Open Backpack - The Beaten Path/Beartooth Mountains

The Beartooth Wilderness, part of the 943,377-acre Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness on the Montana-Wyoming border just north of Yellowstone, encompasses a lake-strewn high plateau with immense vistas, 944 lakes and nine major river drainages as well as the highest peak in Montana:  Granite Peak at 12,799 feet.  A person could explore here for a lifetime, and for much of it we won't see another person!  Hundreds of miles of trail and an infinity of off trail rambling are in store.  

This trip will be the leader's first foray into this wonderland.  We'll finalize our routes together once the roster is settled, and will leave ourselves flexibility to change our plan to incorporate some off-trail exploring, but as a start I've selected two trail systems based on accessibility by a regular vehicle, immense views, and stunning terrain and lakes:  the Beartooth Highlakes trail, and the Sundance Pass Trail.  https://www.gaiagps.com/public/WwUXIjBFmHNSefpubnaqnvA0/   

The two trails range in elevation from nearly 9000 feet to 11,000 feet, so we'll begin slowly with two nights in Cooke City with an acclimatization dayhike in between.  Participants will need to supply all of their own backpacking gear and food, which we can bring from home and supplement with food we buy at markets in Cooke City and Red Lodge.  The expectation is that participants will manage their gear to achieve a total pack weight of 30 pounds or less including food and water.  Sharing of tents and stoves will be encouraged (also helpful because camp spots can be limited in some of the most beautiful spots!)

Participants will be asked to request leader permission to register, and need to provide details on their experience with extended backpacking routes at altitudes of 10-12000 feet.  Please share any experiences with altitude illness.  Details on altitude illness symptoms, prevention and treatment will be shared and discussed before departure.   We'll also do a group gear check in advance of our departure.  Participants will be responsible for all of their own expenses, and will be expected to share the cost of gas as well as shared AirBnB or hotels en route and in Cooke City and Red Lodge.    More details to follow!~

To be decided by the group.  Preliminary plan is for the group to carpool to Cooke City, MT (about 13 hours), spend a couple of nights there with an acclimatization dayhike in between, followed by a backpack on the Beartooth Highlakes trail system for 3.5-4 days, then move about an hour down the road for a night and restocking at Red Lodge MT, after which we backtrack a short ways to the Lake Park trailhead for 3-4 more days, after which we drive home.  Carpooling would be ideal, but participants could fly to and from  Boseman MT if their time is short.   We'll work out these details once the roster is set.