Going-To-the-Sun Road

I traveled with the Director of the Going-To-the-Sun-Road avalanche program above the road and north of Haystack Creek. 

• Travel was difficult and dangerous below 5300 feet due to a wet, unsupportable surface. Conditions improved with elevation, where travel became easier and ski turns were good.
• Multiple avalanches were observed, but new snow, flat light, and clouds disguised them slightly. These slides occurred during warm and wet weather over the past few weeks. 
• We looked closer at a large glide crack threatening the road. This crack was 1-1.5 meters thick and on a mid-elevation west-southwest slope (See image).
• It appeared that one or two glide cracks failed over the past couple of days, despite the cooler conditions (See image). 
• The GNP road crew made great progress in clearing the road to approximately 5000 feet due to the lack of low-elevation snow. 

• Below 5300 feet, the top 18-24 inches was wet, unsupportable mush.
• Above that, the near-surface crust became thicker and stronger with elevation, and generally supported my weight above 6000 feet. Approximately 4-5 inches of recent snow capped this crust above 6000 feet.
• The drifted areas were 8-10 inches thick, although we mainly traveled on windward and slightly cross-loaded terrain.
• Snow depth in a gladed cross-loaded west-southwest facing slope averaged around 3 meters deep at 6800 feet.