Sun Road plows close to Pass

But snow hits St. Mary

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK - Park plows on the Going-to-the-Sun Road should be within sight of Logan Pass by week's end.

As of presstime, plows on the west side of the highway were working at Big Bend and Triple Arches, and on the east side they're working above Siyeh Bend and chugging along toward the Big Drift.

Big Bend is about three miles from the pass.

The Big Drift is a huge snow drift that piles up just east of Logan Pass.

Many of the park's secondary roads are now completely open.

The Inside North Fork Road is open to Kintla and Bowman lakes and as far south as Logging Creek. The Camas Road is open, and the Two Medicine and Many Glacier Roads are all completely open to vehicle traffic. The Quarter Circle Bridge Road is also open.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road on the west side is open to Avalanche Creek, with hiking and biking well beyond that.

On the east side, you might run into snow.

As of presstime, St. Mary had snow on the ground at the lake, and Many Glacier looked to be stormy as well.

May is a tricky month in Glacier. It can go from bluebird days to blizzards in a matter of hours.

The earliest opening ever of the Sun Road is May 16 in 1987.

The Bowman Lake and Kintla Lake campgrounds opened for primitive use ($6 per night) on Monday, April 25, the earliest opening on record. Visitors currently need to bring their own water until the campground fully opens in mid-May.

The road into Cut Bank Valley remains closed for vehicular use at the park boundary until further notice.

The park also reminds visitors that closed roads are considered trails, and no pets are allowed.