West side plows reach Logan Pass
A VIEW from the east over Logan Pass in Glacier National Park. The Logan Pass Visitor Center is visible in the lower right. (GNP photo)
Even with a short week due to Memorial Day, plow crews on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road have made progress in the last few days.
The west side crew made it to Logan Pass and are digging into the Big Drift, a large snow drift often 50 feet deep or more, just east of Logan Pass. The west side crew wasn’t plowing Friday, but was scheduled to resume work Monday.
The east side crew was working at Siyeh Bend. There is currently no hiker/biker access on the east side past the vehicle closure at Jackson Glacier.
The road is open to vehicles to Avalanche Creek on the west side. When plows aren’t working, there are no road restrictions for hikers and bikers on the west side. When plows are working during weekdays, the hiker-biker closure is at Packer’s Roost.
A weekend shuttle service for hikers and bikers operates between the Apgar Visitor Center and Avalanche Creek. Shuttles will operate between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and are equipped with a bike trailer to transport bicycles.
The Quarter Circle Bridge Road is currently closed due to flooding. There are currently no hiker/biker restrictions, though visitors need to use care over standing or flowing water.
A number of other park roads are already open.
According to the Park Service, Camas, Chief Mountain, Many Glacier and Two Medicine roads are open. The roads to Kintla, Bowman and Logging Creek Ranger Station are open from Polebridge.
The Cut Bank Road, however, is closed at the Ranger Station due to weather. The Inside North Fork Road is also closed between Camas Creek on the south end and Logging Creek Ranger Station on the north end due to ongoing poor road conditions.
There are five campgrounds open in the park: Apgar, Bowman Lake, Fish Creek, Many Glacier and St. Mary.
The Cutbank and Kintla Lake campgrounds are open in primitive status.
In addition, the Apgar Visitor Center is open daily and ranger-led activities have resumed.
The road status page for the most current conditions can be found at www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm.