• Trail Updates

Friends of Pathways has a formal partnership with the USFS to collaborate on design, construction and stewardship of local trails for all users – hike, bike, horse, and ski. We’re committed to providing easy year round access to trails in order to maintain our high quality of life in Jackson Hole.

Last Friday marked the end of Winter Grooming in Teton County. Some highlights of this year’s grooming program, run by Teton County Parks and Rec, were the addition of a new half mile track at May Park and 15 miles groomed on Teton Park Road in Grand Teton National Park.

Grand Teton Park Foundation found that there are enough funds to extend the grooming in the park by one more week.  Friday, March 21 will be the final day for grooming on Teton Park Road.

Teton Park Road will be open for recreation until March 24th when the GTNP staff will begin snow removal.  When the plowing is complete (in mid-April) the road will be open for pedestrians and cyclists only.  The road will reopen to vehicles on May 1. Full Press Release

Friends of Pathways thanks the JH Nordic Alliance, Teton County Parks and Recreation, Grand Teton National Park, and Grand Teton National Park Foundation for their role in funding and implementing a weekly grooming program from Bradley Taggart Parking to Signal Mountain Lodge.

Well it doesn’t take much observation to know that, this year, the Pass is full of SNOW – lots of it! According to FoP Pass Ambassador, Jay Pistono, the parking lot has been full over 400 times since mid-November. President’s weekend logged the most traffic, with the parking lot cycling through at least 6 times in a day. That’s a lot of cars and people visiting the top! To encourage good behavior up there, local businesses, ProBarSkinny SkisPearl Street BagelsClean Snipe and Wilson Backcountry Sports donated reward items for Jay to distribute to those Pass goers who exhibited excellent Pass Protocol. According to Jay, there are a lot of you who make an effort to carpool, control your dogs, pick up your garbage and dog litter, park within designated areas and respect the terrain and your fellow drivers, skiers and boarders. Thank you!

The Pass Ambassador is a community-driven program with partner support from Friends of PathwaysBridger-Teton National Forest,Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation, and Wyoming Department of Transportation. The AmPassador program is also sponsored with generous direct support from Outdoor Research. Please remember to thank these great community-minded organizations!

Congratulations to Grand Teton National Park and Teton County on their agreement to develop a program which will provide regular grooming of the Teton Park Rd each week for the rest of this winter!  Through the efforts of a community-based group of nordic skiing advocates – the Jackson Hole Nordic Alliance, along with the crucial support of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation – Teton County Parks & Rec will supplement the grooming efforts of Grand Teton NP through this formal partnership.

Each weekend beginning this Sunday February 2nd, the Teton Park Rd will be groomed (generally on Saturdays, weather and conditions dependent) from the Taggart Lake trailhead parking lot to Signal Mountain. You can read the press release from GTNP here, and find more detailed information about the agreement and program. From the press release:

“We look forward to working with Teton County on this new partnership initiative, and we hope that the pilot program will provide a measure of certainty for Nordic and skate skiers who regularly use the Teton Park Road for recreation and inspiration,” said Acting Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Kevin Schneider. “Through our cooperative efforts, we are providing an opportunity for park visitors to enjoy healthy activities, such as skiing and snowshoeing, while surrounded by the unparalleled beauty and serenity of a Teton winter.”

Head up to GTNP this Sunday, and remember to congratulate and thank the folks from GTNPTeton County electeds and staff,GTNP Foundation, and the JH Nordic Alliance for coming together to create this great benefit for residents and visitors of Grand Teton and Jackson Hole!

Ride sharing is a popular way to begin or end a day skiing on Teton Pass. Pass Ambassador, Jay Pistono, offers some tips for safe and efficient ride sharing.  In the spirit of community driven solutions, it is up to all of us to travel and recreate with respect, responsibility, and thoughtfulness toward each other and the environment.  The goal of the partners in this program is to provide these guidelines to ensure enjoyable and safe experiences on Teton Pass.

Ride Sharing Incorrectly                  Ride Sharing Correctly

1. Ask for a ride in small groups of 3 or less. If you are part of a larger group, split up.

2. If you’re standing on the highway, stay on the berm, instead of the roadbed, for your own safety.  Don’t walk up the road with your thumb out, either walk up or wait to hitch.

3. Avoid ride sharing with dogs.  If you ski with your dog, devise a plan where you won’t need to ask for a ride with your dog.

4. Be completely ready to get into a waiting vehicle.

5. Remind the driver to get over as far as they can.  You, as the hitchhiker won’t get the ticket, the driver will.

6. Think about where you stage the ride sharing.  Think about visibility. As drivers may not see you, try to avoid being on the road.  If there is bad visibility, it’s unsafe for everyone.

7. Follow Capt’n Bob’s example: Offer the driver $2 for your ride to the top.

8. Please respect private property when waiting in front of Trail Creek or the Heidelberg.

9.  If someone gives you a ride to the top, they get first priority for your parking spot.

10. Listen to Highway Patrol and be polite.  They are trying to make the pass safe for everyone.

Keep the Peace,
JP

The Pass Ambassador is a community-driven program with partner support from Friends of Pathways, the Bridger-Teton National ForestTeton County Search and Rescue Foundation, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and others.  The AmPassador Program is also supported by Outdoor Research.

JHNordic.com is a web based online tool designed to expand Nordic skiers horizons to discover the world-class cross-country and skate skiing in Jackson Hole and Teton Valley. There are over 500 miles of Nordic skiing, ranging from groomed state and classic tracked trails to untacked ski trails. The website provides an opportunity to discover the extensive range of Nordic, cross country (XC) and skate skiing trails in Jackson Hole, Teton Valley and the Greater Tetons. There are functions to help you search, find, and access maps and descriptions for nordic ski trails in the Jackson Hole Area. Visit JHNoridic.com today or read more about it at Friends of Pathways.