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, ProBar, Skinny Skis, Pearl Street Bagels, Clean 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 Pathways, Bridger-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!

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 Forest, Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and others.  The AmPassador Program is also supported by Outdoor Research.