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This has been a plan that has been talked about for some time. Will it work?....I hope so considering all the taxpayer dollars that have been spent....
Thats my two cents worth for today......Have a great day..
Friday, July 25, 2008
Work begin on West Entrance to Glacier
This is the view as you approach the West entrance to Glacier National Park. Work has begun to restructure the lanes to allow supposely more people into the park quicker. Plans also call for building a new entrance station, a rest room and concession facilities in the same area.
This has been a plan that has been talked about for some time. Will it work?....I hope so considering all the taxpayer dollars that have been spent....
Thats my two cents worth for today......Have a great day..
This has been a plan that has been talked about for some time. Will it work?....I hope so considering all the taxpayer dollars that have been spent....
Thats my two cents worth for today......Have a great day..
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
High Country Snow....
The following is a quote from the wonderful folks in the Glacier National Park backcountry office:
Temperatures have been dropping into the 40's most night here in West Glacier and in the high country. Flat top Mountain weather station shows the same trend.
It seems possible for some of the high country snows to still be around when the snows begin again in a couple months. Only time will tell.
Thats my two cents worth for today......Have a great day..
Above average snowpack, a cold spring, and several severe spring snow storms (Say that three times fast) have left the higher elevations of Glacier under deep snow and are presenting challenges to backcountry travel, especially over the high passes.There are few offices in the park that I would put a lot of faith and trust in, but the crew at the back country office is one of them. This group of individuals are lead by the charming Brian McKeon. Actually everyone knows that really the office is ran by mother Kim and Grandma Linda, but they like to let Brian think he is in charge. But then that is a story for another day....
Our melt-out is about two to three weeks behind normal so many of our backcountry campgrounds are not opening on time either. Sustained summer heat has finally allowed 24 hour snowmelt and our hope is that this will facilitate more backcountry campground openings in the near future.
Along with this melt-out however, comes high water hazards and possible undercut snowbanks. High angle snow slopes finish out the troika of risks associated with Glacier's current backcountry conditions.
During the next few weeks, backpackers wishing to venture into the high country should be familiar with swift water crossing techniques and well versed in the use of an ice ax and crampons and possess the ability to self-arrest.
Temperatures have been dropping into the 40's most night here in West Glacier and in the high country. Flat top Mountain weather station shows the same trend.
It seems possible for some of the high country snows to still be around when the snows begin again in a couple months. Only time will tell.
Thats my two cents worth for today......Have a great day..
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Winter Wonderland at Logan Pass
Read todays snow story in the local paper. The picture taken by Garrett Cheen of the Daily Inter Lake.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Logan Pass Opens for season
The Logan Pass section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road opened for the season on the morning of July 2. The road is now fully open. There is still considerable snow at the top of the pass and around the Logan Pass Visitor Center. Please try to remain on the plowed walkways and off of newly emerging vegetation as the snow recedes.
Going to the Sun Road and Logan Pass expected to open today
The Going-to-the-Sun Road should open to through traffic for the entire 52 mile length pending an inspection of the road this morning.A weather system moved in to the area last night, which could have caused some damage to the already soaked hillsides. Expect to encounter very narrow gravel roads with lots of water. The over three miles of single lane traffic is not for the weak of heart. Construction projects are still ongoing for the remainder of the summer and you should plan for lengthy delays.
This will be the latest opening of Sun Road over Logan Pass since 1943, when the pass was opened July 10 because of reduced staffing during World War II.
You can read more about this on the Daily Inter Lake"s online morning edition,
Monday, June 30, 2008
Going to the Sun Road 2008....Big Bend
Heavens Peak
The park officially opened the Going to the Sun Road to the Big Bend closure last Saturday. I decided to go check it out the 29 mile drive for myself so I could tell you first hand what I found. Please keep in mind to focus on the beauty of what is around you at all times. That said here we go....
Leaving West Glacier and heading up along Lake McDonald is always a wonderful drive with the lake having high water levels. Where there have been beaches in the past are now covered with water.....so be prepared to get wet if you intend to walk on the lake shore.
The road surface appeared for some reason to have a lot more dips and bumps than I remember from last year. Upon passing the turnoffs to the Lodge. it became quickly apparent that there were horses around. I am not sure why, but it was VERY aromatic. We quickly proceeded on up the road, through Avalanche where there was also construction going on. Upon arriving in moose country we came across a ranger standing in the background observing a large crowd of visitors. Sure enough the resident moose was in the water on the right side of the road having a snack. Please use common sense in these situations, these are WILD animals.
The road got rough as we approached the Logan pit area. It appears that they are using this as a staging area for the construction on the road. The heavy trucks are taking their toll on an old road.
There are new pit toilets being built along the way in the Logan creek area, however they were not available when we were there. There were portipotties along the side of the road. Once we started the climb out of the valley the condition of the road did not improve. There is an abundance of water moving down the chutes and in McDonald Creek. It is obvious that all the water is effecting the road. Arriving at the West tunnel we encountered water cascading down and once we splashed through the tunnel come upon a gravel surface. It actually was fairly smooth, however loose gravel and driving in the mountains are a fun combination. All of the parking area at the Loop is being used for more staging of large rocks. Until this is finished I can see huge bottlenecks forming. You shouldn't plan on finding any parking there anytime soon.
The next three mile or so section of the road is a real experience to say the least. If you have anyone in your vehicle that doesn't care for open heights I would not proceed past the loop. The construction continues and for a ways there is nothing between the outside lane and freefall. I am not sure if they just haven't gotten the barriers in place or if someone in their great wisdom decided not to. That was an enlighting experience and I thought I has seen it all. Shortly after we came across a flagger and single lane traffic.
We now had to sit and wait for the pilot truck to come back and guide us through the single lane. There was no construction going on anywhere that I could see. At least here they had placed barriers on the outside edge of the inside lane, just visible signs that something was going on. It appeared the complete outside lane was gone and it felt to me as we were just hanging onto a very narrow ledge with a loose gravel surface. It was not a pleasant experience! We waited for 10-15 minutes for out turn to proceed. The rest of the ride to Big Bend was under the same conditions.
Bird Woman Falls
The views of Bird Woman Falls were breathtaking. It seemed like you could reach out and touch it. Actually I took so many photos of the falls that I didnt get any of the road condition which I wanted to forget about. The short distance on to Big Bend was uneventful, with having to pass along the Weeping Walls. At this point in the season it should have been called the crying falls.From all the talk of heavy snow I was disappointed when I got to Big Bend. The amount of snow left was very small compared to years past. After walking around taking in the sights and taking in the very fresh cool fresh aire realized that I now had to go back through that same route. Only this time as the driver I was right at the edge.
Big Bend
There was not much low snow lying around. However the views were spectacular with mountain goats on the hillsides. Lots of water running and still lots of snow higher up.
Weeping Wall
As you can see there is a lot of water coming out of the weeping wall and onto the roadway.
Black Bear
Upon making it back to lower elevations we encountered another traffic jam. it is so amazing to me that folks come to the wild and loose all aspects of common sense. There were folks standing literally 6 feet from this adult black bear, totally unaware of what they were placing themselves and the bear in. Please enjoy the wildlife, but be smart.
Please keep in mind to focus on the beauty of what is around you at all times and try not to think about the construction zones.
We did safely make it back through the construction zone, however I will tell you that when I go back up to see and document Logan Pass, it will be from the St Mary's side of the park. This is a section of the road I will not drive on again until it is completely finished.
Thats my two cents worth for today......Have a great day..
The park officially opened the Going to the Sun Road to the Big Bend closure last Saturday. I decided to go check it out the 29 mile drive for myself so I could tell you first hand what I found. Please keep in mind to focus on the beauty of what is around you at all times. That said here we go....
Leaving West Glacier and heading up along Lake McDonald is always a wonderful drive with the lake having high water levels. Where there have been beaches in the past are now covered with water.....so be prepared to get wet if you intend to walk on the lake shore.
The road surface appeared for some reason to have a lot more dips and bumps than I remember from last year. Upon passing the turnoffs to the Lodge. it became quickly apparent that there were horses around. I am not sure why, but it was VERY aromatic. We quickly proceeded on up the road, through Avalanche where there was also construction going on. Upon arriving in moose country we came across a ranger standing in the background observing a large crowd of visitors. Sure enough the resident moose was in the water on the right side of the road having a snack. Please use common sense in these situations, these are WILD animals.
The road got rough as we approached the Logan pit area. It appears that they are using this as a staging area for the construction on the road. The heavy trucks are taking their toll on an old road.
There are new pit toilets being built along the way in the Logan creek area, however they were not available when we were there. There were portipotties along the side of the road. Once we started the climb out of the valley the condition of the road did not improve. There is an abundance of water moving down the chutes and in McDonald Creek. It is obvious that all the water is effecting the road. Arriving at the West tunnel we encountered water cascading down and once we splashed through the tunnel come upon a gravel surface. It actually was fairly smooth, however loose gravel and driving in the mountains are a fun combination. All of the parking area at the Loop is being used for more staging of large rocks. Until this is finished I can see huge bottlenecks forming. You shouldn't plan on finding any parking there anytime soon.
The next three mile or so section of the road is a real experience to say the least. If you have anyone in your vehicle that doesn't care for open heights I would not proceed past the loop. The construction continues and for a ways there is nothing between the outside lane and freefall. I am not sure if they just haven't gotten the barriers in place or if someone in their great wisdom decided not to. That was an enlighting experience and I thought I has seen it all. Shortly after we came across a flagger and single lane traffic.
We now had to sit and wait for the pilot truck to come back and guide us through the single lane. There was no construction going on anywhere that I could see. At least here they had placed barriers on the outside edge of the inside lane, just visible signs that something was going on. It appeared the complete outside lane was gone and it felt to me as we were just hanging onto a very narrow ledge with a loose gravel surface. It was not a pleasant experience! We waited for 10-15 minutes for out turn to proceed. The rest of the ride to Big Bend was under the same conditions.Bird Woman Falls
The views of Bird Woman Falls were breathtaking. It seemed like you could reach out and touch it. Actually I took so many photos of the falls that I didnt get any of the road condition which I wanted to forget about. The short distance on to Big Bend was uneventful, with having to pass along the Weeping Walls. At this point in the season it should have been called the crying falls.From all the talk of heavy snow I was disappointed when I got to Big Bend. The amount of snow left was very small compared to years past. After walking around taking in the sights and taking in the very fresh cool fresh aire realized that I now had to go back through that same route. Only this time as the driver I was right at the edge.Big Bend
There was not much low snow lying around. However the views were spectacular with mountain goats on the hillsides. Lots of water running and still lots of snow higher up.Weeping Wall
As you can see there is a lot of water coming out of the weeping wall and onto the roadway.Black Bear
Upon making it back to lower elevations we encountered another traffic jam. it is so amazing to me that folks come to the wild and loose all aspects of common sense. There were folks standing literally 6 feet from this adult black bear, totally unaware of what they were placing themselves and the bear in. Please enjoy the wildlife, but be smart.Please keep in mind to focus on the beauty of what is around you at all times and try not to think about the construction zones.
We did safely make it back through the construction zone, however I will tell you that when I go back up to see and document Logan Pass, it will be from the St Mary's side of the park. This is a section of the road I will not drive on again until it is completely finished.
Thats my two cents worth for today......Have a great day..
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