Glacier National Park and surrounding Northwest Montana areas from a local's perspective! Vacation information here...
Everything you ever wanted to know about Glacier Park and more, we cover the adventures that make this part of the country so unique.
 
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Did you know 2010 is Glacier National Park's Centennial?   Check out the new dedicated web site

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2 POUNDS of Glacier Park Travel Info
 
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK NEWS:

Entire Going-to-the-Sun Road is Open; Shuttle Starts July 1

WEST GLACIER, MONT. – WEST GLACIER, MONT. – At 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 26, Glacier National Park personnel swung open the gates at Logan Pass and Jackson Glacier Overlook, thereby opening the entire Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road) for vehicle
access across Logan Pass.   Park officials report that this is the earliest opening of Logan Pass since 2006 when the pass opened on June 23.


After months of hard work, Logan Pass is now available for all visitors to enjoy and travel the entire roadway.  This spring’s operation included routine snow removal, routine clearing of  rock debris  and installation of several thousand feet of removable guardrail and jersey barrier and numerous signs as well as a considerable about of additional work clearing avalanche debris on two separate locations on the road’s west side below Logan Pass.  In January 2009, an historic Class V avalanche swept down 4,000 vertical feet from near the Continental Divide and traveled nearly two linear miles.  This spring, park road personnel encountered 35-foot-high debris across approximately 500 feet of the Sun Road in two separate locations on the west side below Logan Pass and two sites to the east.


“In spite of the historic avalanche that occurred last winter, this spectacular National Historic Landmark mountain roadway is now open for 24-hour travel between St. Mary and West Glacier unless it is temporarily closed due to weather,” remarked Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright.  Road rehabilitation will continue above the Loop this summer.  Cartwright noted, “No night work is scheduled for the first part of the summer; however, later in the summer a three-mile segment of road work will commence between Big Bend and Logan Pass and night work will likely occur at that time.”


The park’s free, optional Sun Road shuttle service will begin operating for the summer on Wednesday, July 1 and continue operations through Labor Day, Monday, September 7.  This free, step-on-step off, no frills shuttle provides an alternative for visitors traveling the Sun Road.  Started in July 2007, the shuttle system is part of Glacier’s program to minimize impacts on visitors throughout the multi -year Sun Road rehabilitation.

The transit service provides an alternative mode of transportation for those who don’t mind leaving their vehicles behind.  The shuttle system is strictly optional, but transit use has been strong with nearly 250,000 visitor rides tallied during the 2007 (132,039) and 2008 (105,639) seasons alone.  This option is available in addition to popular guided tours by Sun Tours from a Blackfeet perspective (800-786-9220 or 406-226-9220 or www.glaciersuntours.com) and aboard the historic red buses with Glacier Park, Inc. (406-892-2525 or www.glacierparkinc.com).  Starting July 1, the Sun Road transit system will be available daily through Labor Day from 7
a.m. to 7 p.m. to locations along the Sun Road and Apgar Village.   The last evening buses depart Logan Pass for points east and west at 7:15 p.m.


With the opening of Logan Pass, parking, rest-rooms and visitor facilities and services are now available at Logan Pass Visitor Center.  Trails in the Logan Pass area are currently covered by snow.  The popular Highline Trail is projected to open for the season on Friday, July 3 after snow hazards are ‘treaded’ by park personnel and volunteers from the Flathead Valley “Over the Hill Gang.”


Hikers should always exercise caution around snow and other water hazards and be sure to wear sturdy, treaded footwear while walking on snow.

Glacier National Park is a wonderland to explore and experience, but we want park visitors to have a safe outing,” concluded Cartwright.  “Although grizzly bears tend to grab headlines, water-related accidents are the number one cause of accidental death at Glacier National Park such as falling into water from a slippery rock on stream bank.  In general, visitors should stay away from snow and streams.”  All park visitors are urged to be prepared, be familiar with their equipment and know their personal limitations.  Go to the park’s web page at http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/yoursafety.htm for details about:
“Bears, Water, Wildlife, Mountain Lions and Watch Your Step.”


This is the earliest Logan Pass opening since 2006 when the entire Sun Road opened for vehicle access on June 23, 2006.  The latest opening of the entire Sun Road, on record, was July 10, 1943, when the road was allowed to melt out.  In recent years, the latest opening of Logan Pass occurred on July 2, 2008, when several feet of heavy snow fell around June 10.  The earliest Logan Pass opening to motorized traffic occurred on May 16, 1987.


For current information on park roads and weather conditions, and visitor services throughout the park, visit Glacier's website www.nps.gov/glac, dial 511 anywhere in Montana (select option 5) or call park headquarters at 406-888-7800.

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You may know that Waterton Glacier International Peace Park was the first of its kind, but have you taken time to explore the adventures to be had north of the border in surrounding Alberta? Take a stroll through the Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centre in West Glacier and see what amazing adventures this part of the world has in store for you, CLICK HERE


KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!
RECOMMENDED READING

Grab one of these great books for the ride out here, or read one just for the information and entertainment! Here's a list of some of our favorite books.

Now You Know


Glacier Adventure News FREE Glacier Park info, tips, and attractions...from a local's perspective!
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What's It Like to Be a Red Bus Driver?
ENJOY OUR FOUR PART SERIES AND FIND OUT!

We had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Robert Lucke, a seven-year veteran Jammer (that's right folks, the DRIVERS are the actual jammers, as in 'gear jammer,' not the buses!) Take a moment to learn what it's like to have what we think is one of the best jobs in the world...


PART 1


PART 2

 

PART
3


PART 4
 



 
TOP OF PAGE
 Northwest Montana Area Attractions & Noteworthy Items
 
   
  Colorful Heritage
Join us as we witness the beauty
and majesty of the North American Indian Days in Browning, Montana.
 
    Vibrant costumes,
haunting drums and a celebration of a proud heritage mark this annual event...
> MORE
 
     
 
 

Thoughts of Summer - Hiking in Glacier National Park
Here are a few of the trails we like to take friends and family on when they visit. Day hikes with variety, there's something for everyone.
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Avalanche Lake/
Trail of the Cedars

A classic
Glacier Park trail
 

Otokomi Lake
Wooded and quiet

Hidden Lake
Lookout

Goats and
wildflowers galore!

Huckleberry
Lookout

A trail ending in
expansive views
 
   
 

FAST FACTS &
TITILLATING TRIVIA
from Waterton And Glacier
In A Snap!
by Ray D Juff & Chris Morrison

THIS WEEK'S TIDBIT

Birds of a feather
George Bird Grinnell is hailed for his singular devotion to having the Glacier area eventually set aside as a national park. It was by no means the first crusade for Grinnell, who was the editor and publisher of Forest and Stream.

In 1886, alarmed by the use of bird feathers on women's hats the impact of that fashion on bird populations, Grinnell announced in Forest and Stream the founding of the Audubon Society, dedicated to saving birds. The following year, with Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt (1858-1919), he also founded the Boone and Crockett Club. He met Roosevelt in 1885 and given him a report on the slaughter of big game in the West.

The Boone and Crockett Club was founded to promote "fair hunting" and to push for legislation to promote conservation.
 

 
   
 

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