7/31/22

Red Lodge was hit with a flood back on 6/12. The flood was so devastating that it closed the north and northeast entrance to Yellowstone Park and shut down the Beartooth Highway since then. So it was with incredible luck and rejoice, that on July 22, the Beartooth Highway reopened.

When I arrived at Red Lodge, most of downtown looked normal until I got to the edge of town where my motel was. I could then see the incredible damage that the flood had delivered.

But all was not lost. Red Lodge is rebuilding. Once word got out that the town and Beartooth Highway was open, tourists like myself flocked back. My motel was filled and there were about fifteen motorcycles in the parking lot. The restaurants and bars were filled with tourists and the locals seemed strong. It's easy to give up these days with all you hear from the media. People who only listen to the legacy media buy into the doom and gloom and only see the negatives of what's out there. Even in a town that's been devastated, people aren't giving up, they just get back up and get back to work. There is still a lot of joy in Red Lodge.