Snow melt helps road clearing effort

The months-long snow plowing effort along Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road has reached Logan Pass, with rapid melting putting the park on pace to open the pass to auto traffic by mid-June.

Park spokesman Tim Rains said the area around the pass received average snowpack, but prolonged warm weather has helped the plow crews, which have cleared snow as far as Oberlin Bend on the west side and the East Tunnel on the east side of Glacier.

Plows have pioneered up to the Logan Pass parking lot, meaning they’ve made initial cuts across the top of the snowpack.

Last year, Logan Pass opened to vehicle traffic from the west on June 12, with the visitor center and full east-west access opening up a week later.

Rains said the maintenance required at the pass — and the annual installation of hundreds of guard rails along the road — will push the vehicle opening date back two to three weeks after crews finish clearing snow from the road and parking lot at Logan Pass.

Bicyclists and pedestrians can ride or walk Sun Road as far as Packers Roost on the west side and Siyeh Bend on the east side when plow crews are working.

During evenings and on weekends, access for hikers and bicyclists is unrestricted on Sun Road.

The Bowman Lake, Camas, Many Glacier, Chief Mountain and Two Medicine roads are all open to vehicle traffic, while Cut Bank Road is still closed at the park boundary.

Rains added that three areas on the west side of the park are temporarily closed to visitors due to bear trapping at Moose Country Pond, Packers Roost and the horse corrals at the Lake McDonald Ranger Station.

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