• 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.

Another snowy and rainy week means trails are still melting slowly and the dry ones are a bit muddy.  Ease into tomorrow afternoon and head to sunny aspect first and then explore some of the shady trails on Sunday when its sunny.  We worked with the BTNF crew this week to clear and clean drainage on Putt Putt, KC, Kellys, Lindas, Josies, and Wilson Canyon so those all should be in good shape.  Game Creek is cleared too up to the W Game junction and is pretty dry until you turn that north facing corner just before the junction.  We worked some more at connecting sections of the S 89 Singletrack that was covered up during the highway expansion, so thats a good option to connect from the South Jackson neighborhoods over to Game Creek.  We will head out to Munger next week and start hitting the lower parts of the Teton Pass trails as they melt out with what looks to be a sunny and warmer start to next week!

The trails are starting to dry out after a wet April.  The usual spots, Putt Putt, Crystal Butte, the Sidewalk Trail, and Josie’s Ridge are in good shape with only a few lingering snow patches.  If you haven’t explored the new South Jackson trails you can make a fun loop with the pathway.  Start at Adam’s Canyon on the new A&W Trail and head south to Wilson Canyon, cross over the highway to the S. 89 Singletrack which some volunteers helped us to reconnect last week, and then continue on through the pathway tunnel to the Game Creek Connector Trail up to the trailhead and back via the pathway and the Adam’s Canyon pedestrian tunnel.  As you explore out make sure to stay off of muddy trails, a good rule of thumb after precipitation is to wait until the roads are dry in town before going out to the trails!

This week crews worked on a variety of projects.  We installed a new feature at the Blair Dr. Bike Skills Park, we sprayed musk thistle in Game Creek, we prepped the OPR pad for the new toilet, we fixed barriers on Phillip’s Ridge and History Trail, we updated signs near the Crater Lake junction, we fixed we cleared Phillip’s Pass, we measured and prepped lumber for a new bridge on the Arrow trail, we GPS’ed some user created trails, we worked with Pine Glades on their neighborhood connector trails, we installed new signs on the Adam’s and A&W trails, and continued improving the A&W trail with volunteers on Thursday evening after some much needed rain.  The trails should be in great shape with the recent moisture, so get out and enjoy them this weekend!

Crews were busy this week clearing trees and cleaning drainage around the system.  We hit Black Canyon on Monday which has only a few small snow drifts left near the top of Mt. Elly.  We covered Wilson Canyon and West Game to get them in shape for the Cache Creek race and then got up to the pass and brushed Arrow and Phillip’s Pass.  Then we began building some new features for the Blair Dr. Bike Skills Park that will get installed next week.  We are also still digging along on the Adams to Wilson connector that we have tentatively named the A&W trail.  This connector will allow users to safely access the USFS trail system on the east side of the highway from the neighborhoods on the west side of the highway via the old Adam’s Canyon cattle tunnel.  We will be hosting a volunteer dig night this Thursday from 5-8 to help finish this trail.  Come help out and meet at the top of Adam’s Canyon Dr., bring close toed shoes, work gloves, and water!

Its been a busy week on Teton Pass.  The crews cleared Arrow, Snotel, the Ridge, Ski Lake, and upper History.  There were lots of big trees down from heavy snow and winds over the winter.  Almost all of the trails are dry with a few lingering snow drifts.  We will continue to work on upper Black Canyon and Phillip’s Pass next week.  If you see trees down on the trail use the trail maintenance request button on our site to report them and if possible send a picture of the tree.  Some are easy and take a few minutes to clear, and others like the 4 tree pile up shown above take a few hours.  Around Snow King there are some trail closures tied to the construction of new ski runs and infrastructure.  Make sure to check their information posts before heading out on the trails to get up to the minute info on whats open and closed.  We had a successful National Trails Day improving the connector trail from Adams to Wilson Canyon.  About 35 hearty volunteers helped us rebench the user trail and we will continue working on it over the summer.  Feel free to follow the pin flags and help to burn in the trail to access the pedestrian underpass to the pathway at Adams’s Canyon.  We hope this will provide safe access from the south Jackson neighborhoods to the public lands and trails on the east side of the highway.  Have a great sunny weekend out on the trails!