If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 445

Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming
[photo:  Lawrence Dodge, 1992]

Lawrence Dodge took the 1992 photo on this postcard with a view of the Beartooth Highway found on part of U.S. Route 212 in Montana and Wyoming.   This section of the highway runs for 68.7 miles or 110.6 km between Red Lodge and the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park.  The card was published by Big Sky Magic Enterprises of Helmville, Montana and has the code:  BSM-477 at the lower left corner on the reverse. 

As can be seen by the photo, there are a number of zigzag switchbacks where the road climbs up to the top of Beartooth Pass at 10,947 ft (2,400 m).  The highway, which offers spectacular views, opened in 1936 and essentially uses the same route that Civil War General Philip Sheridan and his 120 men followed when returning from an inspection tour of Yellowstone Park in 1872.  Not wanting to take a long detour down Clarks Fork Yellowstone River to Billings, Montana, General Sheridan had taken the advice of an old hunter, Shuki Greer, who was familiar with the Beartooth Mountains, and led his men over the pass on this route.   

The road passes numerous lakes in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area that borders it along much of the way.  The pass is known to have strong winds as well as snowstorms even in the middle of the summer.  It is suggested that drivers check ahead with the Montana and Wyoming Travel Information Services in case of closures.  A driving time of at least 2 hours from Red Lodge to Cooke City is recommended.  Although the highway does have a U.S. highway number the National Park Service maintains it.  There have been several rock slides and mudslides that damaged or destroyed the Montana side of the highway in the past.  In 2005 it was closed for reconstruction due to slides. 

The stamp on this used postcard was issued in 1991 for the new 19-cent postcard rate.  The fawn is a white-tailed deer and is found throughout most of the continental United States, southern Canada, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.  The card was mailed from Yellowstone National Park and has a cancellation mark from Old Faithful Sta.


For more information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beartooth_Highwayhttps://arago.si.edu/category_2034650.html