Glacier National Park is making steady progress opening roads this spring. The Inside North Fork Road is now open north of Logging Creek Ranger Station, making Bowman and Kintla Lakes accessible on the west side of the park. Also, another section of Going-to-the-Sun Road opened up, permitting public access as far as Avalanche on the west side and to Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east.
See the park’s road status page for details, as well as information on hiker/biker access.
According to Glacier Park’s road status page, Going-to-the-Sun Road is now open to general traffic as far as Avalanche Campground on the west side and to Rising Sun from the east.
Here’s the official write-up:
Currently 21.0 miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are open for travel.
Visitors can drive 15.5 miles from the West Entrance to Avalanche, and 5.5 miles from the St. Mary Entrance to Rising Sun.
The section of the road between Avalanche and Rising Sun is closed due to plowing. On the West Side, Hiker/Biker access is to Packers Roost, approximately 6 miles from the Avalanche Gate – while the road crew is working. On the weekends, there are no restrictions. On the East Side Hiker/Biker access is to Jackson Glacier Overlook, approximately 8 miles from the Rising Sun Gate – while the road crew is working. On the weekends there are no restrictions.
Looks like the worst of the remaining Going-to-the-Sun Road maintenance in Glacier National Park should be wrapped up by next spring . . .
Glacier National Park visitors again can expect traffic delays on Going-to-the-Sun Road this summer due to a long-term road reconstruction project.
But the $137 million Sun Road rehabilitation project’s most difficult phase on the road’s alpine section is expected to be almost entirely finished by this fall.
“The most expensive, most difficult construction areas, the ones with the adverse weather and short seasons, our plan is to have that done at the latest by spring of 2013,” said Jack Gordon, the park’s landscape architect.
Snow removal in Glacier Park seems to be proceeding nicely . . .
Glacier National Park plow crews made good progress last week, clearing the Going-to-the-Sun Road on the west side of the Park from Lake McDonald Lodge to beyond Red Rocks.
Hikers and bikers can use the full length of the plowed section when crews aren’t working. Last weekend, a number of visitors biked to Avalanche Creek and beyond. The road has a few icy patches but is mostly clear.
For more information, see Glacier Park’s “Going-to-the-Sun Road Information and Transit System” web page.
More information on this year’s snow removal challenges in Glacier Park . . .
The chorus of whirring snowplows in Glacier National Park joined western Montana’s spring interlude this week as crews began the annual work of forging through deep snow along Going-to-the-Sun Road.
Plowing on the 50-mile Sun Road began April 2, according to park spokeswoman Denise Germann. Crews immediately encountered between 12 and 30 inches of snow and up to a half-foot of ice on the first two miles of road beyond Lake McDonald Lodge . . .
“The region around Glacier National Park has definitely been making gains in the last month,” Domonkos said.
Measurement data show that as of April 1, basin totals for the entire North Fork of the Flathead River are 111 percent of average . . .
This week’s Hungry Horse News has a couple of articles discussing funding worries for Glacier National Park. Short version: Park superintendent Chas Cartwright is clearly expecting additional cuts, whereas Sen. Jon Tester is striking a more optimistic pose — at least as far as road repair money is concerned.
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
Larry Leger and Sharon Knight, of Louisiana, came up Glacier National Park on a tour of the West. With the Going-to-the-Sun Road closed over Logan Pass at the time, they decided to extend their stay, traveling to Canada and then Yellowstone National Park.
“We delayed our departure by three days,” Leger said. “It was worth it. This is impressive.”
Leger was standing next to the Big Drift on the Going-to-the-Sun Road when it opened to vehicles July 13. A hundred feet of snow towered behind him.
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
The Going-to-the-Sun Road opened Wednesday at 7:41 a.m., and the entire 50-mile length of the road is now open to vehicle and bicycle traffic for the summer.
“The opening of the Sun Road was extremely tough this year. We appreciate the hard work of our road crew, employees and the patience of the public,” said Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright.
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.
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.