TetonHikingTrails.com Adds Several New Hikes

Earlier this summer Kathy and I had the opportunity to do a little hiking during our visit to Wyoming. In addition to some hiking in Grand Teton National Park, we also did a few hikes atop Teton Pass. Prior to our visit to the Grand Tetons we also did some hiking in the Bighorn Mountains. As a result of this trip we have added seven new hikes to our newest hiking website, TetonHikingTrails.com. Here's a quick rundown of the new hikes from the Teton Pass area:

Mount Glory - is the southern-most peak in the Teton Range, and rises just north of Teton Pass. Without a doubt, it is the toughest one mile I've ever hiked. It's only one mile to the summit, but it's also a whopping 1655 feet of climbing (and suffering) to reach the top. Fortunately you'll be well rewarded with stunning panoramic views at the summit.

Coal Creek Meadows - out of the three trails we hiked near Teton Pass this was by far my favorite. The upper portions of Coal Creek Meadows are very beautiful. Moreover, we continued on for another half-mile beyond the typical stopping point, and made the short climb up to Coal-Mesquite Divide where we enjoyed outstanding views of the southern Teton Range, as well as Grand Teton itself in the far-off distance.

Black Canyon Overlook - this hike also begins from the top of Teton Pass, but travels south from the highway. This trail offers a plethora of wildflowers, as well as great views of Jackson Hole, Black Canyon and the Snake River Range.

All three hikes offer a degree of solitude when the summer crowds invade all of the popular trails in Grand Teton National Park.

As mentioned above, we also had a chance to do a little hiking in the Bighorn Mountains. We were able to add four hikes from this region, including Sherd Lake, Rainy Lake, Otter Lake and the Cloud Peak Wilderness Overlook. All four destinations pass through the Cloud Peak Wilderness in the Bighorn National Forest.

Designated by Congress in 1984, the Cloud Peak Wilderness protects more than 189,000 acres, including the highest peaks in the Bighorn National Forest: 13,167-foot Cloud Peak and 13,005-foot Black Tooth Mountain. The Bighorn National Forest is one of the oldest federally-protected forest lands in the United States. It provides habitat for elk, moose, mule deer, pronghorn, black bear and mountain lion, has over 1500 miles of trails, and protects more than 1.1 million acres.



Jeff
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Visitors Invited to Watch & Learn about Hawks in Hayden Valley

Sunday, September 25, visitors are invited to celebrate the spectacle of raptor (bird of prey) migration in Yellowstone National Park’s Hayden Valley with Yellowstone Raptor Initiative volunteer Katy Duffy. The Hayden Valley Hawk Watch is a spectacular opportunity to observe and learn about raptors, their ecology, and their migration strategies.

Participants will start the day at 9 a.m. at the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center for a 45 minute presentation about raptor identification tips. Afterwards, enthusiasts will travel to the park’s famed Hayden Valley to look for and learn about raptors that fly through Yellowstone each fall.

For the field portion of the day, participants will meet at 11 a.m. at a turnout located 6.6 miles south of Canyon Junction and nine miles north of Fishing Bridge Junction. Each end of the turnout will have a sandwich board that indicates the program location. A uniformed ranger with a spotting scope will also be present. Participants may want to bring a lawn chair, water, snacks, and binoculars. Observations will occur from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Both programs are free and open to the public. For more information, please call Katy Duffy at 307-699-2696.



Jeff
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Celebrate Public Lands Day with Free Entrance and Volunteer Activities in Grand Teton

In recognition of National Public Lands Day, Grand Teton National Park entrance fees will be waived on Saturday, September 24th, and volunteer projects will be hosted throughout the weekend.

A volunteer project in partnership with the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation will take place Saturday, September 24th at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve. The project will include removal and modification of fences to enhance wildlife movement. Volunteers should contact the Foundation at 307-739-0968 to register and for more information.

On Sunday, September 25, the park is hosting a signature Public Lands Day event. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. Volunteers will then split into groups for service projects in the park at 10 a.m. The projects will include trash pickup, fence work, assembling new picnic tables and a variety of other tasks. Project work is anticipated to be completed by 2 p.m. Volunteers should register online at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090f4da5a92ba4fd0-public by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, September 23.

All volunteers on Sunday will receive work gloves, t-shirt and National Park Service Centennial gift, as well as a voucher that can be used for a one-time entry into any public land site that charges an entrance fee. Bistro Catering is donating breakfast and snacks. Volunteers are encouraged to bring water, lunch, sunglasses, and clothing to match the weather, as the work activities will take place rain or shine. Work gloves will be provided.Participants will carpool to the work sites.

Sunday's activities are in partnership with the National Environmental Education Foundation, Environmental Grantmakers Association, Blue Sky Funders Forum, REI and Grand Teton Association. For more information, please contact Grand Teton National Park Volunteer Program Manager Megan Kohli at 307-739-3656.

National Public Lands Day is celebrated across the country encouraging enjoyment of and volunteer opportunities on public lands.



Jeff
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Lend a Hand on National Public Lands Day

On September 24th is your chance to be a part of the nation's largest, single-day volunteer effort for public lands. Throughout the country about 200,000 people will participate in 2,500 National Public Lands Day events. As part of the celebration, national parks will waive entrance fees and host projects and programs that promote environmental stewardship.

"Whether a neighborhood park or a national park, public lands belong to all of us," said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. "They might vary in shape and size but they all exist for all of us. Join us on National Public Lands Day and help ensure that these special places can continue to be used for recreation and inspiration."

All 413 National Park Service sites will have free entrance on National Public Lands Day. Those who volunteer for a service project will receive a voucher that permits them into a national park for free on a different day.

Dozens of National Park Service sites will host events. Take part in spring cleaning in Yosemite National Park, repair a horse trail in Catoctin Mountain Park, preserve earthworks at Richmond National Battlefield Park, or restore the tall grass prairie at Pipestone National Monument.

Click here for some of the National Park Service sites hosting National Public Lands Day events later this month.



Jeff
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Road between Grand Teton and Yellowstone Reopens

Cooler temperatures and precipitation quieted fire activity on the Berry Fire, allowing fire managers to reopen the road between Grand Teton and Yellowstone at 1:30 p.m. Winds pushed the fire across US Highway 89/191/287 on September 11 both to the south and the north of Headwaters Lodge at Flagg Ranch, prompting the closure of the highway.

The highway is now open between Leeks Marina in Grand Teton National Park and Grant Village in Yellowstone National Park. Grassy Lake Road in Grand Teton National Park remains closed. The fire made a six-mile run and impacted two 1 ½ mile stretches of the highway, which required crews to take suppression actions and remove hazard trees for public safety before reopening the road.

An evacuation order remains in effect for Flagg Ranch and Sheffield Campground on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. These areas were under an evacuation advisory since Aug. 30.

Fire crews worked through Sunday night and successfully defended all structures in the fires path. No structures were burned. The Southern and Western Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team, Incident Commander Steve Markason, is managing the fire on behalf of Grand Teton National Park.

Since the Berry Fire's discovery on July 25, Grand Teton National Park has managed the fire for ecological benefits. The lightning fire started near Berry and Owl creeks on the west side of Jackson Lake. Fire management objectives include protecting public, park, and forest infrastructure;while monitoring the fire as it fulfills its natural role on the landscape.

Crews last night initiated the structure protection plan that was already in place.

Fire information is available at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4954/ or www.tetonfires.com or by calling 307.739.3566.



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
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Moose-Wilson Road Two-day Closure for Dust Abatement Rescheduled for Next Week

The dust abatement application project on the Moose-Wilson Road is rescheduled to next week, September 20-21, due to forecasted weather conditions. Originally planned for this week, a brief travel closure will be in place for about 48 hours, beginning 4 a.m. Tuesday, September 20, on the unpaved section of the Moose-Wilson Road in Grand Teton National Park. The road will reopen by 8 a.m. Thursday, September 22.

Motorists and bicyclists should plan to use an alternate route on September 13-14 as this temporary closure will prevent making a 'through trip' on the Moose-Wilson Road from Granite Canyon Entrance Station to the Teton Park Road at Moose, Wyoming. This is the second of three scheduled dust abatement treatments for the 2016 season.

For those wishing to reach the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve or Death Canyon Trailhead, access will be possible by heading south from the Teton Park Road junction near the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Those wishing to reach the Granite Canyon Trailhead may do so by heading north from the Granite Entrance Station.

Electronic signs will be placed on Wyoming Highway 390 to alert park visitors and local residents of the scheduled road closure. For travelers heading south to Teton Village from the Moose area, signs will also be placed near the junction of the Teton Park Road.

The product used for dust abatement is a slurry of magnesium chloride—the same product that is used to treat dirt roads in and around Jackson Hole. This product coats the road surface, but it can also adhere to the undercarriage of vehicles. Motorists who drive the unpaved portion of the Moose-Wilson Road to reach Granite Canyon Trailhead during the treatment or after the road reopens on Thursday may want to rinse off their vehicles to eliminate any residue.

Roadwork schedules may change, or be delayed, due to weather conditions, equipment malfunction, or other extenuating circumstances.



Jeff
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Berry Fire Forces Highway Closure in Grand Teton

The now 20,801-acre Berry Fire exhibited extreme fire behavior Sunday due to red flag conditions with very low relative humidity and strong winds gusting to 40 mph for more than six hours. Winds pushed the fire across Hwy. 89/191/287 both to the south and the north of Headwaters Lodge at Flagg Ranch, prompting the closure of the highway, which remains closed today.

The highway is closed between the junction of Leeks Marina on the south side and Grant Village in Yellowstone National Park on the north side. People planning to camp at Lewis Lake Campground are still allowed access from the north to the campground. Grassy Lake Road in Grand Teton National Park is also closed.

The fire made a six-mile run and impacted two 1 ½ mile stretches of the highway, which will require crews to take suppression actions and remove hazard trees for public safety before reopening the road. An evacuation order remains in effect for Flagg Ranch, Sheffield Campground on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the South Entrance Gate of Yellowstone National Park. These areas were already under an evacuation advisory since Aug. 30.

Reopening the highway is a high priority for fire managers, who will reassess the conditions until it is deemed safe for public travel. Similar weather conditions on Aug. 22 also prompted the closure of Hwy. 89/191/287, which remained closed for eight days.

Fire crews worked through the night and implemented structure protection tactics already in place. No structures were burned. The Western and Southern Wyoming Type 3 Incident Management Team, Incident Commander Steve Markason, is managing the fire on behalf of Grand Teton National Park.

Since the Berry Fire's discovery on July 25, Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) has managed the fire for ecological benefits. The lightning fire started near Berry and Owl creeks on the west side of Jackson Lake. Fire management objectives include protecting public, park, and forest infrastructure;while monitoring the fire as it fulfills its natural role on the landscape.

Crews last night initiated the structure protection plan that was already in place.

Fire behavior moderated greatly today due to cooler, damper weather that is forecast for the next three days. The incident management team ordered additional resources that arrived last night and today to help protect developed areas. Currently, 172 people are assigned to the Berry Fire. Fire information is available at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4954/ or www.tetonfires.com or by calling 307.739.3566 or 307.701-0841.



Jeff
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Fall On Mount Jackson Climbing Route Results In One Fatality

On Tuesday, August 30th, two hikers slipped and fell while descending the east face of Mount Jackson in Glacier National Park. One survived the fall by self-arresting on a snowfield, while sustaining minor injuries. Unable to locate his fallen companion, he hiked back to Gunsight Campground where the incident was reported to park dispatch at 11:08 p.m. He was later transported via helicopter to West Glacier, and then transported via Three Rivers Ambulance to North Valley Hospital.

Park rangers worked with Two Bear Air and Minutemen Aviation to locate the body of the fallen individual on August 31st. A technical rescue team worked with Minutemen Aviation to recover the individual earlier today. The incident is currently under investigation.

Jackson Peak is one of the tallest peaks in Glacier National Park at 10,052 feet. The climbing route varies from a Class 3 to Class 4 depending on the route and the amount of snow and ice. The climbing routes are considered arduous with an approximate elevation gain of 4,800 vertical feet, high amounts of loose scree, a significant amount of exposure on narrow ledges with steep drop offs.

Falls are one of the leading causes of death in the park.



Jeff
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