Glacier National Park plows at Big Drift

Glacier National Park plow crews are at the Big Drift, which marks the last of the snow on the Going-to-the-Sun Road. 

Crews are also clearing snow and working at the Logan Pass Visitor Center, John Lucke, the acting chief of facility management for the park said during a public outreach meeting Monday night in Kalispell.

Lucke said the big problem this year, as it is every year, has been rockfall and avalanches. With wind storms over the winter, there have been a lot of trees down as well.

A massive avalanche came down over Big Bend this year. The bathroom there, which is built into the mountainside and is designed to withstand a slide, is still buried, but one of the barrier poles designed to keep people from backing into it was torn out and swept down the hillside.

With a record warm winter, there wasn’t much snow on the road this year until well into the high country.

While crews may be at the last of the snow, it still takes several weeks to get the road completely open for the summer season.

Lucke said the road also saw some damage this winter, with about 135 feet of rock wall swept away in an area known as the slopes. Those repairs will come later and jersey barriers will be put in place temporarily.

The road is open to Avalanche Creek on the west side to motorists. Hikers and bikers are allowed beyond that, depending where and when road crews are working. Signs are prominently placed on the road. Going beyond the closures could result in a significant fine.