After some 11th-hour organizing efforts, a woman with a terminal illness was allowed to ride a historic red bus Wednesday evening that led the way to Glacier National Park’s Logan Pass on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Rhonda Hendricks and her husband, Doug, and others aboard the red bus were escorted by a ranger vehicle with lights on to the road gate at Avalanche that was opened at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday.

The red bus then led a line of vehicles to Logan Pass. 

Doug Hendricks commented that it was wonderful to see his wife so grateful that she became tearful.

The opening of the road to vehicles came on short notice, with park officials announcing it at around 4:30 p.m.

The special trip for the couple was organized by park officials, Kalispell Regional Medical Center staff and Xanterra’s Glacier National Park Lodges, which operates the red buses.

At the pass, the first wave of visitors was able to enjoy what is still largely a snow-covered winter wonderland.

The pass opening capped an arduous several months of road-clearing efforts on the alpine highway.

A little more than two hours after Going-to-the-Sun Road was opened Wednesday night, an 800-pound boulder fell on the road, blocking the westbound lane about 1.5 miles west of Logan Pass.

Glacier National Park dispatch got a report about the boulder and a large pile of snow on the road at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. Park road crew members removed the snow and the boulder at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

Glacier Park visitors are reminded to drive with care, and standing or walking on snow along Sun Road is strongly discouraged, as are parking or stopping in areas where there is snow above the road.