Plows reach bottom of drift

The Daily Inter Lake

Glacier National Park plow crews broke through the Big Drift Tuesday, but there still is no word from park officials on when Going-to-the-Sun Road may open over Logan Pass.

The Big Drift, located just east of Logan Pass, is the last obstacle in the annual effort to clear snow from Sun Road. This year the drift measured 45 feet deep.

Plows started blazing a path through the drift late last week and by Tuesday they had reached pavement, according to Melissa Wilson, a park public affairs specialist.

Meanwhile, other work continues through much of

the road's alpine stretch east and west of Logan Pass.

Crews have been clearing snow from the Logan Pass walkways and parking lot, along with installing guardrails and signs and clearing rocks and other debris that have fallen on the road.

May 16 is the earliest Sun Road has been opened at Logan Pass. That early opening came in 1987.

Wilson said park officials have yet to announce plans for a projected opening this year. Barring extreme weather or other unexpected problems, it seems this year will be one of the earliest openings.

For several weeks, the upper-elevation stretches of Sun Road have been open exclusively to hikers and bikers.

Vehicles have been able to travel as far as the Avalanche Campground area west of Logan Pass and as far as Rising Sun east of the pass.