All posts by nfpa

Logan Pass should still open Wednesday

News, ,

Glacier Park is still playing their cards close to the vest in the opening of Going-to-the-Sun Road through Logan Pass, but the predicted opening sometime Wednesday seems likely.

From the Daily Inter Lake . . .

Glacier National Park is still on track to open Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass sometime on Wednesday.

Park officials have not yet announced exactly what time the road will open. Those planning to travel the road should check the park website, www.nps.gov/glac, or call the road report at 888-7800, then press 2.

It will be the latest Sun Road opening ever.

Continue reading . . .

Numerous bear problems

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has been pretty busy recently dealing with various bear encounters and some long-term nuisance bears, including one dropped of on the North Fork. The Daily Inter Lake has a summary . . .

A man escaped mostly unscathed after coming face to face with a black bear Friday morning…

Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists captured grizzlies near Eureka and Ferndale Thursday and trapped and killed one grizzly near Ferndale…

Continue reading . . .

Logan Pass and Going-to-the-Sun Road will not open until Wednesday, July 13!

News, ,

Great Scott! They’re not opening Logan Pass until July 13th. Aside from the inaugural opening on July 15, 1933, which doesn’t really count, this is the latest opening ever.

Here’s the meat of the Glacier Park press release . . .

Glacier National Park officials announced today that the entire 50 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road is anticipated to be available for vehicle traffic on Wednesday, July 13th. Opening the upper section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road is always a challenge, but this year was compounded by extremely heavy winter snows and unseasonably cool spring weather. Snow continued to fall at high elevations well into June. A flyover of the Big Drift, on June 4th, revealed a snowpack that looked more like April than June. On July 6th the Superintendent and Chief of Facility Management visited Logan Pass and stood on The Big Drift roughly 30 feet above asphalt. This amount of snow at this time of year is unprecedented.

“Plowing this road is a dangerous job and the safety of our staff is of paramount concern. We are very proud of the hard work the road crew performed this year” said Superintendent Chas Cartwright.

Visitors will discover a snow-covered landscape at Logan Pass. All of the trails in the area are still covered with many feet of snow. Visitors should exercise caution when hiking on snow and be aware of unseen holes and snow bridges that exist. The Highline Trail remains closed at this time and there is no current projection of an opening date.

Access to Logan Pass will also allow contractors to resume work on new restroom facilities. Areas around the construction will be closed to public entry. Portable toilets will be available but there will be no potable drinking water at Logan Pass. Staff will be on duty to assist visitors and to direct people to areas open for recreation.

Road rehabilitation work on lower sections of the Going-to-the-Sun Road will create some short traffic delays. From 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., travelers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes at each construction site, for a total of no more than a 40 minute delay between Big Bend and Siyeh Bend.

On the west side of the park, a night closure will be in effect Monday evening through Friday morning, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., from The Loop to Logan Pass. There will be a 15-20 minute window for passage through the construction at 2:00 a.m., allowing travel to and from Logan Pass. There are no night closures east of Logan Pass.

With the opening of the entire length of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the park’s free shuttle system will expand service to Logan. The shuttle system stops in 16 different areas along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and runs from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Shuttle passengers should catch the bus at either the St. Mary Visitor Center or the Apgar Transit Center as parking is extremely limited at Logan Pass, Avalanche Creek and Sunrift Gorge.

For current information on park roads and weather conditions, and visitor services throughout the park, visit Glacier’s website www.nps.gov/glac, dial 511 anywhere in Montana (select option 5) or call park headquarters at 406-888-7800.

Larry Wilson: North Fork saddened by losses

Commentary, News, , ,

Before getting into the ongoing summer activities, Larry pauses to honor several North Forkers we’ve lost this year . . .

Earlier in the year, the North Fork was saddened by the passing of Ruth Sondreson, who lived here for many years and was instrumental in the formation of the North Fork Improvement Association and the building of the Community Hall – named in honor of Ruth and her husband Lloyd years ago.

In recent weeks, we have lost two more courageous ladies, Sandi Thomson and Jean Grimaldi. Sandi fought a long feisty battle with cancer for years, and in recent years Jean suffered with illness also.

Jean was the treasured wife of Bob Grimaldi for more than 50 years, and they supported each other in sickness and in health, raising their children and enjoying their grandchildren. Jean loved the North Fork and her family, and it was a blessing that she was able to enjoy being here at their lovely home with her husband at the last. She, Bob and their family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Sandi was also a North Fork fixture, with a home on the bluff overlooking Red Meadow Creek. Unknown to most, she was the “anonymous donor” who paid for the new generator at Sondreson Hall as well as drilling a well and other things in the community. She was always positive, with a big smile and a big heart. She would be an asset in any community – we are lucky she was part of ours.

Continue reading . . .

Almost there: Glacier Park plowing crews reach Logan Pass

News,

From today’s Hungry Horse News . . .

Glacier National Park’s Logan Pass is still socked in with snow, and this year will mark one of the latest openings of the entire length of the Going-to-the-Sun Road ever.

Plow crews have reached Logan Pass, but they still have to punch through the Big Drift and clear the Logan Pass parking lot before the job is done. Breaking through the Big Drift on the east side of the pass can take a few days, and crews did not work July 4.

The latest opening of the road ever was July 15, 1933, when the road was first completed. With the exception of July 10, 1943, during World War II, the latest opening was July 2 in 2008.

Continue reading . . .

Local rivers still running high

Flood Information, News,

The National Weather Service is still concerned about local flooding potential. From the Daily Inter Lake . . .

While the threat of flooding has waned on most Western Montana rivers, that is not the case for the Flathead and Swan rivers, which are expected to remain near or over flood stage possibly for the next two weeks.

The Flathead River at Columbia Falls rose nearly three feet Wednesday and Thursday to flows just shy of the river’s 14-foot flood stage. While the Flathead River has gone up and down over the last few weeks, it is expected to remain high with no significant declines over the next week at least.

“The Flathead River is going to be a big concern over the next week or maybe the next two weeks,” said Dan Zumpfe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula.

Continue reading . . .

Grizzly bear population rising in Northwest Montana

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Probably not a big surprise to long-term residents, but it’s nice to have some recent numbers on the increased griz population. From yesterday’s Flathead Beacon . . .

The number of grizzly bears in Northwest Montana is on the rise, according to the National Park Service.

John Waller, wildlife biologist for Glacier National Park, said data being collected in the area of the northern continental divide – approximately 7 million acres between Missoula and the Canadian border – shows the bear population has risen by 3 percent annually since 2004, when there were 765 grizzly bears. Today the number is estimated to be about 950.

Continue reading . . .

Shuttles extend Going-to-the-Sun Road access

News, , ,

From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .

Glacier National Park will be hard-pressed in avoiding a record late opening of Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass, but the park is gearing up its free shuttle service for expanded service this weekend beyond the vehicle closure gates at Avalanche Campground.

Despite having rotary plows and other heavy-duty snow removal equipment, road crews have found this year’s persistent snowload to be daunting.

Besides a July 15 inaugural opening in 1933, Sun Road’s latest opening over Logan Pass was June 10, 1943, when the park was short-staffed because of World War II.

Continue reading . . .

Glacier Park weekend update: Logan Pass stays closed, shuttle running on Sun Road, a few new facilities open

News, , , ,

Here’s the meat of today’s “weekend update” from Glacier National Park . . .

Park Officials announce the Going-to-the-Sun Road Transit System will begin operation on July 1 through September 2, 2011. Limited shuttle routes, stops and times are offered. Additional openings for the holiday weekend are horse rides at the Lake McDonald Corral and camping at Quartz Creek primitive campground. Granite Park Chalet will begin operation on July 2. Chalet guest can access the trailhead utilizing the Going-to-the-Sun Road transit system.

Due to high water a few closures exist. Currently, the Avalanche Creek Trail is closed due to the creek running over the trail. Trail crews are attempting to mitigate the flooding so the trail can be reopened this weekend. Visitors are asked to inquire about current trail conditions at a visitor center or ranger station to receive the most up to date information. The Quarter Circle Bridge Road is closed due to water over the road; this is caused by high water flows on the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. Logging Creek Campground will open on July 8 at the earliest due to water in the campground. The Inside North Fork Road remains closed at Fish Creek and Logging Creek due to flood damage in three separate areas.

In past years, on the 4th of July, the Two Medicine Rangers have been able to provide additional picnic areas to meet increased holiday demand. This year, due to lingering snow in Two Medicine, there will be fewer picnic sites available for July 4th. Most of the campground will be available for camping.

Plowing continues on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road). On the west side, crews have reached the Logan Pass and are at the Big Drift. The Big Drift is the last snow obstacle to be cleared on the Sun Road and this year the drift is estimated between 50-60 feet, a depth normally seen on Memorial Day weekend. Today, crews from the west side will begin to pioneer the Big Drift so they can be joined by the east side crews to “punch through” the last section of the Sun Road.

Motorized vehicle access beyond the Avalanche Creek closure to the Loop will be provided only by the Going-to-the-Sun Road Transit System. Parking is limited at Avalanche Creek, therefore it is recommended to access the transit system from the Apgar Transit Center. On the east side, the transit system will operate from the St. Mary Visitor Center to Sun Point. Visitors are reminded that until the Sun Road is open in its entirety, the shuttle system schedule will be modified. Visitors should inquire at a visitor center, ranger station or transit center to obtain more information. Hiking and biking beyond the vehicle closure is allowed from Avalanche Creek to Bird Woman Falls, approximately 11 miles on the west side and from Jackson Glacier Overlook to Siyeh Bend, approximately two miles on the east side for the holiday weekend and the following week. Hikers and bikers should be alert for transit shuttles and construction vehicles when traveling beyond the vehicle closures. Construction work will resume on Tuesday July 5. Night work, from Big Bend to Logan Pass, continues Tuesday night through Friday morning from 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. and no travel will be allowed through the construction zone.