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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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