MT Biker: Morrison Rideabout

The Morrison Jeep Road

Starting on top of Beartooth Pass, just opposite Long Lake, the Morrison Jeep Road is an epic that descends all the way the Morrison Bench, perched down above the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone, and then plummets again all the way to the bottom of the canyon, before crawling out towards Edelweiss Wyoming.

I've heard that people still Jeep it. Indeed I know somebody who took a Ford f150 truck up it about ten years ago. Up it! (Most ppl go down). Mostly it seems to be ATV traffic. Even on an ATV it would be an epic adventure.

On a MTB my verdict is don't do it. I made the mistake once of doing the shuttle, and going down the whole jeep road. It's maybe worth doing once just to say you did, but even that's a stretch. Much of the actual DH is so steep and so extreme, it's not enjoyable. My riding partner that day walked many of the steep switchbacks. Then when you get to the bottom, that five mile ride out of the canyon doesn't seem like it goes down at all; it's a painful super technical ride out to the shuttle car.

I've done the bottom five miles as an out and back by itself, and it was really fun, so this time I tried the top: parking at Btooth pass, I rode about ten miles out the jeep road, until it started to really commit down, and then back up and out. This is a really fun ride, and gives you the best of the Morrison road w/o the worst, and w/o the gigantic shuttle.

Sawtooth Mountain

Kip & Shrek

Thunderheads on and off all day over Cooke City

First view of Heart Mountain

The Southern Absarokas: No Man's Land

Biker Tip

To do the Morrison as an out and back, you might be tempted to stop on top of the pass, after the killer climb. Don't.

Press on for one sweet DH section, about a mile and a half of cool sculpted ATV trail with banked corners in a sweet little valley with a creek.

Then the trail turns up and left and crosses the first of a series of creeks. This section rocks. It's not that steep of a downhill anymore, in fact there are some ups, and the forest (pictured above) is a really cool one that humans don't often visit.

I turned around a bit early. I was sick on and off all morning, and never really felt good. But the best spot is Dillworth Bench. There is a little Mesa thing with an ATV spur to the top. It's a great vista, and after that is when the trail really cascades down to the ranch.

The biggest chunk of bear scat I ever saw had a deer's foreleg, from hoof to shoulder joint, in it.
This wasn't that big, but it wasn't too far of. Mostly fur.

Need a better map, but I'm guessing Dillworth Mountain? Slide Mountain?
It was on top of the pass after Sawtooth, the highest possible point on the ride.

Kip & I tried to get a view of Deep Lake. No go. That is one shy lake, especially considering how huge it is. Oh well, one day I'll have to make the leap and hike on down there. I'd love to fish it.