{"id":1946892,"date":"2026-05-21T10:34:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:34:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1946892"},"modified":"2026-05-21T10:34:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T07:34:59","slug":"big-drift-buried-bathrooms-and-rockfall-the-real-story-of-plowing-going-to-the-sun-road-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1946892","title":{"rendered":"Big Drift, Buried Bathrooms, and Rockfall: The Real Story of Plowing Going-to-the-Sun Road in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_147316\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-147316\" style=\"width: 1180px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-147316 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGpAQMAAAAnSBUDAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20LL6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC4GoZ5AAEJOoIfAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"Going-to-the-Sun Road 2026 plow crew clearing snow near Logan Pass, Glacier National Park\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/8_machinery_rim_rock052506.jpg?resize=640%2C425&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/8_machinery_rim_rock052506.jpg?w=1180&amp;ssl=1 1180w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/8_machinery_rim_rock052506.jpg?resize=600%2C399&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"425\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-147316 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/8_machinery_rim_rock052506.jpg?resize=640%2C425&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Going-to-the-Sun Road 2026 plow crew clearing snow near Logan Pass, Glacier National Park\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-147316\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clearing of Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, MT. | Photo: NPS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Glacier National Park, Montana, plow crews have reached the <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/plows-face-80-foot-snow-drifts-as-they-clear-final-mile-of-going-to-the-sun-road-mt\/\">Big Drift<\/a>, the final stretch of snow blocking Going-to-the-Sun Road, and are simultaneously working to clear the Logan Pass Visitor Center, park officials confirmed this week, marking a critical milestone in the Going-to-the-Sun Road 2026 opening season.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/expected-winter-road-closures-across-the-united-states\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">The Mountain Passes and Roads in the United States That Close Every Winter<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>John Lucke, the acting chief of facility management for the park, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/glac\/planyourvisit\/goingtothesunroad.htm\">delivered the update<\/a> during a public outreach meeting Monday night in Kalispell, reports <em><a href=\"https:\/\/hungryhorsenews.com\/news\/2026\/may\/20\/glacier-national-park-plows-at-big-drift-which-is-the-last-of-the-snow-on-the-going-to-the-sun-road\/\">Hungry Horse News<\/a><\/em>.<\/strong> While crews are now tackling the last major obstacle on the 50-mile alpine route, Lucke cautioned that the road will not open to the public for <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/6646-going-to-the-sun-road-glacier-national-park-mt-projected-to-open-monday-june-16\/\">several more weeks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Big Drift is a one-mile stretch of road just east of Logan Pass where wind-driven snow regularly accumulates to depths of <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/plow-crews-at-glacier-national-park-mt-struggle-to-open-going-to-the-sun-road-due-to-deepest-snowpack-in-over-a-decade\/\">50 to 80 feet each winter<\/a>.<\/strong> Crews working from the east and west sides of the park converge at the drift each spring, joining forces to cut through the towering snowbank and reconnect the road across the Continental Divide.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Going-to-the-Sun Road 2026: Rockfall, Avalanches, and a Buried Bathroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Lucke cited rockfall and avalanches as the primary obstacles this season, challenges that crews face every year.<\/strong> Windstorms over the winter also brought down a significant number of trees along the route.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A major avalanche struck Big Bend this year, burying the bathroom facility there.<\/strong> The structure, which is built into the mountainside and engineered to withstand a slide, remains buried. However, one of the barrier poles designed to prevent vehicles from reversing into the building was ripped out and swept down the hillside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The road also sustained structural damage.<\/strong> Roughly 135 feet of rock wall was swept away in a section known as the Slopes. Permanent repairs will follow later in the season; the park will install jersey barriers as a temporary fix in the interim.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_406340\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-406340\" style=\"width: 2870px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-406340 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGMAQMAAABwKYGGAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADZJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20JT6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA\/gZ9TAAB7plbtgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"396\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=640%2C396&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?w=2870&amp;ssl=1 2870w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=300%2C185&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=1200%2C742&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=768%2C475&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=1536%2C949&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1266&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"396\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-406340\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SCR-20260521-kjkt.jpeg?resize=640%2C396&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"396\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-406340\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Current status of roads in Glacier National Park,. | Image: NPS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>How a Record Mild Winter Shaped This Season\u2019s Plowing<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Spring plowing on the Going-to-the-Sun Road and other park roads began April 1 this year.<\/strong> The winter of 2025\u201326 has been relatively mild, with lower-than-average snowfall in the valleys, allowing crews to make faster progress through the lower elevations. Snow was largely absent from the road until crews reached the high country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The average opening date for vehicles to travel the full 50-mile corridor is June 11, though that figure has trended later in recent decades.<\/strong> The road has not opened to vehicles in May since 2005.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Who Can Travel the Road Right Now<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Motorists can currently drive the road as far as <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/going-to-the-sun-road-in-glacier-national-park-mt-to-open-on-saturday-in-time-for-mothers-day-weekend\/\">Avalanche Creek<\/a> on the west side.<\/strong> Hikers and bikers may travel beyond that point, subject to where and when road crews are operating. Signs are posted prominently along the route.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Park officials warn that traveling beyond established closures can result in a significant fine.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Visitors can monitor road conditions and plowing progress through the National Park Service.<\/strong> Real-time updates on the Going-to-the-Sun Road are available at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/glac\/planyourvisit\/goingtothesunroad.htm\">nps.gov\/glac<\/a>. Text alerts are also available by texting <strong>GNPROADS<\/strong> to <strong>333111<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_144333\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144333\" style=\"width: 1171px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144333 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFUAQMAAACORB\/EAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADJJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAODbAGuUAAE3WUU9AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"340\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/going-sun-road-large.gif?resize=640%2C340&amp;ssl=1\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"340\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-144333\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/going-sun-road-large.gif?resize=640%2C340&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"340\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-144333\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Going-to-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park, MT. | Image: NPS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_2 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clearing of Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, MT. | Photo: NPS Glacier National Park, Montana, plow crews have reached the Big Drift, the final stretch of snow blocking Going-to-the-Sun Road, and are simultaneously working to clear the Logan Pass Visitor Center, park officials confirmed this week, marking a critical milestone in the Going-to-the-Sun Road [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1946892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1946892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1946892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1946892\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1946892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1946892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1946892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}