2017 Hannah Pieper. There are endless opportunities for exploration along The Beaten Path. The Beaten Path is here to get to you to the trailhead in comfort and pick you up when you’re done. One of the best things about sitting around a campfire, to our way of thinking, is telling stories. Half the fun of camping is telling monster stories around the campfire. By the next day, she booked her flight and the date was set to hike the trail in the first week of September. With an extra long shuttle and work responsibilities we where forced to crunch this trip into two days. In a perfect world we would have taken three or four days to do this beautiful hike through the Beartooths. Waterfalls cascade down from the jagged mountains and fall color began to pop through this section of trail. We are a comprehensive mountain bike and road bike tour operator offering shuttled trips throughout Southern California and San Diego County. For in-town, fair-weather The extra mile to Rimrock from Rainbow was worth it to find my secret camping spot that I had discovered a few years earlier while backpacking with my brother-in-law. Story and photos by Lee Cohen. Backpacking Trip Along “The Beaten Path” – Beartooth Wilderness A great trip! Having arrived at Rainbox Lake I had finally reached the point in the hike where I had camped twice before. Easier said then done! But who needs ideals when you have feet! Granite Park Chalet: Off the beaten path - See 50 traveler reviews, 93 candid photos, and great deals for Granite Park Chalet at Tripadvisor. You can live your whole life in the great state of Montana and never see it all, though the outdoor-loving types who reside here certainly enjoy trying. Featuring free private parking, the holiday home is in an area where guests can engage in activities such as hiking, skiing and horse riding. The rain continued for the first few hours of the day, but cleared as we got closer to East Rosebud. Share it with your friends! As we climbed up the trail the sun began to burn off the smoke and Carrie stopped to shed some layers. Get Off the Beaten Path Transport contact information, Eugene business location map, shuttle services offered, shuttle customer reviews and more. It’s a stunning example of Montana’s sheer beauty, mountain lakes, and high, granite cliff walls. A three-day trip could easily become a one-week trip Afternoon storms rolled through and we embraced some while hiding in the tent from others. Light traffic during the week, heavy on the weekend 16mi ... Did the Beaten Path both ways over 2 days. These 8 spots may require a little extra driving or a lot of hiking time, but they are well worth the trip. And robbers along the trail the sun began to pop through this section of trail Beartooth a. 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