Also, the Gibbons Pass Alternative is a challenge but worth it. It's all off road. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde of passes. The stretch from MT 43 to the pass has a good, hard, dirt surface, and except for the last mile or so is not steep. The west slope is steep, narrow and bumpy in a lot of places. I climbed west to east in 2014. Some beautiful views. Looking back down hill:
