BICYCLING -- Cyclists continue to enjoy the motor-vehicle-free period to ride Glacier National Park's Going to the Sun Road.

Set back by a late-May winter snow storm and 19 avalanches, highway crews continue to clear the route at the higher elevations near Logan Pass.

Meanwhile, bicycles rule on the open stretches, riding among snow drifts, gushing waterfalls and wildlife, including grizzly bears.

A group of Sandpoint-area cyclist got an eyeful last weekend, as well as a closeup encounter with a grizzly and her cub, as you can see in the cool photos shared above by Jim Mellen.  "The bear was about 50 feet from the road on the east side a half-mile beyond the tunnel," he said.

Last year by Memorial Day weekend, bicyclists were riding all the way to Logan Pass, although facilities were still closed. This year, they can't get that far, yet. 

In 2015, Going to the Sun Road was opened to vehicle traffic from the west side on June 11, the earliest motorized access to Logan Pass since 2005, when the Sun Road opened May 22.

The east side of the pass opened to motor vehicles in 2015 on June 19.

Logan Pass is the highest elevation (6,640 feet) reachable by car in the park.

Current conditions for hiker-biker access on Going to the Sun Road

Hiker/Biker closure on the west side is located at Bird Woman Overlook, approximately 13 miles past the vehicle closure, while the road crew is working.

The hiker/biker closure on the east side is located at Siyeh Bend, approximately 2 miles past the vehicle closure, while the road crew is working.

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