Lonetree Pass by Bicycle - Velo

Lone Tree Pass is an obscure range land pass in the Henry's Lake - Red Rock Pass area. Nontheless it has unequalled views of the sharp north facing escarpment of the Centennial Range. The pass is marked on Deerlodge National Forest maps. The north side is fairly easy to reach. Route finding on the south into the Centenial Valley is difficult and requires quite a bit of walking.

1.(00.0km~00.0mi, 2018m~6620ft) START-END EAST: jct Mt87 - US20 east of Henry's Lake
2.(04.1km~02.5mi, 1980m~6496ft) low point
3.(14.8km~09.2mi, 2080m~6824ft) Raynold's Pass
4.(16.1km~10.0mi, 2068m~6785ft) route turns left onto FR230
5.(22.1km~13.7mi, 2043m~6703ft) intermediate low point at turnoff to private road on r6ght
6.(29.3km~18.3mi, 2323m~7650ft) TOP: Lone Tree Pass; profile between here and western starting point is approximate and differs in details from the description
7.(40.5km~25.2mi, 2087m~6847ft) START-END WEST: jct with South Valley Rd to Red Rock Pass

From North. The profile starts near Henry's Lake, goes up the minute ascent to Raynolds Pass, crosses it and then turns left onto a forest road, signed Antelope Basin. A short sharp ascent leads across several rubber drainage barriers. From the top the view of the Madison Range is already better. The road descends slightly through range and forest country. A left at a junction leads to a few steeply climbing curves, eventually delivering the rider to a cow trough of sorts. There are several faint tracks leaving from here, and to me personally the spot looked suspiciously like another cow trough, from which dead end tracks radiate outward like spokes, creating endless confusion. However - in this case - taking the left faint path across a cattle gate leads to an uphill, turning left after a short distance, and then right through a small section of forest where the trail is much better defined. The double track trail climbs into a wide meadow, getting closer to a wide gentle range land saddle. Across yet another gate a junction offers a shorter return directly to the top of Red Rock Pass by staying left. To the right a lone tree can be seen standing above a trail crossing. That's the destination. There are great views of the Centennial Range from Sawtell Peak over the Red Rock lakes to the Lima Reservoir.

From South. (described downwards). This downward portion required the most energy, paradoxically. A traverse heads west crosses several points, that are at about the same height as the pass. The road becomes better defined and enters a aspen forest, sloping downhill. Where the road crosses onto state land, the most used trail turns right. To the left is a closed road that is barely a trail anymore, and straight ahead is a trail/road of questionable integrity. That's the one I took. However after a while it curves back uphill into the mountains. I opted for a single track trail heading down into the Centennial Valley. This lead to another junction with a trail down into a ravine. Unfortunately it becomes a fence line trail that detours west. Opting for cross country travel on open range land I headed for dirt road Mo509 running the length of Centennial Valley, The road is clearly visible. Unfortunately this involved also crossing a swampy section of Red Rock Creek. The forest map shows a different option along trails that parallel Red Rock Creek on the north side.