Glacier Park Roads

Everything now is green and the snow is melting fast! It wont be long now until the going to the sun road is open!

Here's the news as of this morning.


Road Report: Wednesday, May 31, 2006, 4:00 p.m.

West Lakes Road Crew
Present Location: Road crew used the D-7 dozer, front end loader and the
rotary to clear both lanes up to the end of Rim Rock and they utilized the
D-6 dozer and an excavator to begin pioneering the Big Drift. Weather
conditions were sunny and warm. Before crews even made it up to the
equipment they had to remove snow from 8 avalanches that came down over the
weekend.

Average Plowing Snow Depth: 10 feet at the end of Rim Rock, about 8 feet
in the slides that came down over the weekend, unknown on the Big Drift

Projected Work Activity (next scheduled work day 1 June 06): Crews will
continue to pioneer through the Big Drift and plan on joining the East side
crew. Crews will also be working through Oberlin Bend and will be doing
debris clean up between Alder Trail and Haystack.

Visitor Access:
Going-to-the-Sun Road, west side: Vehicle gate at Avalanche Campground
Hiker/biker closure during plowing is at 1/4 mile below the West side
Tunnel
Quarter Circle Bridge Road: OPEN
Kelly Camp Road: OPEN
Camas Road: OPEN
Inside N Fork Road: OPEN
Bowman/Kintla Road: OPEN

Other comments: Big horn sheep and mountain goats with kids

Hudson Bay Road Crew
Present Location: Road crew used the D-7 dozer, 2 rotaries and an
excavator to begin pioneering the Big Drift. They have reached a point in
the drift where a moat has formed (a space between an ice/snow field and a
rock wall) that is big enough to swallow the D-7 dozer.

Average Plowing Snow Depth: Unknown

Projected Work Activity (next scheduled work day 1 June 06): Crews will
continue to pioneer the Big Drift and hope to join with the West side crew.

Visitor Access
Going-to-the-Sun Road, east side: Vehicle gate at Jackson Glacier Overlook
Hiker/biker closure during plowing is above the East Tunnel
Many Glacier: OPEN
Two Medicine: OPEN
Chief Mountain: OPEN
Cut Bank: OPEN

Other comments: herd of sheep in/around the Tunnel

Thanks for the updates, Tony. It sounds like it is still difficult to travel about. How have the photographic opportunities been?

James

Photo opps are always awesome! I just wish there were two sunrises and two sunsets in a 24 hour period!

At the end of the day, the photo opps around here are limited only by your desire to find them. There are so many un photographed places and things, that I don’t think this place could really ever get boring.

I've shot the following list in the last two weeks:

mountain goats
bighorn sheep
elk
waterfalls
4 different creeks
isoalted boulders in stream
trilliums
fairy slipper
balsam
rocky mtn pans
buffalo
mule deer
aspens
ferns
ruffed grouse
blue grouse
bears, and
elk-shed antler landscapes

It is awesome. On the other hand, we really have not had any great sunsets, and the sunrises have been dull to gray. I wake up every morning hoping but it just is not going to happen this spring. Maybe later when it warms up. I'm headed out to see if I can catch a few thunder boomer shots, there's some cumulus clouds, out on the prairie, heading for the 50,000 foot mark, as I write type see ya!!!!!!!!!

Well, the east side road to logan pass (going to the sun road is now OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sunday June 11, 2006.

it may close with the weather but as of sunday morning, it's open. The west side still is closed!!!!!!!1


We have had about 4-5 inches of rain in the past few days, and the flowers that are up are doing great! Should be an awesome year for flowers! However, dont expect too much bear grass, that bloom happend last year and it's not expected again for 3-5 years. . .

That said, you still can find one hear and there. . .

I'm on my way up for some sking, and photos!!!!!!!!! Whoooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooo!

Tony -

What have the temperatures been like recently?

Joe