Monday, December 29, 2025
19.0°F

Glacier Park plows run into 25-foot wall of snow at Big Bend from previous avalanche

CHRIS PETERSON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 1 week AGO
by CHRIS PETERSON
Chris Peterson is the editor of the Hungry Horse News. He covers Columbia Falls, the Canyon, Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. All told, about 4 million acres of the best parts of the planet. He can be reached at [email protected] or 406-892-2151. | April 25, 2025 8:15 AM

Glacier National Park snowplow crews continued to work in the Big Bend area of the Going-to-the-Sun Road over the past week.

The area saw an avalanche before road crews arrived that sent about 25 feet of snow over the roadway, which isn’t uncommon for that stretch. 

Big Bend, as the name implies, is a curve in the road just before Haystack Butte. It's about three miles from Logan Pass.

Park spokeswoman Gina Icenoggle said the comfort station at the Big Bend parking area was completely buried. The bathroom is built into the side of the mountain and is designed to take the brunt of an avalanche. 

More secondary roads opened last weekend, including the Many Glacier Road to the T intersection and the Cut Bank Road to the ranger station, but not to trailheads or the campground. The Chief Mountain Road opened as well, but the border crossing doesn’t open until later in May. 

The Many Glacier Road is closed into the Swiftcurrent Valley because of construction and utility work. 

On the west side, the Camas and Fish Creek roads are open to motor vehicles. 

The Sun Road on the west side is closed to vehicles at Lake McDonald Lodge. Hikers and bikers can go as far as the Loop on the west side and Grizzly Point on the east side. 

The weather this weekend is supposed to nice, with highs approaching 70 , though there’s a chance of rain on Sunday, so take a rain jacket if you’re heading out. 



 


ARTICLES BY CHRIS PETERSON

Columbia Falls School District makes pitch for charter school
December 21, 2025 4:35 a.m.

Columbia Falls School District makes pitch for charter school

Columbia Falls School District Superintendent Cory Dziowgo and staff recently made a pitch to the Montana Board of Public Education for a new Columbia Falls Trades Academy.

Fleeting encounters: The common redpoll
December 27, 2025 11 p.m.

Fleeting encounters: The common redpoll

My grouse hunt had been interrupted by a favorite winter bird: The common redpoll.

Columbia Falls concerned sewer system could be bottleneck for growth
December 18, 2025 11 p.m.

Columbia Falls concerned sewer system could be bottleneck for growth

The City of Columbia Falls could see a significant bottleneck in future growth due to its sewage treatment plant, depending how the city and the state calculate the sewage treatment plant’s maximum treatment capacity without a major upgrade.