Grand Teton Returns to Full Operations

With the enactment of the continuing resolution, staff at Grand Teton National Park are in the process of resuming regular operations. The safety and well-being of park employees and visitors is the top priority during this process. Based on the lengthy duration of the closure, it will take some time to fully assess facility conditions, address potential safety issues, remove accumulated snow, and return systems to normal operations.

The following are some key updates which affect park visitors and stakeholders:

• The backcountry reservation system at https://www.recreation.gov/permits/249986 will be available beginning Monday, February 4 at 8 a.m. Mountain Time. The usual go-live date in early January did not occur due to the government shutdown.

• Entrance Stations resumed regular operations including fee collection today, January 29.

• Road crews will begin clearing the north end of the Moose-Wilson Road between Murie Ranch Road junction and Death Canyon Road junction, which was not plowed during the shutdown, later this week. Further notice will be provided when the road reopens to motor vehicle traffic, which will likely be sometime next week.

• Ranger-led snowshoe hikes will begin on Tuesday, February 5. The two-hour guided walks start at the Taggart Lake Trailhead at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday each week through mid-March dependent on conditions. Previous experience is not necessary and snowshoes are available. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 307.739.3399.

• The public comment period for the Mountain Goat Management Plan and Environmental Assessment will be extended. The central website used to review the plan and provide comments went down during the shutdown and is expected to become functional again later this week. Further notice will be provided when the system is again operational and a new deadline, likely two weeks later, will be provided.

• Hiring operations for seasonal positions at Grand Teton has resumed in earnest. Those interested in applying can find announcements and apply for positions at https://www.usajobs.gov/.



Jeff
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Timeline for Resumption of Operations at Yellowstone National Park

With the enactment of the continuing resolution, staff at Yellowstone National Park will resume regular operations beginning tomorrow. Employees are happy to return to work serving the American people and welcoming visitors to Yellowstone. Here are the details for the next few days:

• On Sunday, January 27, visitor centers that are normally open at this time of year will reopen by 11:00 a.m. (this includes the Albright Visitor Center, the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, the lobby of the Canyon Visitor Education Center, and the ranger-staffed desk at the West Yellowstone Visitor Information Center). As soon as visitor centers open, the public will again be able to obtain backcountry permits.

• The park will resume collecting entrance fees on Sunday, January 27.

• On Monday, January 28 a majority of furloughed staff will return and open the remaining park functions. For example, employees will begin to process the backlog of applications for special use permits, film permits, commercial use authorizations, and research permits. By midday Monday, the public will also be able to obtain permits for the non-commercially-guided snowmobile access program. The public affairs office will reopen on Monday.

• The park asks for patience as employees work to reopen facilities and operations in a manner that is safe for them and the public. There is a lot of snow removal needed around buildings and safety checks that must be completed.

• Again, the park extends a special thank you to the concessioners, especially Xanterra Travel Collection, who made donations during the shutdown enabling NPS staff to groom roads and allow oversnow access to continue. In addition, we thank our local gateway communities and partners who provided incredible support over the last 35 days, not only for the park, but also for our NPS family.



Jeff
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Statement on reopening of national parks following the lapse of appropriations

Statement on reopening of national parks following the lapse of appropriations, attributable to P. Daniel Smith, Deputy Director, National Park Service:

Following the enactment of the continuing resolution, the National Park Service is preparing to resume regular operations nationwide though the schedule for individual parks may vary depending on staff size and complexity of operations.

Many parks which have been accessible throughout the lapse in appropriations remain accessible with basic services.

Visitors should contact individual parks or visit park websites for their opening schedules and the latest information on accessibility and visitor services. Some parks which have been closed throughout the lapse in appropriations may not reopen immediately, but we will work to open all parks as quickly as possible.

We appreciate the support of state and local partners nationwide who stepped up to offer support to national parks. We are grateful to have the dedicated men and women of the National Park Service back at work, serving the American people and welcoming visitors to their national parks



Jeff
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

Montana FWP monitors wolf situation in Cooke City

In recent weeks, wolves moving in and out of Yellowstone National Park have been seen frequently in and around the communities of Cooke City and Silver Gate. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is monitoring the situation.

Two weeks ago, wolves killed a domestic dog at night outside of a home in Cooke City. Wolves have also been seen repeatedly on streets in Cooke City, including Main Street, side streets, and the Bannock Trail. All sightings in town that FWP is aware of have been at night.

At this point, FWP has no reports of wolves in the area approaching humans.

However, the wolves’ behavior is concerning. Their traveling in and among buildings in Cooke City increases their likelihood of injuring or killing another pet, and exposure to human development and surroundings leave them vulnerable to escalating habituation, such as getting fed or a food reward.

Feeding wildlife is illegal, and in the case of predators, it can be dangerous. To date, FWP has no evidence of feeding or baiting wolves in the area. All pet food should be kept indoors.

“As with mountain lions and bears, when we see wild animals approaching people, there is concern for human safety. We don’t like to have to kill wildlife, but sometimes we don’t have any other choice,” said Mark Deleray, FWP regional supervisor in Bozeman. “We are not there yet with these wolves – although they have been in and around town. We will continue to assess the situation, do our best to track current wolf behavior, and base our future actions on that assessment.”

Montana law allows citizens to protect themselves, livestock, and dogs from wolves. If a wolf is on private property and is posing a potential threat to human safety, livestock, or dogs, a landowner may kill a wolf without a license. On public or private land, a person may kill a wolf that is in the act of attacking, killing, or threatening a person or livestock, or attacking or killing a domestic dog. The landowner must report these incidents to FWP.

Pet owners in Cooke City and Silver Gate should avoid allowing their dogs to run freely, especially at night. When walking them, pet owners should keep dogs on a leash and in lighted areas.



Jeff
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

"Ramble On: A History of Hiking" Now Available on Kindle eBook

I’m very excited to announce that my new book on the rich history of hiking is now available on Kindle eBook. Ramble On: A History of Hiking was originally published as a print-only book back in September. As of today, it's now available as an eBook.

Ramble On: A History of Hiking is the first broad historical overview of hiking in one volume. Among the variety of topics discussed about the early years of hiking, the book chronicles hiking’s roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the 19th century, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as the evolution of hiking gear and apparel. It also includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, including Yellowstone and Glacier National Park.

If you would like to read a short excerpt from the book on the "True Realities of Women’s Hiking Attire During The Victorian Era", please click here. You can also read published reviews from the Appalachian Mountain Club and the National Parks Traveler.

To order your copy now, please click here. Once again, thank you very much!



Jeff
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

Wyoming Trails Advisory Council to meet in Saratoga January 25

A meeting of the Wyoming Trails Advisory Council will be held, January 25, at 9 a.m. at the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga, Wyo.

Agenda items include discussion of land use planning, approval of Recreational Trails Program and the Trails OHV Partnership grants.

The Wyoming State Trails Advisory Council is a ten-member recreational trail advisory committee appointed by the Governor to advise the Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources regarding trail policies, functions and priorities.

Persons with questions concerning the meeting are asked to call 777-6491.



Jeff
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

Update to operations at Yellowstone during the lapse of appropriations

By Sunday, January 13, Yellowstone National Park will provide additional basic services during the lapse of government appropriations. National Park Service (NPS) staff will:

• Collect trash and clean bathrooms across the park. We appreciate the efforts of park concessioners, partners, and local community groups who have performed these services since December 22.

• Staff entrance stations (all except Northeast) and the Madison Warming Hut to provide safety information for visitors. Fees will not be collected at the entrance stations.

• Remove snow at Canyon overlooks to provide better visitor access and improve safety.

• These additional basic services will be funded by the park's recreation fee revenue as outlined in the recent statement by NPS Deputy Director, P. Daniel Smith. While basic visitor services have been restored, other services and facilities, including visitor centers, remain closed.

The park will continue to provide services that have been in effect since the shutdown began:

• The road from the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana, through Mammoth Hot Springs to the Northeast Entrance at Cooke City, Montana, is open to wheeled vehicle travel. Visitors can access all the commercial services along this route.

• Visitors can also access commercial services in the interior of the park via oversnow travel (e.g. at Old Faithful). The park extends a special thank you to the concessioners, especially Xanterra Travel Collection, who have made donations enabling NPS staff to groom roads and allow oversnow access to continue.

• Guided snowmobile and snowcoach trips with commercial operators are allowed. Previously permitted non-commercially guided snowmobile trips are also allowed (new permits are not being issued).

• Park staff are providing emergency services and law enforcement. All park regulations, including those regarding oversnow travel, are in effect as normal.

If conditions become unsafe at any time, roads and/or developed areas in the park may be closed. The park website and social media sites are not being maintained. All administrative offices, including the public affairs office, are closed until the government reopens.



Jeff
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Ramble On: A History of Hiking

Statement on Protecting National Parks while Providing the American People Continued Access during the Lapse of Appropriations

The following is a statement from P. Daniel Smith, Deputy Director of the National Park Service:

“During the lapse of appropriations, the men and women of the National Park Service who have remained on duty have gone to incredible lengths to keep America’s iconic national parks as accessible as possible to the American public. Thanks to the strong relationships that many national parks have built with partners across the country, a number of states, private concession companies, and park nonprofit groups have stepped up to provide over two million dollars’ worth of donations and in-kind services to help over forty parks continue to provide key services for visitors.

“As the lapse in appropriations continues, it has become clear that highly visited parks with limited staff have urgent needs that cannot be addressed solely through the generosity of our partners.

“Over the last few days the Acting Secretary of the Department of the Interior David Bernhardt and the National Park Service (NPS) have explored a number of options to address the maintenance and sanitation issues that have arisen at a number of highly visited parks while keeping our commitment to the American public to ensure they have access to their lands.

“The NPS currently has funds derived from entrance, camping, parking and other fees collected from park visitors that would typically be used for future projects at parks. After consultation with the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of the Interior, it has been determined that these funds can and should be used to provide immediate assistance and services to highly visited parks during the lapse in appropriations.

“We are taking this extraordinary step to ensure that parks are protected, and that visitors can continue to access parks with limited basic services.

“In the coming days the NPS will begin to use these funds to clean up trash that has built up at numerous parks, clean and maintain restrooms, bring additional law enforcement rangers into parks to patrol accessible areas, and to restore accessibility to areas that would typically be accessible this time of year. While the NPS will not be able to fully open parks, and many of the smaller sites around the country will remain closed, utilizing these funds now will allow the American public to safely visit many of our nation’s national parks while providing these iconic treasures the protection they deserve.

“Visitors should go to www.nps.gov and select “Find a Park” for additional information on access to parks and sites in a particular area.”



Jeff
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
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HikingintheSmokys.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking