Latest 2020 Season Opening News

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zozeppelin
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by zozeppelin »

zozeppelin wrote: Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:18 am Back to the demand speculation, looks like down 50% in June. July numbers will be more telling, getting torwards prime season and closures reducing/GTTSR open.

https://www.kpax.com/news/montana-news/ ... ind-normal

Only down ~20% in July from the West side. Polebridge way up. 60% cumulative drop from last year.

I have read occupancy rates are down in town, and with only one campground open .. where are they staying? I assume locals day tripping?

https://flatheadbeacon.com/2020/08/15/v ... corridors/
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by PeteE »

As for locals, I'm a day tripper. :arrow:

I've been getting up for weeks now between 2:30 and 3:30AM to drive to the park.
Early in the AM I've seen lots of cars parked along US2 on the way.
The other morning I saw around 8-10 vehicles of various kinds parked by the spring in Bad Rock Canyon(on US2)--including one that had two tents set up there.

I've also seen quite a few cars, trucks, campers, and large RV's parked along the GTTS road at 4:00AM+-
The Park Service hasn't been enforcing the "No overnight Stay" rule that I can tell.
I haven't seen the first LEO in the early mornings I've been driving out there.

Dozens of campers have taken over the gravel bars at Blankenship bridge and many places in the surrounding area National Forests.
The motels on US2 between Kalispell and West Glacier look like they're doing quite well judged by the number of cars in their lots..

pete :wink:

PS
I forgot to mention that upon my early arrivals at Logan Pass, I've seen a number of vehicles whose occupants had pretty obviously spent the night in the parking lot. I always thought that was a "no-no"?
This past Saturday I arrived around 0500 and parked next to a Park Service LEO's SUV. No sign of the LEO though.
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by PeteE »

Hidden Lake Trail
Logan Pass Visitor Center to Hidden Lake/ 3.0 mi.
TRAIL CLOSED due to bear activity per C1 on 8/10/2020

Hidden Lake Trail to the Overlook is open from 9-5 ONLY while rangers are available to check on bear activity. The Reynolds Climbing Route and the trail down to Hidden Lake remain closed at all times.

Projected initial clearing date: 8/21/2020 per 650


What a joke. Open 9-5. Phhhhft :evil:

These so-called trail reports are admittedly better than nothing.
However, what good is it to post? :
Projected initial clearing date: 8/21/2020 per 650

They put these crazy dates on many of the trail reports.
August 21st! For Hidden Lake?
The season is nearly over by August 21st. Geeez Marie!

It'd be better to just not put "information" like that out. It's very misleading....imho.
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by al_in_al »

The Hidden Lake trail appears to be open (removed from the closed list tonight). Hope it sticks this time.
PeteE wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:57 pm These so-called trail reports are admittedly better than nothing.
However, what good is it to post? :
Projected initial clearing date: 8/21/2020 per 650
It's had a really late date like that the last few years I've been paying attention. I've never been able to figure out why, since they very obviously go out and mark the trail before Logan Pass opens to vehicles each year.
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by zozeppelin »

PeteE wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2020 5:57 pm Hidden Lake Trail
Logan Pass Visitor Center to Hidden Lake/ 3.0 mi.
TRAIL CLOSED due to bear activity per C1 on 8/10/2020

Hidden Lake Trail to the Overlook is open from 9-5 ONLY while rangers are available to check on bear activity. The Reynolds Climbing Route and the trail down to Hidden Lake remain closed at all times.

Projected initial clearing date: 8/21/2020 per 650


What a joke. Open 9-5. Phhhhft :evil:

These so-called trail reports are admittedly better than nothing.
However, what good is it to post? :
Projected initial clearing date: 8/21/2020 per 650

They put these crazy dates on many of the trail reports.
August 21st! For Hidden Lake?
The season is nearly over by August 21st. Geeez Marie!

It'd be better to just not put "information" like that out. It's very misleading....imho.
Hi Pete,
I saw that as well. Comments (assumptions):
  • I assume the projected date is when they will check again to assess whether there is 'bear activity' and should the trail reopen.
  • The 'guided' ranger walk is just trying provide a 'safe' means for visitors to see the most popular open front country hike in a park that is severely limited this year. This is really nice of them. Usually I'd call closures conservative (unless there is a carcass on the trail), but this is a trail likely to see visitors with the most unawareness compared to other trails. Did you see the video of the bear chasing the goat on the boardwalk?
  • If you want a joke, check out Firebrand Pass projected clearance date - 6/31/2020.
I'll stay off my conservative bear closures in backcountry soap box, but regarding websites and park status:
  • I hope some of the funds from the bill that was signed go towards not just physical, but digital infrastructure.
  • The backcountry campsite availability (both walk-in and advanced) is good enough, but the trail status and the backcountry permit applications are embarrassing in this day and age.
  • Trail status should be a table (like campsite availability) with clear fields for status (with color), projected date, and comments - all based off a database, not some raw html edits as they do.
  • The advanced permit application processing should be done same day with a computer algorithm. This is a win-win for rangers' time savings, quick response to applicants, and no false rejections. Also, second level could be optimizing permits withing application parameters to maximize the number of approvals.
  • Regarding the last two, I've toyed with the idea of proposing those solutions to GNP, perhaps even volunteering for the 'greater good'.
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by PeteE »

Gotta go to work, but the "projected initial clearing date" has ZERO to do with bear activity.

I'll have more comment on suggestions in the Hiking thread later. Gonna be a busy day for me today.
pete :wink:
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by al_in_al »

zozeppelin wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2020 6:58 am I saw that as well. Comments (assumptions):
  • I assume the projected date is when they will check again to assess whether there is 'bear activity' and should the trail reopen.
It's not. That particular projected initial clearing date has been there since June (or so) when they started updating the trail status pages.
zozeppelin wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2020 6:58 am
  • If you want a joke, check out Firebrand Pass projected clearance date - 6/31/2020.
Ha! I'm not sure how I missed that one. Don't know if it's intentional or not, but sometimes the rangers do put humorous comments on the trail status on purpose.
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by zozeppelin »

al_in_al wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2020 7:22 am Ha! I'm not sure how I missed that one. Don't know if it's intentional or not, but sometimes the rangers do put humorous comments on the trail status on purpose.
In that case, you'll probably also enjoy if you look under the covers at the html, you see how manual/disorganized (ad hoc) this really is with examples like this:
<ATTN NPS EMPLOYEES: DO NOT REMOVE TEXT IN BRACKETS IT IS USED IN FORMATTING>
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by PeteE »

In other news....
A couple fires burning SE of Flathead lake in the Swan Range are probably responsible for some of the haze I'm seeing the last few days.
The Lion Creek fire and the Garnet fire.
https://www.mtpr.org/post/montana-wildf ... ust-2-2020
Let's hope the Garnet fire doesn't blow up.

pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by zozeppelin »

Interesting comments from the acting NPS Director:

"Staffing limitations should not be a constraining factor in providing access to outdoor spaces", so forth and so on.

Not sure how practical, nor how necessary as it applies to next year, presumably GNP will be better prepared or at least not caught off guard.

Link
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by al_in_al »

Status update page changed a few days ago: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/statusupdate.htm

Looks like there will be some camping available at Apgar this fall/winter:

"On September 25th one loop of the Apgar Campground will open for first-come, first served primitive camping. There will be no water available and only vault toilets. The loop will remain open for primitive camping through the winter. Between September 7 and September 25 there will be no camping available in the park."
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by aldy1 »

al_in_al wrote: Mon Aug 31, 2020 8:37 am Between September 7 and September 25 there will be no camping available in the park."
Does this pertain to backcountry camping in the park as well? Curious as to why they would close camping down for this period but then open it back up. I will be visiting from Sept 20-27.
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by orin »

As far as I know Backcountry camping will still be available. Why the park service would let Fish Creek campground close as scheduled and then wait to open Apgar is anyones guess but I suppose it is due to lack of staff or something related. This is just another odd event in a generally odd year.
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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by PeteE »

This may have something to do with it:
This coming fall, night work for pavement preservation is planned to begin on September 2 on the Going-to-the-Sun Road with traffic control and intermittent night closures. A full closure will likely be in place from September 16-29 between Avalanche and Logan Pass. Logan Pass will remain accessible from the St. Mary Entrance during this time period. Traffic control will be in place at Logan Pass so pavement preservation can occur in the Logan Pass parking lot. The road is anticipated to reopen in its entirety on September 30 before its routine winter closing scheduled this year for October 21, weather dependent.
Above quote is from:
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2 ... d-roadwork

I may go back up to Logan pass in the early AM. I'll try to remember to ask them about it.

pete :wink:

PS
The park was an ABSOLUTE ZOO. Traffic so heavy that when I drove down from Logan Pass at 1200Noon...
They were turning cars around at Avalanche Creek, The main gate at West Glacier, and at US2 where you turn into West Glacier. :shock:
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And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

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Re: Latest 2020 Season Opening News

Post by al_in_al »

Pete - I’m pretty sure that happened last season - the dates sound familiar from last year.
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