We are working to finish the last 2 miles of the Skyline Trail.  We are working downhill towards the Game Creek Trail narrowing the wide bench that the trail machine built to support itself.  This involves pulling down the backslope to prevent erosion, slightly outsloping the tread and making it 18 inches wide, and raking away the excess dirt on the downhill edge to allow snow and water to drain off the trail and to allow any vegetation covered up to regrow more quickly.  Crews will be working throughout the fall and into next spring to complete this project.

 

 

Big News on the FOP-front today! Last night the Jackson Town Councilors voted big thumbs up for Bike Share.

Read All About It in the Jackson Hole News & Guide HERE

‘The Jackson bike share program became fully funded Tuesday night.

During its semimonthly meeting the Town Council unanimously agreed to provide $22,558 to help fund the project’s operational budget for the first year. Friends of Pathways also contributed $18,000.

The program will kick off in April and run through the end of June. After a truncated first year the program is expected to expand in 2018 and run for the entire summer.

“We needed the money to pull the trigger and begin operations next spring,” Katherine Dowson, executive director of Friends of Pathways, told the News&Guide. “We want to thank the Town Council, county commissioners and mayor for their incredible leadership. Bike share could have big impacts for Jackson in terms of traffic congestionREAD MORE

 

 

MailChimp Connect

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN…TIME TO SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR TRAILS AND PATHWAYS KNOWING THAT…

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Here’s a little glance at just some of the ways Friends of Pathways has committed to supporting a vibrant community –

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Promoting sustainable transportation and healthy recreation in Jackson Hole. Thank you for making an Old Bill’s Donation to Friends of Pathways via Old Bills!

After a ton of hard work by everyone involved the crews made a rough connection on the Skyline Trail this week.  I emphasize rough!  The trail is passable and we encourage people to go explore it but to heed all closures and instruction by the crews working on the trail.  There are several switchbacks where crews could roll debris onto the trail below and when they are working the trail may not be passable so plan that into your outings.  Know that crews will be continuing to work into the fall to cut the backslope, rake the outslope, and narrow and improve the tread.  The photo above illustrates the full bench cut the trail machine made so it didn’t roll down the side of the mountain and as he works his way back the machine and handcrews will be improving the backslope and slightly outsloping the trail for better drainage.  Both of these will narrow the tread behind the machine and we will end up with a nice singletrack trail.  Thanks to everyone who has helped so far and feel free to stop while you’re out there and help the crews for a few minutes, I hear they also love cookies…

Got a case of the Mondays? Here’s a little social planning to lift the spirits – and with the drink-aspect of the Teton Food Tour- we’re talking about lifting said ‘spirit’ in more ways than one. Did someone say Snake River Beer?

The Teton Food Tour is an annual pedal-powered, food-focused event bringing the best of local bites to the six-mile stretch between the wider-Wilson area (kicking off at the R Park) traveling all the way to Teton Village and the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The entire event technically takes place over several hours 1 pm to 5 pm to be exact, yet depending on how you bike, it can be as speedy or lengthy as you plan.

Here’s a snapshot of what to expect on August 21 from start to finish including a “how-to” of suggestions for getting the most bang for your belly and buck.

TIPS: How-To’s, Do’s & Don’ts (in somewhat, or no, chronological order): 

DO: Get Started Early. Those who choose to show up on-time will be the first to take a bite out of everything but bare in mind that if you get there too early – to Bodega- for instance- the 5th of 6th stops- the fast bikers may find that they’re sitting and waiting.

DON’T: Finish the tour too early. Remember, we value taking it sloooooow, this is co-sponsored by Slow Food of the Tetons after all. Some of the food, the kind that melts- is worth waiting for and won’t even be available until after 3 pm in Teton Village.

HOW TO: Make the most of the day-into-evening? There’s a party going on in Teton Village Sunday, August 21st too, so plan ahead. After visiting The Local Butcher at Spackman & Associates in Wilson, stopping at The Aspens Market and lingering at the spectacular stage that is Shooting Star/Snake River Ranch with Moe’s, and before blowing it out at Bodega with bites of Fine Dining Restaurant Groups latest brainchild – baby Fried Chicken Sandwiches anyone?- allow for two added treats courtesy of Teton Village Association that could take care of you for the rest of the night. The 6th and final stop above the Commons is serving up little ice cream sandwiches followed by a rocking concert – one of the last in a summer series.

DO: Buy your ticket in advance online. There may not be any left day of!

How To SKIP all this reading and get to the goods? For the best Sunday ever-ride your bike from the R-Park to Teton Village between 1-4 pm- post up and continue to sample from 4-5, dance it all off at Concert on the Commons to the tunes of The Fruit Bats and Stormy Georjan and the Watters.

 

 

 

 

You may have noticed some trail names and junctions changing in Cache Creek this summer.  This is part of a larger signage project Friends of Pathways is working on with the Bridger-Teton National Forest.  One of the first parts of the process was to simplify trail names, especially connector trails, and to consolidate dog leg trail junctions into simple 4 way junctions.  With help from volunteers from STIO and Lillard Flyfishing over last weekend we were able to finish one of these reroutes on the Ferrins/Hagen/River trail junction.  If you take a look at the map above you can see the old names and alignment and the new, the main difference being bringing the River to Hagen Connector Trail and the Tiny Hagen trail together at 1 junction and renaming all of this the Ferrin’s Trail.  We did this for 2 reasons, one being the surplus of trails with Hagen in the name (Hagen, Hagen Highway, Hagen River, Tiny Hagen) and the other being that Ferrins is one of the more popular trails and finding it was difficult as it used to start miles up from the trailhead through a combination of junctions.  So get out for a hike or bike and try out the “new” 3.36 mile Ferrin’s Trail.

Back By Popular Belly Demand!

Teton Food Tour 2016 is coming!  Mark your calendars for August 21, 1-5pm. Make an entire afternoon-into-evening of it and stay for Teton Village’s Concert on the Commons featuring The Fruit Bats! 

Teton Food Tour, brought to you by Aspen’s MarketSpackman & Associates and Teton Village Association, features our pathways system, local food and open space from R Park to Teton Village at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Leisurely, cruise the 6- mile pathway along the Moose-Wilson Road, while stopping along the way to enjoy small plates, artists, music and open space.

Dishes will be provided by the Aspens Market, Cream & SugarFine Dining’s BodegaThe Local Butcher, and Moe’s Original Bar B Que.

Organized by Friends of Pathways and Slow Food in the Tetons

With a special site sponsored by Jackson Hole Land Trust and View22 JH!

$30 TICKETS GETS YOU 6+ SMALL PLATES SAMPLED ALONG THE BEAUTIFUL BYWAYS OF WILSON TO TETON VILLAGE. GRAB YOUR TICKET TODAY – 300-ONLY & THEY’RE BOUND TO GO FAST! 

The Friends of Pathways Youth Trail Crew has been hard at work this summer on projects on around the Bridge-Teton National Forest.  They have installed several dozen rock steps and drainage features on Josie’s Ridge and the Woods Canyon trails, built the new Nelson Knoll trail and installed a new bench at the overlook, improved the Ski Lake trail above the lake to the ridge line, dug parts of the new Skyline Trail, pulled weeds in Game Creek, mapped weeds and trail problems on the East Table Creek trail, moved several tons of gravel to turnpikes on the Big Rocks trail, and cleaned hundreds of drainage features and improved line of sight on almost all of the trails in the front country system.  A big thanks to them for their hard work and to Mountain Khakis for supplying them all with uniforms for the summer.  Look for them out on the trails!

FOLLOW THE YOUTH TRAIL CREW! @FriendsOfPathways on Instragram We’ll Be Taking An In-Depth Look at the #YouthTrailCrew During Their Last Week of the Summer!

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2 Miles of the Skyline Trail are Finished!  To date we have had 159 volunteers and 38 dedicated trail crew members from FOP, the BTNF, SCA, and MCC help to build the trail.  The Montana Conservation Corp is currently camped on the ridge and will be building the middle section over the next 5 weeks.  The BTNF and FOP Youth Crew cleared the first 1.5 miles from the Cache Game divide this week and the local crew from DIRT will begin building from the eastern end of the trail next week.  Thanks to everyone who has donated time, money, and sweat equity to this project, it is great to see the community come together and invest in a trail that can be enjoyed by all for years to come.  Get out this weekend and explore the new views and wildflowers on the Skyline Trail.

BUY YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS BECAUSE AT $5/ POP, YOU MAY JUST BE BRINGING HOME THE BACON IN SUPPORT OF JACKSON HOLE’S LATEST, GREATEST AND MOST MAGNIFICENT MULTI-USE TRAIL!

June 22

Did Somebody Say Specialized Mountain Bike From Hoback Sports? 

Burley: Bike Trailer – For the burley biker who wants to bring the whole family (or fur family) along for the ride!

Dakine: Backpacks, Duffle Bag, Messenger Bag – So you can travel to work, the trails, or the ends of the earth in style.

EcoTour Adventures: Gift Certificate for Two Adult Half Day Grand Teton National Park Tour – Explore all the nooks and crannies of GTNP with an expert guide.

GoPro: Hero 4 – Because there is a hero in all of us

Hoback Sports: Specialized Mountain Bike – the Rockhopper or Jett Sport 29

Hotel Terra: One night stay – Take advantage of all Teton Village has to offer or stay in and indulge in the luxurious amenities at Hotel Terra.

Jackson Hole Center for the Arts: 2 Center Presents Tickets – Take advantage of one of the jewels in Jackson’s Hole’s crown…live music, theater, and dance in a gorgeous space.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort: 7-day Ski Pass Winter 2016-17 – Ski the big one for a whole week

Skyline Camelback – Hydrate and bring all the tools you need for a day on the trails all in one pack.

Mountains of Groceries: $100 Gift Certificate for Home Delivery – Enjoy having your custom grocery order delivered to your door. No lines, No hassles!

Mountainsmith: Cavern Backpack – Urban sensibility, Modern accessibility. Ride your bike to work or school with this modern satchel. Fit your laptop, tablet, cell phone and notes all in an easy access pack.

Oakley: Jawbreaker, Radar, and Frogskin Sunglasses

Outdoor Research: Jacket

Patagonia: Dirt Craft Shorts for Men and Women- Bike shorts that will add comfort, style, and durability to your ride.

Dirt Craft Jackets for Men and Women- Lightweight, water repellent softshell with stretch and durability.

Houdini Jackets for Men and Women- Versatile, lightweight, and easy to pack shell…perfect for trail runners, hikers and bikers alike. When in Jackson, always be prepared!

Trucker Hats- Stay cool whether you’re in the shade or not.

Princeton Tec: Headlamp

Rex Specs: Dog Specs – keep your best friend protected and looking cool.

Rinsekit: Boex Portable Outdoor Shower-$100 Value

Scott USA: Helmets, Pads and Sunnies

Nino Schurter signed World Mountain Bike Tour Jersey

Snow king Resort: the Town Hill that puts all the others to shame.

125 Lift passes

4 Big King Passes

King’s Grill Gift Card

Stio: Jackets & Layers

Teton Mountain Lodge: One night stay- $350 Value

Teton Pines: Two Rounds of Golf – FORE!

Turpin Meadow Ranch: 3 Course Tasting Menu for 2 (alcohol not included) – a feast for the eyes and soul. See what’s cooking at one of the valley’s best kept secrets.

Yakima: HoldUp Hitch Racks- Easily transport your bikes from house to trail….and bring a friend!

 

BUY TICKETS TO THE TGR’s unReal at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts || RAFFLE Tickets Available at The Hub