Road Improvements Started for Old Pass Road near Teton Pass

The historic Old Pass Road located near Teton Pass in the Jackson Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest will be getting much needed road improvements starting this week. During this road improvement period, visitors can expect temporary trail and road closures including the area just above Crater Lake trail in the upper section of Old Pass Road, which will be closed Monday through Wednesday to replace culverts, and paving operations will close the Old Pass road entirely from Thursday to Friday. Recreationists are encouraged to seek alternative trails around the Teton Pass area or to explore other great parts of the Forest while repairs are completed safely and efficiently.

This 103 year old road has seen many uses since the early settlers of Jackson utilized it to into the valley. With the constant usage and yearly degradation the road is in need of some much needed repair efforts to ensure the safety of its users. Last winter, the Old Pass Road was plowed due to the donations from the community received through the Team Jackson Hole organization and the continuous support of its leader, Jim Verdone. This year, once again with the donations received by the community through Team Jackson Hole, and with additional funding through the Community Foundation of JH grant, repairs will be underway to maintain the integrity of the road.

Signs have already been posted on the trail to inform visitors of this project. Due to the uncertainty of the weather, operation schedules could change. For an alternate route, users are encouraged to use Crater Lake Trail, a 1.5 mile trail paralleled to Old Pass Road opened for hikers and mountain bikers.

For more information about this project or recreational opportunities within the Forest you can contact the Supervisors Office at (307) 739-5500 or visit the Forest website www.fs.usda.gov/btnf/.



Jeff
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Bridger-Teton National Forest Authorizes Aerial Adventure Course at Snow King Mountain Resort

The Bridger-Teton National Forest has signed a Decision Memo authorizing the Snow King Mountain Resort to install an aerial adventure course on the mountain.

Snow King Mountain Resort proposed the aerial adventure course or “ropes” course to the Bridger-Teton in their 2014 Master Development Plan. In 2011, ski resorts on National Forest System lands were authorized to provide opportunities for families and guests of various ages and physical abilities to participate and to experience personal growth in a unique, natural, setting through activities such as zip lines and ropes courses in the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act (SAROEA). “The aerial adventure course fulfills the need to involve a broad spectrum of participants in outdoor recreation activities particularly as a family or group,” said Jackson District Ranger Dale Deiter. “There is a need at Snow King Mountain Resort to enhance and diversify recreational opportunities in order to improve its viability as a competitive, year-round resort,” he said.

The aerial adventure course will be suspended in the trees and utilize wooden supports and it will be accessed by the Rafferty ski lift. “There will be no drilling or bolting into the live trees,” said Deiter. Additionally, no new roads will be constructed with the installation of this course. The course will require Snow King to have all aerial adventure courses audited by an independent qualified inspector (FSM 7330.5) prior to public operation. At a minimum, the Forest requires the holder to have an annual operations audit conducted in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or equivalent industry standards and certified by the Forest Service before it will be open for use by the public.

“Scoping for this project started last year in April,” said Deiter. The Bridger-Teton received 53 comments on Snow King Mountain Resort’s proposal. The comments were mixed, both in favor and opposed to the project. “Some of the comments were related to concerns about noise from the course,” said Deiter, “so we insisted on several things to mitigate those concerns.” A few examples include that the Forest had a noise study conducted over the last year to make sure that the addition of the course wouldn’t affect the existing condition on the Forest. “We also have required that the operation of the aerial adventure course occur concurrently with the times that the ski lifts are already running,” Deiter said. Additionally, besides prohibiting operations before 9:00am, the Forest is also requiring state of the art rollers and cables which further reduce noise from the course operation. “We made changes based on the comments we received to the visual impacts as well,” said Deiter. The Bridger-Teton required that the course be moved 400 feet away from private land to further reduce not only the potential for noise, but visual sight-lines as well.

The course will impact 7/10’s of an acre of National Forest System land after Snow King orders it from the manufacturer and it is delivered and built on site,” said Deiter.

This Snow King Mountain Resort is located adjacent to the Town of Jackson, Wyoming in Teton County on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The ski area occupies approximately 450-acres on the Bridger-Teton National Forest.



Jeff
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One week temporary dog closure planned for Cache Creek drainage

The Bridger-Teton National Forest will temporarily close the Cache Creek drainage to dogs for a one week period beginning Wednesday March 18th and ending Wednesday March 25th. The temporary closure includes all trails in the Cache Creek drainage including the Cache Creek trail and trailhead, Hagen trails, Putt-putt trails including the Nelson Drive trailhead, Nelson hill, and the Cache Creek sidewalk trail. Jackson District Ranger Dale Deiter said that the temporary closure is intended to be a “time out” that signals change must occur to address the on-going problem of dog waste and dog control. Each day 70 to 90 dogs are on the Cache Creek trail and monitoring over a one month period found 168 dog waste piles left by owners. In areas adjacent to crucial wildlife winter range, 32 violations of leash requirements have occurred so far this winter.

The Forest Service has worked for years with help from non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals to install and maintain mutt-mitt stations, promote responsible “good dog” behavior, improve trailhead signing, implement leash requirements in limited areas, and employ personnel to talk directly with recreationists. While these efforts have helped, they have not been sufficient. Ranger Dale Deiter said that the cumulative effect of so many dogs and too many owners who don’t pick up waste and don’t have their dog under control is unacceptable.

Beyond the very real evidence of dog waste accumulating at trailheads and along the first sections of trail, there are many issues that are attributed to irresponsible ownership. These include dogs chasing or harassing wildlife, dogs attacking other dogs, dogs nipping people or causing personal injury, wildlife injuring or killing dogs, and dogs being hit by vehicles. Deiter said that the public is clearly asking the Forest Service to address the problem for the sake of wildlife, clean water, people and pets. “The temporary closure serves as a signal that something different must be done it is time to get serious about developing real solutions.” Deiter said he looks forward to working with the community, with town and county officials, and with local non-profit organizations to develop a comprehensive solution that results in real change.

During the week Cache Creek is closed to dogs, owners will need to use alternate areas to recreate with their dog. Forest Service personnel will be at the trailheads and on the trails providing information and enforcing the temporary closure. Deiter noted that, as a community that values wildlife and nature-based recreation, we all own the problem and must do better. Ideas are being gathered via a survey. A service project is scheduled on Saturday March 21st at 9 am for the public to help thoroughly clean-up the trailhead and trails and improve facilities.



Jeff
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Partial Fire Restrictions in Effect for Grand Tetons Area

Based upon a current fire danger rating of High and regional fire conditions, Teton Interagency fire managers announced today that partial fire restrictions will begin tomorrow for Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Teton County will also implement similar restrictions.

Fire managers study the moisture content of various fuel types, track current and expected weather conditions, and monitor available fire-fighting resources, as well as the occurrence of human-caused fires, to determine when fire restrictions need to be applied to public lands.

Partial fire restrictions include:

• Lighting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, barbecue or grill is allowed only at designated recreation sites such as established campgrounds or picnic areas. Use of portable stoves and lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel, or use of a fully enclosed sheepherder type stove with a spark arrester screen is permitted.

• Smoking is allowed only in an enclosed vehicle, building (unless otherwise prohibited), developed recreation site, or while in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials (i.e. parking lots, developed campsites, or locations surrounded by water).

• Operating a chainsaw is prohibited in national parks. Operating a chainsaw on national forest lands is permitted only when equipped with a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester that is properly installed and in effective working order. Operators must also carry a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 2A and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.

• Discharge of fireworks and use of explosives requiring blasting caps are prohibited

• Welding is prohibited in national parks. For national forest locations, welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame is only allowed in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter. A chemical pressurized fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of at least 2A must be at the location.

Violation of these prohibitions is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, and/or by imprisonment for more than six months.

Unattended or abandoned campfires can quickly escalate into wildfires, and it is extremely important that all campfires are completely extinguished and cold to the touch before campers leave their site. Visitors should NEVER leave a fire unattended, and should prepare for the unexpected by having a water bucket and shovel on hand and ready to use. The fine for an abandoned campfire is $225, but campers can also be held liable for suppression costs if their campfire becomes a wildfire.

As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, visitors and local residents alike are reminded that fireworks are NOT permitted in Grand Teton National Park, on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, or in Teton County. It is essential that everyone comply with this regulation, especially given the current fire danger rating and tinder-dry conditions.

To report a fire or smoke in either area, call 307-739-3630.



Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com