The Beartooth Highway, often considered one of the most spectacular drives in the country, has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Sixty miles of the 68-mile winding and twisting US-212 highway linking Red Lodge, Montana, with the communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate, Montana, and the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park was officially named the Red Lodge - Cooke City Approach Road Historic District. The designation was made May 8.

The scenic highway is nationally significant as an example of road construction which substantially increased recreational development and tourism in Yellowstone and the region. The road is also nationally significant for its distinctive engineering and the methods of high-altitude road construction used in its construction. It is the highest elevation highway in Wyoming (10,947 feet) and Montana (10,350 feet).

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover withdrew the Beartooth Highway corridor from settlement and sale, and reserved it as an approach road to Yellowstone National Park. Construction funds from the newly passed National Park Approaches Act, which became law in 1931, were used to build the road.

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The USA's most expensive hotel is located in Montana. That determination is according to a recent survey from Luxury-Hotels.com that compared the 2014 summer rates of all luxury hotels located in the United States.

Specifically, the rate for the most affordable double room in each luxury hotel was established for the Memorial Day to Labor Day time period. With an average rate of $2385 per night, the Ranch at Rock Creek, located close to the historic mining town of Philipsburg, Montana, leads the list.

Coming in second most expensive is the Point Resort. Situated within the boundaries of the Adirondack Park close to Lake Placid, this luxury hotel has an average overnight rate this summer of $2138. Rounding out the Top 3, also located in Montana, is the Resort at Paws Up. To stay there this summer visitors will have to spend an average of $1847.

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Jenna Caplette migrated from California to Montana in the early 1970s, first living on the Crow Indian reservation, then moving to Bozeman where she owned a downtown retail anchor for eighteen years. These days she owns Bozeman BodyTalk & Energetic Healthcare, hosts a monthly movie night, teaches and writes about many topics. 

Afternoon on a gloriously warm summer day and the steam that can obscure your view of Yellowstone's geysers and hot pools dissolves, unveiling the varied palate of colors that define the basins. That same summer heat impacts the temperatures of the thermal features, nurturing the growth of seasonal bacteria and plants. Bugs skim the surface of the water. Sunlight gets caught in the steam from exploding geysers. It's a photographer's paradise.

A little bit of footwork and preparation can make a big difference in how your exploration of Yellowstone’s thermal features unfolds. To choose which geysers you want to visit, stop by one of the park visitor centers. Find out when and how high they’re predicted to erupt. That information helps as you organize your outing so that you have the right equipment at hand, at the right time. Too often once-in-a-lifetime photographic opportunities pass visitors right by while they fumble for the right lens or filter. Remember to pack along an extra camera card and be sure your camera’s battery is charged.

When you arrive at your chosen destination, position yourself to separate a geyser’s explosion of steam from white afternoon clouds, and so that you’re not downwind from the geyser’s eruption. You need to keep the steam, silica, and acid water that's so pervasive in the geyser basins off your optics. Marsha Phillips of Bozeman's F-11 Photographic Supplies says it's most important to have a protective filter for your camera lens, and clean that often with a standard lens cleaning cloth. Wipe steam from the exterior of your camera and lens with a micro fiber towel. Then, to protect all of your camera's parts, Phillips suggests a product developed by Op Tech USA, a Montana-based manufacturer: the Rainsleeve is a clever, low-tech clear plastic sleeve will keep moisture off all kinds of your gear.

In the field, you’ll find that some geysers and hot pots can only be seen from the boardwalk. In that case, an ultra wide-angle lens allows you to capture the entire feature. To isolate enticing details, use a telephoto. In the Old Faithful area you have the option of hiking to an overlook. From this and other park overlooks, your telephoto will allow you to separate a specific feature or two; your wide angle will embrace the grand view. Use your lens hood. It reduces glare and protects your optics.

The bright, starkly white mineral deposits of thermal basins and terraces can throw your camera’s meter off. Your digital camera’s histogram is the only accurate gauge of proper exposure and can be a real image-saver. Make sure you know how to turn on the histogram, and that you know how to use the “plus” and “minus” exposure compensation to correct any problems. Don’t forget to bring the camera’s instruction manual.

While you’re standing on the boardwalk setting up for your photograph, be sure to leave plenty of room for other visitors to pass by. Courtesy goes a long way during the park’s busiest season, and you don’t want anyone knocking over your equipment.

You’re about to discover that in Yellowstone spectacular photo opportunities abound. Prepare yourself to enjoy them.

Mountain lions go out of their way to avoid wolves, according to new research done in northwest Wyoming.

The research conducted by the Teton Cougar Project finds that the cats in Jackson Hole spend a disproportionate amount of time in parts of their territory that are far from wolves and tend to distance themselves from wolves.

"If you look at what's called the core home range, it tends to be farther from wolves than the rest of their home range," said Patrick Lendrum, a biologist and the lead author of the study that was published in the Journal of Zoology in late May.

Individual mountain lions frequent the core areas within their home ranges the most, Lendrum said.

Because wolves select top-tier territories with the most available prey, subordinate mountain lions are being pushed away from the most productive parts of the landscape, Cougar Project team leader Mark Elbroch said.

"There is a reduction in habitat in the sense that they are prioritizing habitat differently," Elbroch told the Jackson Hole News & Guide.

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