Sun Road plows at Triple Arches
A yellow rumped warbler sings in Glacier National Park recently.
Hikers and bikers this weekend can go as far as the Loop on the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side.
Because of avalanche danger, Glacier has yet to allow any hiker-biker access beyond the Loop this season.
The road is open to Avalanche Creek on the west side and Rising Sun on the east side. On the west side, folks are reminded they need a reservation to access the road from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. They also need a reservation to access the North Fork (Polebridge) Entrance to the Park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
People can walk or bike into the Park without a reservation.
The west side of the road is closed from the foot of Lake McDonald to the Lake McDonald Lodge from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day due to night utility work.
Park plows on the west side are working at Triple Arches and Siyeh Bend on the east side, though the avalanche danger has been high this year. The snowpack is currently 147% of average in the Flathead River Basin. Trails, particularly on the east side of the park, are often still covered in snow.
The Many Glacier, Camas, Bowman Lake, Quarter Circle Bridge, Two Medicine and Chief Mountain Highway are all open to vehicles. The Inside North Fork Road is closed to vehicles between Camas Creek and Logging Creek.
A free hiker/biker shuttle runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the Apgar visitor center Saturday and Sundays up the Sun Road.
This weekend is supposed to be wet, with rain both Saturday and Sunday.