Red Lodge, MT, to Billings, MT

[knolltop314]

Am planning for next season's w-->e x-country bicycle tour.

There is a section that I'd like to travel, but I'm unsure of routing ... Yellowstone going nw to Billings.  Looks like way to go is:
>> out of Yellowstone's NE gate using US212 to Cooke City
>> continuing over Beartooth Pass & into Red Lodge using US212

It's at this point I am uncertain.  Options appear to be:
>>>> continue on US212 nw to Laurel/Billings
>>>> take State308 out of Red Lodge to cutover to State72 & then US310 north to Laurel/Billings.

There's not significant distance difference ... 200 vs 210.
US212 route seems to have just 2 "towns" between Red Lodge and Laurel/Billings, while State72/US310 has 4.
I have no knowledge re relative merits of these roads between Red Lodge & Laurel/Billings for cycling ... traffic density, shoulder width, surface condition.

Any info my fellow ST.N'ers can share will be big assist.

[greench440]

Either of these roads is going to be fine.  There may be a little less traffic on 212 but neither is going to have any real traffic.

[mtrider16]

Why do you want to get to Billings?  Is there somewhere else that would work for you?

Hwy 212 and 310 have heavy traffic and no shoulders.  Lots of vehicle accidents.  310 is a major route from Billings to Bighorn Basin in Wyoming, and 212 has the obvious tourist traffic to Red Lodge and Yellowstone.  In the morning and evening there is rush hour traffic surge for all the folks that live "in the country".  The section from Rockvale to Laurel is the worst.

David

[knolltop314]

David,

Thanks for heads up.

Billings, per se, is not crucial.  But do need to get somewhere along the ThreeForks-Bozeman-Billings corridor to continue our bicycle tour on the route west that we've chosen.  If you got some suggestions then I'm all ears.

A bit of background.  Trip begins in Florence, OR, then over to Eugene, then over McKenzie Pass, then up through Utah, cross Lolo Pass, and into Missoula.  From Missoula down to Yellowstone.  Then need to get up to that ThreeForks-Bozeman-Billings corridor and Beartooth looks like wonderful route to head that way.  But looks like 212 or 310 are only reasonable options for going north from Red Lodge.
But like I said above, open to other options.

[mtrider16]

Road bicycles or MTB?

The bad thing about the cooridor is the only way west is I-90.  

Hwy 78 through Absaroka will get you to Columbus.  It doesn't have wide shoulders, but it has less traffic than hwy 212.

David

[knolltop314]

Looks like 78 is definitely an option.  And topography looks to be similar.  THANKS, man!  I'll do some searches o some bicycle-touring forums to see if others have used this route.

It's road bike, though tires are 35mm so short sections of dirt roads are no problemo.

Yeah, some miles will be on 90 but in that area around Bozeman-Billings will  mostly be on 90 frontage rds & other rds near it.  Here's kinda the route.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=red+lodge&daddr=Absarokee,+MT+to:Columbus,+MT+to:Billings,+MT&geocode=FfJ6sQIdmwZ9-Sn1_Eb3GSpPUzEL1yB19jWKtQ%3BFXKWtgIdgAh6-SkXGGQc_UVPUzFFkB9P8wdK0w%3BFQBcuAId9vF8-SktmwGk5a9IUzGAaI1QcqLVqg%3BFfaYugIdLmmI-SmXnfqIiG9IUzFQtXnx1FY1Nw&hl=en&mra=ls&dirflg=b&sll=45.485169,-108.890991&sspn=0.750989,1.766052&ie=UTF8&ll=45.485169,-108.976135&spn=0.750989,1.766052&z=9&lci=bike

[dtor]

Looks like 78 is definitely an option.  And topography looks to be similar.  

Yes, take 78. It's more direct, less traveled, and, in some spots, one of the prettiest roads in Montana. The Grizzly Bar in Roscoe is a good lunch/dinner spot.

[birdrunner]

Looks like 78 is definitely an option.  And topography looks to be similar.  THANKS, man!  I'll do some searches o some bicycle-touring forums to see if others have used this route.

It's road bike, though tires are 35mm so short sections of dirt roads are no problemo.

Yeah, some miles will be on 90 but in that area around Bozeman-Billings will  mostly be on 90 frontage rds & other rds near it.  Here's kinda the route.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=red+lodge&daddr=Absarokee,+MT+to:Columbus,+MT+to:Billings,+MT&geocode=FfJ6sQIdmwZ9-Sn1_Eb3GSpPUzEL1yB19jWKtQ%3BFXKWtgIdgAh6-SkXGGQc_UVPUzFFkB9P8wdK0w%3BFQBcuAId9vF8-SktmwGk5a9IUzGAaI1QcqLVqg%3BFfaYugIdLmmI-SmXnfqIiG9IUzFQtXnx1FY1Nw&hl=en&mra=ls&dirflg=b&sll=45.485169,-108.890991&sspn=0.750989,1.766052&ie=UTF8&ll=45.485169,-108.976135&spn=0.750989,1.766052&z=9&lci=bike

Beartooth pass is one one of my first picks for motorcycling,  but at 11,000 ft, it'd be one of the last I'd cycle up.  Not much for shoulders on any of the roads around there btw.

Of course if you've been there you'll know what to expect.

[mtrider16]

Beartooth pass is one one of my first picks for motorcycling,  but at 11,000 ft, it'd be one of the last I'd cycle up.  Not much for shoulders on any of the roads around there btw.

Of course if you've been there you'll know what to expect.

Yeah, 10,000 feet and I know I'm gasping for oxygen.  This will be one of the challanges for someone from sea-level.  I know the road isn't very bicycle friendly, but there aren't too many in Montana that are.

Knoll, are you planning to bike back to Chi-town after Billings?  Going through ND or SD?  Are you going unsupported or do you have a support van?  How many miles are you planning for each day?

Hwy 78 crosses over some ridges till it gets to the Stillwater river, and which flows into the Yellowstone near Columbus.  Hwy 212 follows, Rock Creek, Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone, and is relatively flat downhill to Laurel.  I still think that with the views and traffic, that 78 is better, but if your pooped from Beartooth pass it will add miles and more 500-700 ft climbs.

I did day MTB trips when I lived in Bozeman, lots of elevation changes.  Fun, but I'm not in shape like that anymore.

David

David

[zer0netgain]

Beartooth pass is one one of my first picks for motorcycling,  but at 11,000 ft, it'd be one of the last I'd cycle up.  Not much for shoulders on any of the roads around there btw.

Twice I've done that road and last time there were a TON of cyclists on it.  Of course, they might have had someone with a van and trailer to be sure they all got home.

[birdrunner]

Yeah, 10,000 feet and I know I'm gasping for oxygen.  This will be one of the challanges for someone from sea-level.  I know the road isn't very bicycle friendly, but there aren't too many in Montana that are.

Just to make if more fun for you

Beartooth Highway. Elevation, 10947 ft (3337 m)

For all practical purposes, 11000 ft,  don't sell yourself short.

[mtrider16]

Sorry birdrunner, didn't mean to sound like I was correcting you.  

In my defense, I'm gasping for air at 10,000 feet and 10,947 feet  

David

[birdrunner]

Hell,  I'm gasping for air without climbing.  


Last summer we spent 2 days at 9500 ft.   Never got used to it.  I can't imagine biking uphill at that altitude.

[zer0netgain]

Hell,  I'm gasping for air without climbing.  

Last summer we spent 2 days at 9500 ft.   Never got used to it.  I can't imagine biking uphill at that altitude.

It takes anywhere from 2-4 WEEKS to acclimate to a severe change in altitude.  Moved to Wyoming from Virginia.  Used to run regularly back then.  I could barely climb 2 flights of stairs before being winded.

[birdrunner]

It takes anywhere from 2-4 WEEKS to acclimate to a severe change in altitude.  Moved to Wyoming from Virginia.  Used to run regularly back then.  I could barely climb 2 flights of stairs before being winded.

Three days and the headaches stopped.

Sure made getting drunk easy though.

[Eric308]

It takes anywhere from 2-4 WEEKS to acclimate to a severe change in altitude.  Moved to Wyoming from Virginia.  Used to run regularly back then.  I could barely climb 2 flights of stairs before being winded.

It's actually a change in ELEVATION. Land masses such as mountains are measured from sea level up, whereas objects such as airplanes use ALTITUDE to measure distance above the earth's surface. Coincidentally, my avatar is top of Beartooth last June.

[GTS_Rider]

It's actually a change in ELEVATION. Land masses such as mountains are measured from sea level up, whereas objects such as airplanes use ALTITUDE to measure distance above the earth's surface. Coincidentally, my avatar is top of Beartooth last June.

WTF? , really?

Where exactly do you measure the earth's 'surface' from? Is it sea level, or top of Mount Everest?

Just wondering...

[Eric308]

WTF? , really?

Where exactly do you measure the earth's 'surface' from? Is it sea level, or top of Mount Everest?

Just wondering...

The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic system, vertical datum). Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an aircraft in flight or a spacecraft in orbit, and depth is used for points below the surface. You'll also notice that any mountain pass, city, town, etc. is always marked as elevation.

[GTS_Rider]

The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic system, vertical datum). Elevation, or geometric height, is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an aircraft in flight or a spacecraft in orbit, and depth is used for points below the surface. You'll also notice that any mountain pass, city, town, etc. is always marked as elevation.

OK, I think I'm almost following your explanation.

Let me try...

If I have a ladder and I step up the first step, I've gained 'elevation', right?

If I get happy and jump into the air for glee, I've gained 'altitude', albeit for a split second, right?

Though elevation or altitude are both measured from sea-level, it essentially depends on whether you're attached to earth or not, right?

So, it's the same thing, only different. Right?

[Justin]

Though elevation or altitude are both measured from sea-level, it essentially depends on whether you're attached to earth or not, right?

No, elevation is measured above "sea level", altitude is your height above land. So for example, if I climbed a mountain and was standing on it at 10k feet, my elevation would 10,000 feet. If I was flying 10 feet over that mountain, my altitude would be 10 feet. At least that's my understanding of both, correct me if I'm wrong.