Crews clearing the Going-to-the-Sun Road battle fewer avalanches this year

Plowing the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is no easy task, but a drop off in avalanches this spring has made the work a little easier.

Crews observed a large avalanche cycle in early March this year, which cleared the chutes that typically slide later in the spring. That has translated into fewer avalanches this season as compared to last year, said Work Leader Christian Tranel. 

There’s been no notable challenges so far this year, he said.  

“It’s going well, we’re actually fairly early. There was a little bit below average snow pack this year,” Tranel said. “Crews are down here at the Big Drift right now, then we’ll get to the east side down below that. And we still have a lot of cleanup to do, then we’ll put in the guard logs.”  

Even a notorious chute by Triple Arches hasn’t seen an avalanche yet, according to Roads Supervisor Brian Paul, who said it’s the first time he’s seen it hold in his 17 years of opening the Sun Road. 

Avalanches aren’t the only concern for the workers. Falling rocks and rockslides can be an issue, too. They were working on breaking apart a 15,000-pound rock that had fallen near Haystack Creek, for example.  

Paul said the rock fell recently, after crews had already made their way through that area. It left a sizeable divot in the pavement. 

“Rocks are the biggest cleanup thing that we have up here,” Paul said. “... It's an opportunity for our blasters to look and get experience. They often get certified once a year and that's a good opportunity for them to do that.”  

Tranel said after crews make it through the Big Drift, they’ll continue plowing the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Then they’ll start digging out Logan Pass Visitor Center and hooking up utilities there.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.