Sun Road opens, despite, snow, fog, clouds

It was snowy at the top, foggy at the bottom, and cloudy in between.

But Sunday morning at 11 a.m. all 52 glorious miles of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park were finally opened to traffic.

And even snowy, foggy and cloudy days are worth the time it takes to drive the road famous for being one of the most scenic routes in America.

Traffic was light the first official day of the season. More Montana license plates were seen than out-of-staters, but no doubt the continuous Flathead drizzle kept many away.

Hardy folk like Steve Greenman and his son, Jeff, of Holland, Mich. - a town where Sunday's weather was 68 and sunny - seemed happy to be in Glacier as they walked around the Logan Pass Visitors Center in the falling snow.

Greenman said he woke up a few days ago back in Michigan and realized he was holding a pair of soon-to-expire plane tickets. "So I said, what the heck. Let's go to Glacier for the weekend. I love Montana."

Huge sections of the road were fogged in Sunday, while fast-moving clouds swept through the valley and kept it filled up. For first-timers, the existence of famous landmarks such as Bird Woman Falls and the Weeping Wall had to be taken on faith since few features were actually visible from the road at midday. Though weather improved as the day wore on, it never did achieve five-star status.

"We've definitely seen some erratic stuff here today," said Lynn Dixon U.S. Forest Service interpretive ranger. "The only thing we haven't seen is the sun."

Because of wind patterns, drifts at the top of Logan Pass have been higher than normal for this time of year, Dixon said, as she set out on snowshoes to do what she referred to as a "rove."

"I need to make contact with people and see how they're doing out there," she said. "Skiing and snowboarding are great, but it can be a little tricky walking on the snow."

Despite the lack of traditional mountain views Sunday, the sense of being above it all was as present as ever.

For skiers and snowboarders, the opening of the road meant a second chance at winter sports. Without the presence of lifts, however, only the truly dedicated showed up on Sunday. It didn't help that the snow was heavy, wet and far from powdery.

Whitefish resident Paul Badgley - who goes by the moniker Bad Dog in the Fog - was out early with his skis and his friends.

"I'm here every year the day the pass opens," he said. "I'm going to hike Oberlin and then build a sky jump there and get some air time."

No one else in his party looked especially thrilled with that idea. When asked if he were a friend of Bad Dog, Bob Stetson said, "Well, I used to be. After today, I'm not so sure."

Though the road is now open for the season, park officials warn that winter driving conditions exist along certain sections. It's a good idea to call ahead to park headquarters before making the trip.

For information: 888-7800