Hiker-biker season begins in Glacier

With sunny skies and warm weather in the forecast, Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road is open to hikers and bikers as far as the popular Avalanche Creek trailhead.

Park spokeswoman Margie Steigerwald said Wednesday that west-side plows had reached the Red Rocks area the day before, about 17 miles up the road from the west entrance.

The road segment to Avalanche will not open to motorized traffic for at least a couple more weeks. Vehicles are still restricted to the first 11.5 miles from West Glacier to Lake McDonald Lodge on the west side and 5.5 miles from St. Mary to Rising Sun to the east.

“Even after the road is plowed, it still takes them time to get the road safe for vehicle traffic, including installing hundreds of guardrails and repairing any damage that happens during the winter,” said Amanda Wilson, the park’s visitor services assistant.

Plows have been encountering slightly less snow than normal on the park’s west side, Wilson said, with about 2.5 to 3 feet built up in the Red Rocks area. On the east side, snow depths are close to average.

While sections of the park’s roads are now clear, bikers and hikers should still be careful about remaining patches of ice and other hazards.

“The other thing to keep in mind about biking by Jackson Glacier is we were advised by [rangers] that there’s a pretty high chance of avalanches,” Wilson added.

The Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road also is the beginning of the Gunsight Pass Trail.

Hiking and biking on Sun Road’s east side is unrestricted, and the road is mostly clear as far as the Gunsight trailhead.

Camas Road has reopened to vehicle traffic, after temporarily closing due to icy conditions. The Inside North Fork Road remains closed.

Plows were making their way up Two Medicine Road Wednesday, and the road is open to biking as far as Running Eagle Falls when crews are not working.

The next access point north, Cut Bank Road, is drivable to the park boundary. Nonmotorized traffic can access the road beyond the gate, but wintry conditions still exist.

Many Glacier Road is plowed but will not open to vehicles until ongoing renovation work at the Many Glacier Hotel is complete.

Chief Mountain Road, in the far northeast corner of the park, is also closed to motor vehicles.

For updates on road access, plowing progress and other park information, visit www.nps.gov/glac.

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.