Ptarmigan Tunnel Opening Date 2023?

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cdsmith379
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Ptarmigan Tunnel Opening Date 2023?

Post by cdsmith379 »

Hi Chatters,

I have been thinking of changing my dates to visit Glacier this year, and I have been searching to find out the typical opening date for the Ptarmigan Tunnel in a snow year like 2023. Any guesses?

Thank you!
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Re: Ptarmigan Tunnel Opening Date 2023?

Post by orin »

I often backpack into the Belly River around the July 4 weekend. The tunnel is never open then but often is scheduled for several days later so around the end of the first week of July. I haven't been following the snowpack this year but if it is higher than normal that would tend to push opening to later. And of course things have been more variable the last few years.

3 or 4 years ago I was dayhiking to the north portal of the tunnel from Elizabeth Lake in early July. I was scrambling over some steep snowbanks near the tunnel doors when I encountered a young couple coming back down. They looked a bit bedraggled and not very happy. I had seen them at ELF that morning. It turns out they were on the last day of their trip and heading back to Many Glacier but they didn't know the tunnel was still closed. I was amazed that they could be oblivious to such an important detail. Don't do that!
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Re: Ptarmigan Tunnel Opening Date 2023?

Post by al_in_al »

Last year it opened 7/8. I was surprised because 2022 was a fairly high snow year, and I think the "scheduled" date (when they had the old trail status page with that info) was 7/11. Snotel at Many Glacier is a little lower so far this year than last year.
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