Glacier begins plowing

Glacier National Park crews have begun the annual task of clearing its roads of snow. Crews began plowing the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road starting at Lake McDonald Lodge.

The road will be open to hikers and bikers when crews aren't working with some restrictions, depending on avalanche danger, construction work and other factors. It usually takes a few warm days to clear the Sun Road of ice, even after it has been plowed.

On the east side, the Chief Mountain Road has been plowed but will not open to vehicles until the Canada border crossing opens in mid-May, Park spokesperson Bill Hayden said.

Crews are also working on the Two Medicine Road, he said. They've plowed into Many Glacier and are working on clearing snow in the Many Glacier valley. The Many Glacier Road doesn't open to vehicle traffic until late April to protect wintering wildlife in the valley.

The Two Medicine Road usually first opens for vehicles to Running Eagle Falls. Park crews then open the rest of the road to Two Medicine Lake after ice melts out on the hill past Running Eagle Falls. Road openings in the park are highly weather dependent.