Beartooth loop

John Goering

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
484
My wife and I did a loop in the Tooth's last summer starting and ending at the Chief Joseph trail head just east of Cooke City. We utilized the Russell Creek trail, camping the first night between Ouzel and Bald Knob Lakes.
Day 1
Broadwater River 100 yards from the trail head.
14805253406_bb06080621_b.jpg


Kersey Lake with Sheep Mountain in the distance.
14828247975_68a508946f_b.jpg


Russell Creek
15224940749_0ce87f3dc7_b.jpg


15388601036_7cc88da231_b.jpg


14825821714_1098f3bf59_b.jpg


Russell Lake
15224874919_afb100e0fe_b.jpg


Wet meadow between Russell and Ouzel Lakes
15408379741_7db2c020a8_b.jpg


Ouzel Lake
14641522039_82fd813364_b.jpg


Cascades between Ouzel and Bald Knob Lakes. We listened to these all night-between the rain drops
15389146576_ff4c5a1cf5_b.jpg


Bald Knob Lake
14825798954_4b5c702dfc_b.jpg


Featured image for home page:
slide.jpg
 
@John Goering - Nice report and great scenery. The Beartooths have been on my bucket list for a few years now; I just need to find the time to fit them into my schedule.
 
Day 2
Day 2 began with a futile effort to dry out the tent after an all night rain. In the end, the pack increased in weight a couple pounds but didn't want to wait any longer. We continued on the Russell Lake trail past Skull and Fizzle Lakes and crested the summit into the East Rosebud drainage at Fossil Lake. About a half mile above Dewey Lake we departed the trail for 3 plus days of off-trail travel. We camped above Oly Lake for two nights.

Looking back at Bald Knob Lake

15389108906_d1e9846943_b.jpg


Below Skull Lake
15225582717_c167009bbc_b.jpg


Skull Lake
15225520638_202bef1ca8_b.jpg


Fizzle Lake
15225540937_4127e7a50b_b.jpg


Fossil Lake
14847960323_a0ed0e2c4d_b.jpg


East Rosebud drainage
14827740842_2b3c6f93d1_b.jpg

East Rosebud Creek below Fossil Lake
14825731094_3423a12f33_b.jpg


Off trail Below Oly Lake
15225269019_f082b7123e_b.jpg


Cascades/plunge pool below Oly Lake
14847911593_c89e6b2199_b.jpg


Oly Lake from camp
14847898703_d8a0a69f69_b.jpg
 
Last edited:
The photos captioned "looking back at bald knob lake" and "skull lake" are the same picture, I'm pretty sure. But I like the picture, so if it's intentional, I don't mind.
 
Day 3
Day 3 consisted of a day hike from Oly up to Cairn Lake and return. Cairn is probably my favorite place in the Beartooths.

Valley above Oly
14827677872_79af1cf313_b.jpg


14847870323_9ecb5058b2_b.jpg


Cairn Mountain
15408759831_afa09be071_b.jpg


Cairn Lake "afterbay"
14641344389_6469ecab3c_b.jpg

15408718631_8ec31b633c_b.jpg


Lower end of Cairn Lake with the Spires in the background
15225117799_2c955768c5_b.jpg


More Cairn Lake
14641433437_f89fb26089_b.jpg


Headed back to Oly, Summit Mountain behind
14641334068_d1c547477e_b.jpg


15389553646_c162caf153_b.jpg


Small cascades near camp
15411529332_e9a013d36e_b.jpg
 
Day 4

Day 4 was supposed to be a rather easy boulder bashing day up the drainage northwest of Oly topping out at Lower Skytop Lake and then down Skytop Creek past Rough Lake with a camp at Lone Elk Lake. Turned out that small drainage above Oly was a bit of a handful.

Leaving Oly
14824806071_347374040a_b.jpg
 
Day 4 continued

Working our way up into the basin
14641158810_28409aed74_b.jpg


14641205919_79a3420fac_b.jpg


14641218568_70eec7f3fd_b.jpg


There were several small lakes in the basin
14641298817_01cc395cb6_b.jpg

14641287537_7eca7b6c58_b.jpg

15389521526_d801b1d110_b.jpg

14641189638_98da9975f6_b.jpg


We crested at about 10,300 feet at Lower Skytop Lake
14641257457_51eef2e467_b.jpg


Heading down Skytop Creek with Rough Lake behind
14641247277_7394c59a84_b.jpg


Lone Elk Lake, Mount Villard on far left, Spires middle
14827754425_ba0a569796_b.jpg
 
Day 5

The fifth day travels were from Lone Elk, down Skytop Creek about a mile, and then cut to the south out of the Skytop drainage, past Pneumonia, Splinter, and Finger Lakes with a camp just below Moccasin Lake. There were a few rough stretches in that route also.

Skytop Creek below Lone Elk Lake
14641030319_60afe22372_b.jpg


Skytop Creek. Our route passed beside that snowbank on the low ridge to the right
14847510913_961b4b9f85_b.jpg


Looking back at Skytop Creek. Spires on far left, the flat topped Granite Peak (highest point in Montana), un-named peak, and Cairn Mountain right.
14804645406_11b566d9c8_b.jpg


Pneumonia Lake
14641101077_798e9b7e12_b.jpg


Descending to Splinter Lake
15409242211_8c402cd317_b.jpg


Finger Lake
14640956099_b9f833f348_b.jpg


Outlet of Finger Lake with Mount Zimmer in the distance
14640967318_c2becb6301_b.jpg


Moccasin Lake
14827217172_b4d1b59aeb_b.jpg


Camp at Moccasin
14827573995_dcfaeaa25f_b.jpg


14640948698_03bd277b10_b.jpg
 
Day 6

Ah, the last day. We dropped off the shelf where Moccasin sits into the Broadwater River Drainage, climbed over, around, and occasionally under all the deadfall around Broadwater and Curl Lakes (88 Yellowstone fire victim) and finally hit FS trail 564 back to the trail head. That trail is not cleared above the mouth of Curl and we spent 2.5 hours making 1.5 miles in that mess.

Pilot and Index Peaks from Moccasin Lake
14827549965_35fe443c4e_b.jpg


Below Moccasin. Broadwater and Curl Lakes in distance.
14825195694_e0767620b9_b.jpg


Broadwater Lake and Middle Mountain
15412025192_bd7512652e_b.jpg


Curl Lake with Pilot and Index behind
15225667590_0906c01aca_b.jpg


Broadwater River below Curl Lake
14640868198_45663922e6_b.jpg


A very welcome if not well traveled FS 564
15225752828_6b8fd4124b_b.jpg


More Broadwater River
15225742928_0e125f37ef_b.jpg


Wet meadow on Sedge Creek below Kersey Lake-a mile and a half to the trail head-Henderson Mountain behind
14640782180_590aef9325_b.jpg
 
Heck of a trip! Beautuful country up there. You make me wanna re-visit Montana again!
 
Fantastic trip! What was your mileage?
 
Thanks John Goering. Great Trip! We haven't had a whole lot on the Beartooth's posted here. x2 on "what was your mileage?". I agree Cairn Mtn and Lake look awesome. What would you figure would be the shortest mileage in from a trailhead to it? Did you see much bear sign?
 
Last edited:
oh oh gears turning ...... :cautious:
 
Great trip report. We need more beta on Montana. I'm glad you're here to oblige. Pneumonia Lake calls to me, it's probably my inner Respiratory Therapist. Thanks for sharing.
 
Fantastic trip! What was your mileage?

I'm guessing the total was someplace around 30 miles with about 12 of that on-trail. Cairn Lake is about 12 to 13 miles in from the Cooke City side and maybe a mile or so farther from East Rosebud trail head. It could be a very long day hike but in my opinion, the longer I can stay in that area, the better.

Somewhat amazing, but we didn't run across any bear sign the entire trip which was ok with us. The only big critters observed were goats although there were plenty of elk tracks and a few moose tracks, the latter in the Broadwater River area. When you have canines along, it doesn't in any way augment wildlife observation.
 
Pretty country. I've only been in the Beartooth's once. When I was a teenager I went up to Froze to Death lake. It was pretty dang cold, but amazingly pretty.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
scatman Beartooth Wilderness - Flat Rock Lake Lollipop Loop - July 26, 2021 Backpacking 56
Joey 7 Day Yellowstone, Slough Creek, Hellroaring, Absaroka Beartooth Loop Backpacking 21
B Beartooth Lakes Info Trip Planning 1
John Goering The ancient past. 1980 Beartooth trip Backpacking 11
Ymyr Suggestions in a Yellowstone and a Beartooth trip Trip Planning 29
Bob Beartooth changes from Spring flooding General Discussion 2
futurafree Beartooth Lakes and Passes Trip Planning 2
Dustynails0 Beartooth lake to East rosebud traverse Trip Planning 6
McKee80 beartooth beginner trip Trip Planning 5
westy Beartooth plateau Backpacking 1
W Absaroka Beartooth near Yellowstone Trip Planning 3
John Goering Return to Goose Lake/Grasshopper Glacier area of the Beartooth Mountains Hiking & Camping 7
LarryBoy Off the Beaten Path - Five Days in the Beartooth Range Backpacking 11
westy Beartooth Mountains Backpacking 5
Bryan Harwood Absaroka- Beartooth Wilderness: 6 Trips July-Sep. 2015 Backpacking 12
b.stark A Very Late Beartooth Report Backpacking 14
John Goering Beartooth Mountains, Lake Plateau Backpacking 11
John Goering Beartooth's Hellroaring Plateau Backpacking 10
John Goering Beartooth's Goose Lake area Hiking & Camping 2
G Escalante area 4-5 night backpack trip suggestions in late September. Loop if possible. Limit technical sections if any. Thanks! Backpacking 6
TrailScot Escalante Loop via Dry Hollow and Boulder Mail Trail - September 2023 Backpacking 8
TractorDoc Paintbrush Canyon / Cascade Canyon Loop -- Grand Teton NP September 11, 2023 Hiking & Camping 9
D Grand Teton Cascade Loop Trip Planning 1
TrailScot Upper Paria Loop Hike - September 2023 Backpacking 4
M Mee/Knowles Canyon Loop, Grand Junction Colorado Backpacking 4
randakag Rawah Wilderness "Lollipop" Loop - September 2023 Backpacking 7
Ugly Oh Mother! A Mountain Loop Backpacking 12
Jackson Lollipop Loop in the Pintlers Backpacking 6
Timber High Sierra - North Lake to South Lake Loop - Layover Day Trip Planning 9
RockyMntCol Cloud Peak Wilderness Loop Trip Planning 1
BJett Part 3 - Tour de Canyon Country. Lower Escalante Loop Hiking & Camping 0
scatman City Creek Loop - April 23, 2023 Hiking & Camping 8
scatman The Van Cott Loop - April 15, 2023 Hiking & Camping 15
Kullaberg63 Loop on and around the Fold Backpacking 13
fossana AZ Strip bike exploration (Sunshine Trail/Hurricane Wash Loop) Everything Else 3
NorthwestWanderer First time in the High Uintas | Red Castle SNEAK Loop | I give these mountains 5 out of 5 stars Backpacking 7
scatman Mount Wire Loop - 2003 and 2016? Hiking & Camping 13
TheMountainRabbit Pitchstone/Bechler Loop (Yellowstone NP) - September 2022 Backpacking 17
scatman Teton Wilderness Loop - August 6, 2022 Backpacking 27
Mikjik86 Another Wind River Trip Planning! Elkhart/Titcomb/Knapsack/Shannons Pass loop back to Elkhart, or continue to Green River Lakes Trailhead? Trip Planning 10
scatman Shoshone Lake Lollipop Loop - Yellowstone National Park - July 24, 2022 Backpacking 63
TrailScot "I'll take the High Road ..." - A Loop Hike around the Canyons of Needles - May 2022 Trip Reports 14
BJett Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area Packraft/Backpack Loop (TN) Backpacking 6
Kerrie at Thru We Go Grand Canyon Backpack/Packraft Loop at New Hance Backpacking 11
Duketogo13 BMT- Death Hollow-Escalante Triangle loop Trip Planning 20
M Kannah Creek Basin loop, Grand Junction CO Backpacking 6
T Snow Canyon Loop Hiking & Camping 1
fossana Yellow Rock, Pollock Arch, Hackberry Canyon loop (GSENM) Hiking & Camping 10
scatman The Van Cott Loop - February 13, 2022 Hiking & Camping 9
Wesley Cheaha Freezing Out and Back Loop FAIL Backpacking 12

Similar threads

Back
Top