 May 17, 2012
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Photo to right taken by NPS snow survey crew | 
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April 22, 2012
Tick season has started in Glacier National Park
Hiked South Boundary Trail encountered more ticks on that hike then I have in my entire life.
April 21, 2012
"Entrance fees to Glacier National Park and the nearly 400 National Park Sites across the country will be waived during National Park Week, April 21-29.
April 20, 2012
West Side Hiker Biker
There will be no hiker/biker restrictions on Saturday and Sunday.
April 19, 2012
At this point in time the NPS west side snow plow crew is about 2 weeks ahead of where they were last year.
April 18, 2012
Hiker-Biker Access
West
Avalanche Creek (5.5 miles beyond the Lake McDonald Lodge)
East
No restrictions on hiker/biker access on the Going-to-the-Sun Road (from Rising Sun vehicle closure).
Updated April 27, 2012
Plowing to restart on east side of The Going To The Sun Road so the snow shown below will be gone.
GTSR on east side snow covered after road closure so you can hike, or snowshoe but biking would be pretty tricky.
The Two Medicine Road is now open for vehicles to Running Eagle Falls, with hiker/biker access beyond the closure to where the road crew is working (approximately 1 mile).
April 16, 2012
West
Going-to-the-Sun Road, west side: Open 11 miles from West Entrance to Lake McDonald Lodge
then closed to vehicles at Lake McDonald Lodge
Quarter Circle Bridge Road: CLOSED to vehicles
North McDonald Road/Kelly Camp Road: CLOSED to vehicles
Packers Roost Road: CLOSED to vehicles
Camas Road: OPEN to vehicles
Bowman Road: CLOSED to vehicles
Kintla Road: OPEN to vehicles for 6 miles, then closed at Big Prairie
Inside North Fork Road: CLOSED to vehicles
East
The Two Medicine Road is currently closed at Running Eagle Falls due to plowing. Hiker/biker beyond Running Eagle Falls gate will be where ever the road crew is not working. The road crew will have portable signs they will put up showing where they are currently plowing.
Going-to-the-Sun Road: Open 5 miles to Rising Sun,
then closed to vehicles at Rising Sun
Many Glacier: CLOSED to vehicles at Boundary Gate from NPS plow report
April 14, 2012
The Going To The Sun Road on the east side is open from East Glacier to Rising Sun to hikers, bikers and cars. Be aware that except for the St Mary Campground nothing else is open in Glacier National Park on the east side. The only toilets (pit) are located in St Mary Campground.
The Going To The Sun Road was clear of snow as of April 14, 2012. St Mary Lake remains frozen along this five miles section of GTSR. If your biking be prepared for the possibility of major headwinds. On Saturday April 4, 2012 I saw five cars on the road one of which was a park ranger. There were no other bikers. The road is gated just past the boat launch for Glacier Boat and the GTSR is snow covered from that point on. Two Dog Flat is clear of all snow and is posted as no access mainly for the resident elk herd, which was not visible today.
It was a great blue sky day at the start of the ride but a storm front was rapidly approaching the St Mary Valley on the return ride.
Weather permitting will hike The South Boundary Trail some time next week. The following week hope to circumnavigate Lake McDonald - hike/bike - which will be about 22 miles.
April 12, 2012
It's April and it's raining. In northwest Montana when you want to get out in the spring you go when it's sunny no matter what day of the week it is otherwise your going to get wet.
April 11, 2012
According to NPS Plow Reports "On the West Side, Hiker/Biker access is to Avalanche, approximately 4.5 miles from the Lake McDonald Gate - while the road crew is working. On the weekend, there are no restrictions on the West Side for Hiker/Biker access.
April 6, 2012
On the east side the Hiker/Biker access is located approximately 1/2 mile beyond the Mile and a Half Gate due to wildlife activity - everyday." Which means you can make it to Red Rock Falls if you have studded bike tires. Next week the park is scheduled to start removing the ice.
Plowing started on clearing the Going To The Sun Road of snow on April 2, 2012. At this point the road from McDonald Lodge towards Avalanche is now a nice sheet of ice, so bring your ice skates. Temperatures are supposed to be in the low 60's today, but that section of road is mostly in the shade so it will take a little time for the ice to melt. The parks large snowblower chained up and left the first stretch of the road to one of the parks road graders.
The Going To The Sun Road from Apgar to Lake McDonald Lodge is free of ice and snow with relatively small plow berms on the sides of the road as of 4-2-2012.
On the east side The Going-to-the-Sun Road: Open 5 miles to Rising Sun, then closed to vehicles at Rising Sun.
From NPS plowing report as of 4-3-2012 "The Hudson Bay Road Crew started plowing the Many Glacier Road from the dam into the valley. They encountered snow drifts of up to 10 feet. The weather was stormy, windy and cold."
The 2012 Vernal Equinox arrived accompanied by snow in Northwest Montana.
Well it took until the wild turkeys made their annual migration down my driveway before Glacier National Park snowpack levels reached 100% of the 30 year average snowfall.
Note: Even though snow accumulation is below average it is not any where close to being the least recorded snowfall winter since recordings began in 1979.
At this time last year Lake Mcdonald was frozen for miles, this year there is no ice on Lake McDonald.
It's late February and winter snow is finally starting to accumulate.
Snow levels in the Flathead River Basin are at 85% of average. Glacier Park feeds into this watershed as well as to Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is still too early to predict when Logan Pass will open but if I am reading gov speak correctly that won't be before June 15th of this year.
According to the Western Federal Lands Highway Department the construction zones for The Going To The Sun Highway for 2012 are from Avalanche to the Logan Gravel Pit and from Haystack Creek to Big Bend on the west side. From the map no construction is scheduled for the east side. The official plan is for construction at Avalanche to start in late March of this year. (if I'm reading gov speak correctly)
The winter of 2011/2012 continues on with brief transitory bits of winter weather in the lower elevations, followed by above freezing temperatures and rain.
Well winter like weather has finally arrived in Northwest Montana.
NPS press Release 1-15-2012
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Glacier National Park, Flathead County Search and Rescue Mountain Rescue Team and Kalispell Regional Medical Center's A.L.E.R.T. Air Ambulance responded to and rescued a couple of cross-country skiers that were lost and stranded overnight in the North Fork area of Glacier National Park.
Two individuals from Kalispell, a married couple, male age 46 and female age 39, sent a 911 message using a spot messenger device as they were lost and stranded in Glacier National Park. Flathead County Dispatch received the message at approximately 8 p.m. Saturday night indicating the message originated from a remote location approximately one mile north of the Akokala Creek Trail in the North Fork area of park, approximately six miles north of Polebridge. Park rangers were immediately notified and an incident team was organized. Due to bad weather, downed trees, difficult trail conditions, darkness and overall unsafe conditions for ground or aerial searches, it was determined that a response would need to take place early Sunday morning.
Sunday morning park rangers and members of the county's rescue team began traveling to find the couple via snowshoes and cross-country skis. As weather conditions allowed, A.L.E.R.T. flew the area and were able to identify tracks. The helicopter landed briefly and dispatched two crew members on the ground. The crew members reached the couple after hiking about one half mile and treated them on the scene. The helicopter then returned as weather cleared and retrieved the couple. They were transported to a landing area near the Polebridge Mercantile where park rangers met them and transported them to the Polebridge Ranger Station. The couple returned home via their own vehicle at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
The info below is from Spot's Web page.
"pair your smartphone with SPOT Connect, and get connected to a global satellite network that lets you send messages and GPS coordinates from virtually anywhere on the planet. Update Twitter and Facebook. Send email and text messages. Request non-emergency help from professional service providers. And in the case of a critical emergency, send an SOS message requesting emergency assistance."
For the record 99% of Glacier National Park does not have cell phone coverage.
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From news reports Alaska is getting all the snow this winter.
January 4, 2012
Montana temperatures were twice that of Florida!
On January 4, 2012 a large wildfire started outside of Browning with fire companies coming from as far as Columbia Falls. Unlike Texas wildfires in Montana during January are very, very rare. High winds in January on the east side of the park are a given and this fire was driven by winds gusting up to 70 mph. Over 16,000 acres were burned in this winter wildfire.
Snowy Owls, also known as, Arctic Owls are making their somewhat irregular migration, actually an irruption, to Northwest Montana. So far have seen the snowy owl on the last three trips, as is the norm the closest and most spectacular was when I was least prepared, didn't even have my camera but was using my daughter-in-laws new camera, different brand then mine, different controls and settings. Hopefully this Arctic Owl will stay around all winter.
Will be adding pics of these gorgeous owls soon!
Chilly weather to greet the new year temps in the low teens on the first of 2012.
Day Hikes The Highline Trail and the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail start at 6,600 feet. Many of these day hikes traverse mountains essentially untouched by man, bring the proper rain gear. Plan your Glacier National Park lodging well in advance. on some of the trails in Glacier Park the trail itself is the only sign of civilization, other more popular trails are often crowded with a wide variety of 'hikers'.
Day Hikes in Glacier, available at the entrance stations to Glacier National Park, and the Visitor Centers in West Glacier and Saint Mary, lists sixty-one hikes that you can take without a passport. The 2011 version includes information on the free Glacier Park Shuttle, get a copy of the latest Glacier Shuttle Guide as the Glacier Shuttle has changed routes and hours of operation since it's opening. As long as the hike starts on the Going to the Sun Road and ends somewhere else on the Going to the Sun Road the Park Shuttle works great. It is truly a pleasure to use, but if your hike starts on the Going to the Sun Road and then ends in Many Glacier your options are much more limited. | |
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Bighorn Ram The thing I find most striking about the big horn sheep, aside from the horns on the rams | 
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