Nobody was injured. But this avalanche that covered the “Going to the Sun” road in Glacier National Park shows what a healthy winter it was across the Western U.S. Thirteen cyclists riding the spectacular byway in Glacier were stranded when an avalanche came streaming down a gully in an area known as Triple Arches, blocking their path back down the mountain highway.
According to media, the cyclists descended late in the day, when loaded snow in the high country becomes heavy with higher temperatures. Park officials also said that another part of the highway had been closed due to a rock slide so the cyclists were stranded for some four hours before crews could get to them. The whole operation took eight hours and involved a dozen park employees and volunteers. Areas around Glacier are still seeing snowpack numbers in the 74-75 percent of normal ranges with some areas up into the 90 percent range this late in the spring – which means there’s still plenty of snow in the mountains.
