Absaroka-Beartooths - 2002
Introduction:
Our plan for this trip is to do three separate hikes, in three very
different areas of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. We’ll
go in for a few days of backpacking, come out to resupply and get
cleaned up, drive to a different area and start over again. The
Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness is huge – a million acres or more, so
this will give us a chance to see what it is like on the east, south
and north sides. My research told me that the Beartooth Mountains
on the east side are higher (9-12,000’), most of the trails are
above treeline, and they get a lot of use, while the west side
Absaroka Range is lower and covered with trees, and gets little use,
so has more wildlife. We’ll see.
Jim: What we did was to spend most
of 17 days in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (that's pronounced
Ab-sohr-ka). This particular wilderness area consists of nearly a
million acres of high plateau, lakes and glaciers. Yup – I said
glaciers. I’m not entirely sure about this, but I think there may
be more glaciers in this area than in Glacier NP. The Absaroka
abuts Yellowstone National Park to the north and east and the
western section of the area reportedly abounds in wildlife,
particularly grizzly, wolf, elk and moose.
