This trip to Montana all started when we bought a guidebook on hiking in the Beartooth Wilderness at a bookstore that was going out of business. We bought every hiking guidebook they had because of the good "going out of business" discount they were offering. Then, a few years later Diane read the book, fell in love with the description of the Lake Plateau area in the Beartooth Wilderness, and started planning the trip.

The highlights of the vacation included the week of backpacking in the Beartooth Wilderness, a day in Yellowstone National Park, and two overnight stays in old Forest Service lookout towers.

I've divided the trip report up into sections. You can read the chapters in order or just go to the pages of interest.

Chapter 1: Backpacking in the Beartooth Wilderness, Part 1

Chapter 2: Backpacking in the Beartooth Wilderness, Part 2

Chapter 3: Red Lodge, Montana and the Beartooth Highway

Chapter 4: Yellowstone National Park

Chapter 5: Ennis and the "ghost towns" of Virginia City and Nevada City

Chapter 6: McCart Fire Lookout and the Bitterroot Valley

Chapter 7: UpUp40 Fire Lookout