Park plows reach Logan Pass

By CHRIS PETERSON / Hungry Horse News

The end is near. And it's a good end at that.

After a long spring fraught with deep snows, late snowstorms and multiple avalanches, plow crews have reached the Logan Pass parking lot from the west side of the Continental Divide.

They are now working on the Big Drift — a drift that runs from 80 to 100 feet deep and builds just east of Logan Pass.

But when the pass will open to vehicle traffic isn't known yet. Last week Park managers would only say "weeks."

But with the weather finally cooperating, crews have been able to work seven days a week on the west side, noted crew foreman Shaun Bessinger.

Bessinger said as weather has improved, they don't need as many avalanche spotters because the danger of slides has subsided. As such, they were able to break the teams up and go after the road seven days a week.

But Park officials note that clearing the snow and opening the road in its entirely are two separate jobs.

There's still rocks to clear, guardrails to put up and other maintenance work.

Still, there appears to be an end in sight. Jim Foster, deputy chief of facilities, said the Park was working to get the road open to at least Big Bend, which is about three miles below Logan Pass on the west side. As to when that would happen hasn't been determined yet, but the Park expects it to be soon.

On average, the road opens in early June. Park plow crews start in April and it usually takes the better part of two months to clear the historic highway.

But this year snows were deeper than normal to begin with and then the area had a cool, wet spring topped off with an early June snowstorm that dropped up to two feet of snow in Glacier's high country.

That snow resulted in a host of slides that went over previously plowed sections of road. Crews had to go through a good dozen slides just to get back to Triple Arches last week, then they had to re-plow triple arches because it had a 30 foot deep slide in it and that slide kept filling back in as they plowed it.

The Park also had equipment failures — all three rotary plows broke down this spring and one required a $26,000 part.

And how is all this impacting the plowing budget?

"The budget is broke," said Foster. "But we're still going to get the road plowed."

The "broke" part comes from staffing — park road crews that would normally work on other projects this time of year, are still on the Sun Road. The weather should continue to cooperate. Forecast highs through the weekend are expected to be in the 80s with plenty of sunshine.

That can only help.

Last year the road didn't open until July 1 because the Park had to complete flood damage repairs.

In 2002, the road didn't open until June 28 because of a late season snowstorm.

The latest ever was 1943, with World War II in full swing, the road opened over Logan Pass on July 10.