RED LODGE — The Beartooth Highway is open in time for Memorial Day weekend, a sign that summer is near for locals and travelers.
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After weeks of tireless work clearing miles of snow, crews finally flung open the gates late Friday morning to one of America’s most scenic and well-traveled mountain passes. The pass has been a vital route into Yellowstone National Park since opening in 1936.
“It's like Christmas time coming for everybody in Red Lodge,” said John Mueller, a longtime member of the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust. “Every time I drive the highway, I feel that it's a little thrill that comes from with inside, I never get bored with it.”
On opening day, members of the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce joined the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust aboard two restored pre-World War II buses for the ceremonial first ride up the mountain to watch the gates open. Despite a short delay due to a snow drift, it did not stop the excitement and the long line of cars waiting.
“It's one of our biggest times of the year in Red Lodge. We have so many visitors that come through here, so it's a big deal," said Marni Echols-Bell, a member of the chamber.
The historic yellow coaches, with some dating back to the 1920s, are preserved by the small but passionate group, which was founded in 2008 and moved to Red Lodge in 2010. They now operate the vehicles out of the historic A.D. Whitcomb Garage, built in 1936 by current board member David Whitcomb’s grandfather.
“It's widely known and recognized, and we feel very fortunate to be able to showcase it, run it, and operate it from our garage here in Red Lodge,” said David Whitcomb.
The buses themselves, some approaching a century in age, are the stars of the show. Carefully preserved, these nostalgic coaches once transported visitors through Yellowstone National Park.
"We preserve them, restore them, and we take great pride in keeping them in their original operating condition," said board member Cheryl Whitcomb. “To be able to ride in it is a treat, and I even say it's an honor because the ability to do that just doesn't exist that much."
The ride was particularly special for the group, as one of the buses, Bus 321, will be celebrating its centennial year. The bus has a rich back story, originally built to replace one of over 100 buses destroyed in a tragic 1925 fire at Mammoth Hot Springs then leading the Rose Parade in California from 2014 to 2016.
“This bus was manufactured in 1925, so it is 100 years old," said David.
“A lot of history here, a great bus, and we call it a survivor. Very few of these exist anymore, so we're very fortunate to have them,” added Cheryl.
The buses do not travel fast, cruising at around 15 to 18 miles per hour. But according to the group, it is the perfect speed to soak in the panoramic views.
"You really get to slow down and enjoy the beauty and the mountains the way they did in the old days, and we have to remind people that it takes all day," said Mueller. "It really gives them an opportunity to smell the trees and the mountains and see the flowers and enjoy the vistas at a pace that's, well, a lot slower than 50 miles an hour.”
The preservation group also runs tours up and down the pass to help raise money for continued maintenance. For them, the work to keep history alive is well worth it, especially for a drive they will never get sick of sharing with others.
"We're preserving and saving a piece of Yellowstone history, Montana history, and when you look at the big picture, we're preserving part of our national history," said Mueller. "It's all an awful lot of fun.”
"Charles Kuralt way back in the day dubbed it the most beautiful highway in the world, and it is,” said Cheryl. “Every time we go up, it's a new adventure. The scenery is changing. The flowers are in bloom. The sky looks different, looks bluer. I mean, it's just a different scene every year when you go up.”
The Beartooth Highway will remain open through the summer, weather permitting, closing again in mid-October as winter conditions return. To learn more about the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust Beartooth Highway rides, click here.
