Crandall Painting Donated to Teton Collection

Herb and Quita Pownall present Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott
with original painting by Quita’s father, Harrison Crandall

September 5, 2008
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Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott is pleased to announce that Herb Pownall and Quita Crandall Pownall, daughter of renowned Teton photographer and artist Harrison R. Crandall, have donated one of her father’s original oil paintings to the park’s Teton Collection. Created in the mid-1960s, the fine art painting depicts a classic Teton scene with mountain peaks partially obscured by clouds and autumn-tinted aspens. The painting will eventually hang in the Jenny Lake Visitor Center — Crandall’s former art studio and showroom — an historic log structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Harrison “Hank” Crandall was born November 23, 1887, in Newton, Kansas, and raised on the Midwest plains. Crandall was inspired as a young boy to photograph the Teton Range after seeing a William Henry Jackson photo of the rugged mountains in a grade school geography book. After studying art at the School of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California, and serving in World War I, Crandall moved west at the age of 25 and settled briefly in Idaho. He first visited Jackson Hole in 1921 and returned the following year with his bride, Hildegard “Hilda,” to make a permanent home. With photographic equipment and camping supplies in hand, the Crandalls spent their first summer scouting locations for photographs, while camping with two friends in what is now Grand Teton National Park. As artist and photographer of the Teton landscape, Crandall became both a Jenny Lake homesteader and a fervent early supporter of the establishment of the park. And with the growth of tourism, Crandall also became one of the earliest concessionaires, selling national park souvenirs and art.

In 1924, he and Hilda homesteaded 120 acres northeast of Jenny Lake and opened the String Lake Dance Pavilion. Although immensely popular with valley residents and “dudes” from local dude ranches, the summer-run, open-air dance hall operated for only 2.5 years because Hank wanted to focus on opening an art studio. He designed his rustic log structure to withstand heavy snows, incorporating sky lights for added natural light and an intricate cross-hatch pattern on the ceiling. Wood from the dismantled dance pavilion was used by local artisans to build the log cabin in 1925 and 1926, and the Crandall Studio opened in 1927. Hand-painted photo postcards of ranch life and the Teton landscape became very popular. Later offerings included paintings, photographs, cameras and film, animal skins, and Navajo rugs. In 1929, when the Snake River Land Company bought the Crandall property, Hank received one of the first concession permits in Grand Teton National Park and relocated his studio nearer to Jenny Lake. It was relocated again in about 1960 and finally moved to its present site in 1991, where the historic building received treatment to rehabilitate and restore its logs, flooring and fireplace.

Crandall’s oil paintings often depicted scenic Teton landscapes but he is also known for paintings of 32 species of wildflowers, which provided an invaluable ecological record of the Jackson valley to the US Biological Service during the 1920s to1940s. Through his art, Crandall became an influential promoter of Grand Teton National Park and the National Park Service, inspiring and informing countless people and future generations. He died in 1970 at the age of 83. His daughter Quita Pownall, an artist herself with formal art training, was occasionally tutored by her father; she hand painted many of the Crandall photographs, including his wildflower panels.

Crandall’s painting will be added to the Teton Collection, which serves as a testament to the crucial role that art has played in preserving Grand Teton National Park and other public lands, and reflects the historic significance of artwork throughout the greater Jackson Hole area. Initiated by the Grand Teton Association (formerly Grand Teton Natural History Association) in the late 1950s, this eclectic art collection features work by John Clymer, Olaus Murie, Conrad Schwiering, Jim Wilcox, Joanne Hennes, and Harrison Crandall. These artists, and many others, found creative inspiration from the Teton landscape, and each skillfully captured the spectacular scenery and wild inhabitants of this region. Much of the Teton Collection is now showcased in the art gallery at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose, Wyoming. The Grand Teton Association is currently in the process of creating an informational brochure to hand out at the gallery that will provide an overview of all the artists and their paintings.

The Jenny Lake Visitor Center — historic Crandall Studio — is located eight miles north of Moose Junction on the Teton Park Road and open daily from late May through late September. It is scheduled to close for the 2008 season on September 27.

Major Search Conducted for Lost Hiker Near Hidden Falls

August 28, 2008
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A full-scale search for a lost hiker took place on Wednesday evening, August 27 and Thursday morning, August 28, west of Jenny Lake in the Hidden Falls/Inspiration Point area of Grand Teton National Park. Charles “Chuck” Mastny, age 54, from Lakeland, Minnesota, was hiking with his wife, Stephanie, on Wednesday afternoon when he left her at 2:30 p.m. to “do some exploring” while she read a book near a boulder field at Hidden Falls. Searchers located Mastny at 11:10 a.m. on Thursday as he was making his way out of Cascade Canyon toward Jenny Lake after spending a frosty night in the Teton backcountry without shelter and wearing only a T-shirt, long pants and sandals. Nearly 65 searchers—Grand Teton National Park personnel, Teton interagency fire staff, Teton County Wyoming Search and Rescue volunteers, an interagency contract helicopter, and three dog teams from Wyoming K-9 Search and Rescue—took part in the major search effort.

When Mastny failed to return to the Hidden Falls area by 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Stephanie became concerned and quickly hiked to the west shore boat dock to report that he was overdue. Jenny Lake Boating made a call to Teton Interagency Dispatch at about 6:00 p.m. to report the situation, and park rangers immediately initiated a hasty search of the area. A team of 13 rangers scoured the area on foot, but were unable to locate Mastny before sunset. With darkness falling, the hasty search was halted and plans were made to resume a full-scale search beginning at first light on Thursday morning. Rangers also summoned the assistance of an interagency helicopter to provide aerial search capabilities the next morning.

Mastny apparently became so engrossed in scrambling up the boulder field to the south of Hidden Falls, that time got away from him Wednesday afternoon. When he decided to turn around and retrace his path, he realized that he was uncomfortably high, and that it was not safe to return the way he had come. He started to traverse along the top of the boulder field to find a safer way down. Darkness ultimately overtook him, and wearing prescription sunglasses, he eventually sat down to rest and sleep before dawn would provide better light. He also found a bank of snow and ate some for moisture. The next morning, he was able to pick his way across more boulders and through thick vegetation to eventually cross Cascade Creek at a point well into the mouth of Cascade Canyon. A park ranger who was searching the Cascade Canyon trail met up with other hikers who recognized Mastny from a photograph he showed them. They told the ranger that they had met Mastny just a few minutes before, and had given him a candy bar to eat. The ranger quickly caught up to Mastny and confirmed that he was the missing person—the focus of the search.

While this incident had a positive outcome, it could have easily resulted in injury or worse. Rangers remind backcountry travelers that they should be prepared for any hike by carrying food, water, a map, and extra clothing in the event that they are forced to spend an unexpected night out in the backcountry due to injury or being lost. Rangers also recommend that visitors stay on trails and hike in groups of two or more people.

Fall Ranger-led Programs to Begin in Grand Teton National Park

August 26, 2008
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Several ranger-led programs are scheduled for the upcoming fall season. These programs will begin on Tuesday, September 2, 2008. Residents and visitors alike may learn about geology, history, and wildlife while enjoying autumn in the park, when colorful foliage and seasonal wildlife behavior reach their peak.

The fall schedule includes:
· Inspiration Point Hike, a 2.5-hour hike to Hidden Falls and view above Jenny Lake, 9:30 a.m. daily. Obtain tokens at Jenny Lake Visitor Center and meet at the flagpole. Boat ride costs $9.50 for adults.
· Explore the Preserve Hike, a 2.5-hour hike to Phelps Lake to experience the pristine setting of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, 9:30 a.m. daily. Reservations recommended. Call 307.739.3654.
· Autumn Stroll, a 2.5-hour hike along the scenic Taggart Lake trail, 9:30 a.m. daily from Taggart Lake trailhead on the Teton Park Road.
· Glimpses of the Grand Teton, a 30-minute talk about geology and park wildlife, 11 a.m. daily at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Wheelchair accessible.
· Teton Highlights, a 30-minute travel planner, 11 a.m. daily in Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium. Wheelchair accessible.
· Autumn at the Preserve, a chat about fall changes in wildlife and plants, 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily on the porch of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center. Wheelchair accessible.
· Walk into the Past, a 45-minute stroll around Menor's Ferry historic district near the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, 1:30 p.m. daily from Menor’s Ferry General Store. Wheelchair accessible.
· Building Green, a 30-minute talk about the innovative design and sustainable features of the new Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center, 2 p.m. daily at the LSR Preserve Center.
· Wildlife You May Know, a 30-minute talk on Grand Teton’s diverse wildlife, 2:30 p.m. daily, at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Wheelchair accessible.
· Museum Grand Tour, a 45-minute tour of the David T. Vernon Indian Arts Exhibit, 3 p.m. daily in the Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian Arts Museum.
· Wildlife Caravan, a 3-hour wildlife auto-tour, 5-8 p.m. daily from the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Limited to 10 vehicles, reservations are required. Reserve a space at the CTDVC or call 739.3399. Ride sharing encouraged. Dress warmly and bring binoculars or spotting scopes.
· Wildlife Watch at Oxbow Bend, a 90-minute wildlife watch offered at 6 p.m. daily at Oxbow Bend Scenic Turnout. Bring binoculars, cameras and questions. Wheelchair accessible.
· Jenny Lake Twilight Talk, 45-minute ranger talk, 6:30 p.m. daily at Jenny Lake Campground Circle.
· Evening Campfire Program, a 45-minute illustrated ranger talk presented 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at the Colter Bay amphitheater. Dress warmly. Wheelchair accessible.

Fall programs will be offered through September 30; however, the schedule is subject to change. For weekly updates on program changes or further information on any of the listed activities, please call either the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at 307.739.3399 or the Colter Bay Visitor Center at 307.739.3594. The Craig Thomas, Colter Bay, Jenny Lake and Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve visitor centers are open daily during the month of September. While the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is open year-round, the Jenny Lake Visitor Center closes for the season on September 27 and the Colter Bay and Rockefeller Preserve visitor centers will both close for the season on October 13.

Interagency Fire Managers Increase Fire Danger Rating to Very High

August 25, 2008
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Teton interagency fire managers raised the fire danger rating back to Very High on Monday, August 25, as a result of dry conditions, hot temperatures, and curing vegetation. In addition, the National Weather Service has also issued a red flag warning, effective from noon Monday through 6 a.m. Tuesday, August 26, due to high temperatures, low humidity, strong winds and the potential for dry lightning.

“The very high fire danger rating reflects a seasonal drying of vegetation in the low- and mid-elevation areas,” said Ron Steffens, fire use monitor for Grand Teton National Park. “After an exceptionally snowy winter and wet spring, we’ve seen below average rainfall in northwest Wyoming this summer.”

Recent fires in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park area have resulted from people leaving smoldering campfires or discarding lit cigarettes. Fire managers remind visitors to smoke only in areas of cleared of vegetation and to ensure campfires are completely out and cold to the touch before leaving them.

To report either smoke or a fire, please call 307.739.3630. For further information about fires in the greater Jackson Hole area, please contact Bridger-Teton National Forest at 307.739.5500 or visit http://www.tetonfires.com/.

Mountain Pine Beetles Affect Lodgepole and Whitebark Pines

Red Trees Conspicuous in Grand Teton

August 21, 2008
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A number of red-colored trees interspersed throughout the conifer forests of Grand Teton National Park have captured the attention of visitors and local residents and prompted many questions about what is happening. These conspicuous red trees stem from a cyclic, natural phenomenon caused by mountain pine beetles, a native insect whose activities kill individual lodgepole and whitebark pine trees by damaging the phloem layer and cutting off the flow of water and nutrients between the roots and needles. Periodic outbreaks of mountain pine beetles play an important ecological role in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and are central to the life cycle of western forests.

The mountain pine beetle—the most common bark beetle and a natural part of forest ecosystems in western North America ranging from Mexico to British Columbia—evolved with lodgepole pines over the millennia. Climate plays a role in the proliferation of beetles, and warmer air temperatures of recent years have allowed bark beetles numbers to expand into higher elevation ecosystems, as well as to flourish where they have historically occurred. Vast numbers of beetles are needed to kill a single tree, and beetle numbers are sustained by the availability of suitable hosts, such as drought-weakened trees, as well as by mild winters that ensure successful beetle reproduction. While hearty pines typically use their resin as a defense against the boring activities of beetles, trees can become overwhelmed by prolific beetle outbreaks. Periodic increases of this insect, and the subsequent tree mortality, are part of a naturally occurring cycle. In fact, similar beetle infestations occurred throughout the Rocky Mountain West and in Grand Teton National Park during the 1930s and 1960s. Biologists and ecologists acknowledge that mountain pine beetle outbreaks help to create a mosaic of forest types and ages, and to maintain nutrient and energy cycling in a natural ecosystem, much like other natural events: fires, avalanches and microburst winds that topple large tracts of trees.

Currently, beetle-affected trees are most prevalent in mid-elevation lodgepole pine forests. This year, Grand Teton National Park is attempting to reduce beetle infestations in some key visitor use and developed areas by hanging white pouches containing a pheromone called verbenone on selected trees. Two pouches per tree (or 40 per acre) send a chemical message that a specific tree, or a general area, is already saturated with beetles; the pheromone application may reduce the likelihood that additional trees will be attacked. Lodgepole pines chosen for this treatment include: trees that are located in high visitor use or administrative areas where lodgepole pine is the predominant tree species; trees that were preserved during construction projects; and trees that contribute to the character of a specific area, such as picnic sites. The success and value of this strategy will be tracked and further assessed in the fall of 2008.

In the Jackson area, mountain pine beetles began attacking high-elevation whitebark pine forests about four years ago. Impacts to this species are extensive and ongoing. Park biologists are also using verbenone pouches to try to protect small numbers of individual whitebark pines that appear to be genetically more resistant to white pine blister rust, thereby preserving the seed source for the future. In the past, the high-elevation environment of the whitebark pine prevented mountain pine beetle from becoming abundant enough to kill more than a few trees at a time. However, warmer winters and longer growing seasons related to climate change have allowed the beetles to produce many more offspring in a faster period of time. Park biologists will also monitor the effectiveness of pheromone use among whitebark pine stands.

While the mountain pine beetle activity in whitebark pine ecosystems is atypical, the effects of beetles on local lodgepole pine forests are more common. There is some concern that an abundance of beetle-killed trees may increase the risk of wildland fires. Although extensive stands of dead trees can be flammable, current research suggests that once the red needles have fallen from the dead trees, the fire risk may be reduced in some situations.

Grand Teton National Park Conducts Commercial Vehicle Safety Inspections

Tour buses lined up for vehicle safety inspections

August 19, 2008
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Commercial vehicle safety inspections conducted during Tuesday, August 12, and Wednesday, August 13 in Grand Teton National Park resulted in the discovery of several violations on commercial vehicles traveling through the park. A full-level inspection evaluates both the driver and the commercial vehicle to ensure full compliance with the federal regulations that govern these vehicles. Last week’s inspections were unannounced and focused on commercial buses and trucks.

Safety inspections were conducted through an interagency effort by Grand Teton National Park rangers, Federal Motor Carrier Administration personnel, and Wyoming Highway Patrol officers. A complete safety inspection station was assembled in Colter Bay Village, and every commercial vehicle traveling on Highway 89/287 through the park was diverted through the inspection station by federal and state officers. Vehicles inspected included passenger vans operated by local hotels for touring guests, vans operated by bicycle tour companies, commercial passenger buses, delivery vehicles, construction vehicles, and one commercial well drilling truck that was illegally traveling through the park. A total of 45 commercial vehicles were checked for safety issues that could lead to motor vehicle accidents, injuries to passengers and others, and/or resource damage to the park.

The inspections resulted in five vehicles being parked because their drivers had worked too many hours or had failed to properly log their hours worked. One bus operation was suspended until emergency exits could be repaired, and three other buses were taken out of service due to tire, brake and steering failures—two of these buses were operated by the same company, which had to arrange to have their buses towed from the park as they were unsafe to operate. In addition, one delivery truck was taken out of service until the brakes were repaired.

A total of 21 warnings were issued for seatbelt violations, and one person was issued a violation notice and mandatory court appearance for possession of a controlled substance.

This was the first time in several years that an interagency inspection program took place in the park. As safety violations are identified and addressed, it is expected that commercial vehicle operators and companies will improve their safety operations.

Free Screening of Don’t Move a Mussel at Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park

Mussels encrust shopping cart submerged in a lake

August 19, 2008
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Grand Teton National Park will host a free screening of a film titled Don’t Move a Mussel in the Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 22. The 46-minute-long film, created by Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, is open to the general public.

Don’t Move a Mussel was made possible through a collaborative effort between state and federal agencies and organizations working together under the 100th Meridian Initiative—an effort to prevent the spread of exotic species of mussels into the western United States. Major funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

The film is arranged in two parts. The first portion provides background information about the invasion of quagga and zebra mussels from the eastern United States into additional states; it explains their origins, distribution, biology and transport routes and outlines the impacts these non-native species could have on various regions of the country. This segment also contains ideas about how to avoid spreading and exacerbating the problem of exotic species such as quagga and zebra mussels and how to prevent their adverse impacts. The second part of the film teaches viewers about watercraft inspection and decontamination. This pragmatic segment includes detailed demonstrations of the inspection and decontamination processes.

The screening should be of particular interest to boat owners, to those who enjoy water recreation across the western states, and to anyone who is concerned about the impacts of exotic species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and other vulnerable areas.

Greater Yellowstone Coalition Partners with Grand Teton National Park to Protect Wildlife

Wildlife Brigade Monitors "Bear Jam" at Willow Flats

August 18, 2008
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In 2007, Grand Teton National Park established the Wildlife Brigade—a team of park rangers and citizen volunteers—to help manage human-wildlife interactions and to increase food storage compliance at park campgrounds and picnic sites through public contact and education efforts. This newly created wildlife-protection squad is thriving in its second year of operation thanks in part to the generosity of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) which provided funding for two positions with the 2008 brigade.

This year’s Wildlife Brigade team consists of three full-time National Park Service employees, three full-time volunteers, four part-time volunteers, and two full-time GYC internship positions. Although working in a variety of park settings, the team’s primary job is to educate the public about responsible and ethical interactions with park wildlife. These individuals spend their days assisting with traffic flow and people management at roadside “wildlife jams” and conducting patrols in developed areas to look for unsecured food and other bear attractants. They also provide visitor education at trailheads and on popular trails, offer interpretive education to park visitors about wildlife and other park resources, and collect wildlife and visitor use data.

Grand Teton National Park was able to supply limited funding for members of the Wildlife Brigade; however, additional positions became possible through volunteer help and the welcome funding provided by the GYC—a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The GYC recognized the importance of this new wildlife protection program and partnered with Grand Teton to help ensure its success. As a part of the pilot project, GYC funded two former University of Montana students, Ariel Blotkamp and Lee Rademaker, for the 2008 season. Blotkamp graduated from the University of Montana in 2006 with a degree in recreation resource management, and spent two summers in Glacier National Park researching the park’s new transportation shuttle system. Rademaker completed undergraduate work in 2005 in recreation resource management at the University of Montana, and earned a Master’s degree, also in recreation management, studying interpretive technology in parks.

Blotkamp says she very much appreciates the role non-profits like the GYC play in conservation. About her job with the brigade, she commented: “I like talking with so many different people from across the country and the world while traveling around the park to keep wildlife safe. I also love being a part of someone’s first wild bear sighting; their enthusiasm and appreciation for the bears makes me smile every time. I feel that this love of the bears and the park, and this face-to-face experience, are what drives the protection of the resources.” Rademaker concurs, saying that there are few situations more exciting than a wildlife jam. “Everyone, from the visitors to the volunteers and staff working the jam become so focused in the moment, so engaged in the excitement. I know they won’t ever forget their experience with the animals.” He added: “After six years of class work, it is nice to ‘ground truth’ some of what I learned.”

The two brigade members are excited to gain experience working for the NPS, since they both hope to one day obtain full-time positions with the agency.

Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott praised the value of the Wildlife Brigade and commended the GYC’s support. “The brigade has become an essential component of this park’s wildlife management. It is crucial that we educate visitors about how to properly behave around wildlife, in order to keep both people and animals safe,” she said. She also said the new partnership with the GYC is a great example of how the park can work with other agencies and organizations to enhance resource protection in this ecosystem. “It demonstrates the ideological common ground that we share with the GYC. We are both concerned with maintaining diverse and healthy wildlife populations, with providing recreational opportunities, and with sustaining the ecological processes that make the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem unique.” Both the park and GYC are guided by similar missions to preserve and protect this fragile ecosystem for future generations.

The Wildlife Brigade was launched in response to growing concerns for wildlife protection in the park. Thriving wildlife populations and a rising number of visitors to the park means a greater potential for interface between people and wildlife. Increased visibility of wildlife in the park—especially highlighted by the presence of bear #399 and her three cubs, that frequently use habitat near park roadsides—has also increased the incidence of wildlife jams. One of the primary responsibilities for members of the brigade is to educate both visitors and local residents about responsibly sharing habitat with wild animals.

Wildlife Brigade Patrol Park Campground for Food Storage Violations

Human-Caused Fire near Jenny Lake Lodge

Teton interagency fire personnel responded to a report of a small fire in Grand Teton National Park on Saturday, August 16. The human-caused Trail Fire, located approximately 300 feet west of the one-way Jenny Lake scenic drive, was reported shortly after 12 p.m. by Jenny Lake Lodge staff. The fire was burning a single tree and nearby brush, with short-range spotting in dead and downed litter. Because it was human-caused, the 1/10-acre fire was suppressed.

Two park rangers and five firefighters with two wildland fire engines joined the Lodge staff—who had initially responded to the fire with shovels and fire extinguishers—at the scene and continued fire suppression activities. The fire was contained on Saturday at 2:45 p.m., and it is expected to be declared out on Sunday, August 17.

The Trail Fire was apparently ignited by a cigarette from a smoker or smokers using an undeveloped trail in the String Lake/Jenny Lake Lodge area. The fire burned in an area that had undergone a fuel-reduction treatment as well as a previous wildfire, which had reduced fuels in the area.

After several weeks of Very High fire danger, Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest have changed the fire danger rating to High. However, the Trail Fire offers a reminder that lower-elevation forests and sagebrush flats remain drier than normal this year. Continued dry weather is expected for August, and visitors are reminded to be cautious when building campfires. In Grand Teton National Park, campfires are only allowed in fire grates within frontcountry campgrounds and in established fire rings at some designated backcountry lakeshore campsites. Unattended or abandoned campfires can escalate into wildland fires, and it is extremely important that all campfires are completely extinguished and cold to the touch before campers leave the 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.

To report either smoke or a fire, please call 307.739.3630. For further information about fires in the greater Jackson Hole area, please contact Bridger-Teton National Forest at 307.739.5500 or visit www.tetonfires.com.

Temporary Road Closure Scheduled for Moose-Wilson Road

August 11, 2008
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Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a brief travel closure will be in effect on the unpaved section of the Moose-Wilson Road within Grand Teton National Park for about ten hours beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday, August 14. The temporary closure is scheduled to allow for grading work to be done on the gravel roadbed. The Moose-Wilson Road will reopen by 5 p.m., barring inclement weather or equipment malfunction.

Road crews will complete the project in the shortest time possible; however, because this temporary closure prevents the ability to make a “through trip” on the Moose-Wilson Road, local residents and park visitors are advised to plan accordingly and detour around the road during the closure. For those visitors wishing to reach the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve or the Death Canyon trailhead, access will be possible by driving south from the junction with the Teton Park Road at Moose, Wyoming.

The gravel surface of the Moose-Wilson Road between the Granite Canyon trailhead and the old JY Ranch gate, 1.5 miles north of the trailhead, becomes eroded throughout the summer due to the volume of vehicles that travel on it. Road grading will create a smoother surface and provide an added measure of safety for motorists using this park roadway.

Roadwork schedules may change, or be delayed, due to weather conditions, equipment malfunction, or other extenuating circumstances.

Vehicle Rollover Accident Results in a Fatality in Grand Teton National Park

August 10, 2008
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A single-car rollover on Saturday evening, August 9, resulted in the death of a sixteen-year-old male in Grand Teton National Park. The accident occurred at 7:05 p.m. on Highway 26/89/191, near the Elk Ranch Flats just 1.5 miles south of Moran junction. Seven people—an extended family from Washington State and Hungary—were traveling in a Honda Odyssey minivan when the accident occurred. The driver and six passengers sustained injuries; one of the passengers, an eight-year-old boy, suffered life-threatening injuries. Four of the vehicle occupants were wearing seatbelts and remained in the minivan; two passengers, including the deceased teenager, were ejected from the vehicle.

James Kochis, age 70, from Port Orchard, Washington, was driving southbound on the highway when his vehicle left the pavement for unknown reasons and rolled one or more times before coming to rest on all four wheels. The cause of the accident is under investigation; however, it appears that the tires of the minivan dropped off the pavement, forcing Kochis to make an abrupt correction, which caused the vehicle to roll and come to a stop on the east side of the highway after crossing both lanes of the highway.

The sixteen-year-old male passenger was ejected out of the rear window of the minivan and was pronounced dead at the scene. The eight-year-old boy received fractures to both legs and sustained other internal injuries. A park ambulance took the young boy and his father to St. John’s Medical Center, where he was transferred by Life Flight to Salt Lake City later Saturday night. The other four occupants were transported to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson for treatment of a variety of serious injuries.

Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a report of the accident from the Teton County Sheriff’s Office shortly after it occurred. Approximately 20 park personnel (park rangers, emergency medical personnel, one Air Force EMT detailed to Grand Teton National Park and Teton interagency fire staff) as well as Jackson Hole Fire/EMS staff, Teton County deputy sheriffs and a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer responded to the accident. In addition to the interagency response, two physicians from St. John’s Medical Center, Dr. Will Smith (the park’s medical director) and Dr. Vaughn Morgan, also provided emergency medical care at the scene.

Teton interagency fire staff helped with traffic control at the Moran and Moose junctions to divert vehicles from the area. Other mutual aid assistance from Jackson included a Jackson Hole Fire/EMS rescue vehicle with an extrication team and two ambulances.

Due to the serious nature of the accident and the multiple ambulances and emergency medical personnel required to treat the numerous injured people, Highway 26/89/191 was closed to traffic from 7:10 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Traffic was rerouted through a detour along the Teton Park Road.

Climbing Fatality near Gilkey Tower in Grand Teton National Park

August 10, 2008
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A 55-year-old man from Helena, Montana took a fatal fall while traversing the ridge between the South Teton and Cloudveil Dome with three companions on Saturday afternoon, August 9. Chris Pazder slipped on snow while crossing the south side of Gilkey Tower (elevation 12,320 ft.) and tumbled about 800 feet over steep rock before landing on a ledge on the north side of Avalanche Canyon. He was carrying an ice axe at the time of the slide, but was unable to self arrest.

Grand Teton National Park rangers were notified of the accident at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, when Pazder’s companions placed a cell phone call to Teton Interagency Dispatch Center to report the incident. Rangers immediately organized a rescue operation and requested the assistance of an interagency contract helicopter for air support. The helicopter flew to Lupine Meadows, picked up several rangers, and undertook an aerial reconnaissance flight. Pazder was located from the air, and rangers were able to verify that he was deceased.

A ranger who was on routine mountain patrol in Garnet Canyon was diverted from his backcountry route to the accident scene. He reached the three members of Pazder’s party just before 5:00 p.m. and assisted them with the descent to their camp in the South Fork of Garnet Canyon. They were able to hike out of Garnet Canyon on Sunday morning.

Because of an incoming thunderstorm and the time of day, rangers decided to wait until Sunday to attempt to recover Pazder. At about 7:00 a.m. Sunday, helicopter operations and the recovery effort resumed.

Rangers began their ground-based recovery operation on Sunday morning by flying six rangers to a landing zone near Lake Taminah, in Avalanche Canyon. The rescue personnel had to ascend 200 feet of technical terrain to the ledge where Pazder came to rest. The recovery operation was completed by early Sunday evening.

Injured Climber Rescued from Upper Saddle of Grand Teton

August 8, 2008
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An injured climber was evacuated by helicopter from the Grand Teton on Thursday afternoon, August 7, in Grand Teton National Park. Merry Carny, age 46, of Salt Lake City, Utah sustained multiple broken bones after landing hard during a rappel from a cliff near the Upper Saddle of the Grand Teton. Carny and her husband had successfully reached the summit and were on their way down when the accident occurred; neither climber was wearing a helmet at the time.

The Carnys climbed the Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton on Thursday morning and reached the summit at 12:30 p.m. They were descending the standard rappel near the Upper Saddle when Merry was unable to maintain friction on her climbing rope and ultimately slid about 50 feet before coming to an abrupt stop on the slope below the rappel route. She landed on her feet, but fell backward after the abrupt landing. Carny received injuries to her leg, side and back, and was unable to continue climbing. The Carnys used their cell phone to report their situation; however, because of their location on the Grand Teton, the call was received by the Driggs, Idaho sheriff’s office. Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received notice of the accident at 1:30 p.m., and park rangers immediately summoned an interagency contract helicopter to assist with the rescue effort.

Three park rangers were transported by the contract helicopter to the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton, and one of those rangers was then inserted into the accident site via short-haul. Two additional rangers were flown by helicopter to the Lower Saddle along with necessary rescue equipment, and a second ranger was also inserted by short-haul into the accident site. Carny was given emergency medical care by the rangers and placed into a rescue litter for evacuation. She was then flown at 4:45 p.m.—with a ranger accompanying her—directly to the Jenny Lake rescue cache located on the valley floor. A park ambulance transported her to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson for further treatment of her injuries.

The remaining ranger accompanied Mr. Carny as he continued his descent from the Upper Saddle. Upon reaching the Lower Saddle, he too was flown by helicopter to the rescue cache to expedite his ability to join his wife at the hospital.

This marks the second major search and rescue operation in Grand Teton National Park in the past two days.

Seriously Injured Hiker Located After Major Search in Grand Teton National Park

Felder was located at the base of the cascade waterfall and snowfield

August 7, 2008
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A seriously injured hiker was located and rescued Wednesday afternoon, August 6, from Avalanche Canyon in Grand Teton National Park after an extensive search effort that involved 65 searchers from multiple agencies: Grand Teton National Park rangers and trail crew, a Teton interagency helitak crew, and members of the Teton County Search and Rescue team. Fifty-eight year old Richard Felder, from Houston, Texas, was descending Avalanche Canyon on Tuesday morning, August 5, when he slipped on a snowfield just below Snowdrift Lake and tumbled at least 10 feet over a cliff. Felder received internal and head injuries, as well as several broken bones, and was unable to resume hiking. He spent an unscheduled night in the backcountry, enduring cold temperatures and his multiple injuries.

Felder and his wife, Patty, were on a backcountry trip, hiking the Teton Crest Trail together, when they opted to separate from one another at 7 a.m. on Tuesday after camping in the south fork of Cascade Canyon. Richard chose to hike out of the Tetons via a traverse over Avalanche Divide—a route he had read about in a recent issue of Backpacker Magazine. Patty continued to hike out the more traditional route through Cascade Canyon, intending to meet her husband at Jenny Lake sometime late Tuesday afternoon. When Richard failed to return by the appointed time, Patty reported him overdue to park rangers at the Jenny Lake Ranger Station. Rangers began to coordinate a field search for Felder and planned to get searchers on the ground at first light the next morning.

At 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, a team of two park rangers hiked from Taggart Lake into Avalanche Canyon, while another team hiked from Jenny Lake into Cascade Canyon to reach Avalanche Divide. These two “hasty search” parties met at Snowdrift Lake in Avalanche Canyon without finding Felder. The incident commander for the search effort also summoned the assistance of an interagency helicopter to provide aerial search capabilities. Because the interagency helicopter was temporarily out of service for maintenance, air operations did not begin until 11 a.m. In the meantime, over 20 searchers—including the park’s trail maintenance crew and Teton interagency fire crews—began an extensive ground search using a grid system to methodically cover assigned sectors of Avalanche Canyon from Taggart Lake trailhead. Once airborne, the helicopter was able to deliver approximately 15 searchers into the upper canyon using a landing zone at Snowdrift Lake; these people fanned out to search assigned locations above the lake.

Working a systematic search pattern from the air, rangers eventually spotted Felder at 4:52 p.m. Felder was lying near some rocks at the base of a snowfield about ¼ mile below Snowdrift Lake outlet; he became visible to the searchers after he waved his arm at the helicopter. Rescue personnel responded by foot from Snowdrift Lake, reaching Felder at 5:12 p.m. These first responders provided emergency medical care for his serious injuries and prepared him for immediate evacuation by helicopter. Felder was placed into a rescue litter at 5:40 p.m. and flown by short-haul with an attending ranger directly to Lupine Meadows where a park ambulance was waiting to transport him to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson.

An investigating ranger was able to interview Felder in the hospital on Thursday morning, and Felder gave the following account of his ordeal: While descending from Snowdrift Lake (elevation 9,999 ft.), Felder found himself on a steep snow-covered slope; because he did not have an ice axe with him, he began to use his hiking pole as a brace to get himself to a more level area. As he traversed the snowfield, he started to slide, but was able to remain on his feet. He then continued to work his way toward a flatter spot, but broke through the snow into a shallow stream and hit his head on a rock. To climb out of the icy moat (lingering snow cover in the backcountry may be as deep as 15 feet), he took his pack off and tied it to his waist so that he could climb out of the snow cavity without interference from his backpack. He gradually worked his way out of this hollow using steps that he punched with his feet. As he was attempting to put his backpack on his shoulder, he slipped again. His backpack was still tied to his body, so as he slipped, its weight pulled him off balance, causing him to slide and then tumble over a 10-foot cliff. At this point, Felder was dazed and seriously injured. He tried to get a shelter from inside his pack and other items to help him with his injuries, but was unable to reach them. Felder noted that the temperature became quite cold with the setting sun. He also noted that the next morning he watched “helicopters come and go several times” and tried to get a yellow shirt from his pack to place onto his hiking pole to use as a signal.

Felder’s injuries were serious enough that he may not have survived a second night exposed to the elements in the Teton backcountry. He is scheduled to be flown to Houston for further intensive medical care on Friday.

The search and rescue operation was successful in locating and evacuating Felder in a relatively short period of time thanks to the combined efforts of park staff and interagency partners, including search coordinators from Teton County Search and Rescue.

The Teton backcountry can be difficult terrain in which to locate a single person, especially if they are injured and not moving. Rangers caution backcountry users that making a solo hike and climb includes a certain level of risk. If someone gets injured and cannot perform a self rescue, they may become vulnerable to the elements and be stranded for a period of time until a rescue and evacuation can be accomplished.

Wal-Mart Volunteers Assist with Projects in Grand Teton National Park

August 5, 2008
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Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott is pleased to announce that volunteers from Wal-Mart have once again donated their time and energy to work in Grand Teton National Park. On Monday, August 4, a group of approximately 60 Wal-Mart volunteers joined park employees to assist with site clean-up projects at the Mormon Row Historic District and the recently acquired Hartgrave property—a former private inholding, located about five miles south of Moose on the Moose-Wilson Road. The volunteers, employees of Wal-Mart stores throughout southeastern Idaho, are participants in a company program titled “Volunteerism Always Pays” (VAP).

The Wal-Mart volunteers spent approximately five hours working with one of Grand Teton’s Student Conservation Association interns and staff from the Western Center for Historic Preservation—a workshop and training center based in Grand Teton National Park for historic preservation work throughout the greater Yellowstone area. Together, the group removed trash and debris from areas surrounding historic structures at Mormon Row, cleaning up both the inside and outside of these buildings. Volunteers also worked at the Hartgrave property, where they cleared trash piles and helped remove several small structures in order to facilitate extensive rehabilitation of this area. With help from Land and Water Conservation Funds and Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act funds, the park was able to purchase the Hartgrave property last year and begin taking steps to restore the 4.4-acre property to its natural state.

Wal-Mart’s VAP program began in 1995 as a way to encourage employees to connect with, and give back to, their local communities. Since then, the program has contributed more than 7 million hours to deserving organizations. In 2007, more than 1 million volunteer hours translated to approximately $6 million in VAP contributions. Mark Marvin, Wal-Mart market manager, said of the volunteers: “Our Grand Teton projects are a wonderful example of how a few hours of work will have long-lasting impact to the historic preservation at one of this region’s world-renowned national parks. Wal-Mart associates are proud to have a role in what we hope will be a turning point for these key park locations.”

“This is the third year that Wal-Mart has been a welcome park partner. The commitment and generous efforts of the VAP volunteers add immeasurably to our resource preservation work in Grand Teton National Park,” said Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott. “We are grateful to the Wal-Mart team for offering their time and skills toward the restoration of one of the park’s significant historical areas at Mormon Row, and one of the park’s newly obtained properties at the Hartgrave place. Through the assistance of these volunteers, we can better preserve the park’s distinctive cultural history, improve our ability to reveal the past by making areas safe for visitors to explore, and restore habitat for wildlife use.”

Previous years’ projects included rehabilitation of popular park trails and restoration work at the heavily-used Schwabacher’s Landing on the Snake River.

Menor’s Ferry in Operation at Grand Teton National Park

July 31, 2008
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The historic Menor’s ferry boat is operating for the summer season, now that a high flow on the Snake River has subsided. Visitors can once again take a free ferry ride—with a qualified park ranger operating the helm—across the Snake River between Bill Menor’s store and Dornan’s. Located north of the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, the ferry is a central feature of the Menor/Noble historic district. The ferry provides park visitors with a unique opportunity to ride on an historic replica boat while learning firsthand about Jackson Hole’s settlement and transportation history.

Menor’s ferry consists of a platform deck which is set upon two pontoons for flotation. The ferry is tethered to a cable system that spans the river and operates by directing the pontoons toward the opposite riverbank, allowing the power of the current to push the craft across the river channel; the system uses river power, rather than motor power, to push the ferry across the water. This type of river travel existed in ancient times and was widely used throughout the U. S.

Bill Menor built the ferry in 1894, shortly after he arrived to homestead on the banks of the Snake River. Prior to ferry service, residents who lived primarily on the east bank of the river could only cross when the flow was low enough to ford, or when they traveled south to the small village of Wilson, Wyoming where they could cross over on a bridge. After the ferry began its operation, residents made regular trips to Menor’s homestead in order to cross the river to gather berries and firewood or to purchase wares from Menor’s general store.

Menor charged 25 cents for a horse and rider to cross the river and 50 cents for a team and wagon; pedestrians rode across for free. After the ferry was sold to Maud Noble in 1918, the price increased to one dollar for automobiles with local license plates, and higher fares for those from out-of-state. The original ferry became obsolete and ceased operation in 1927, when the State of Wyoming built a highway bridge across the river, just south of the Menor homestead.

The current ferry is a replica of Menor’s original craft. It was constructed by the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park and officially dedicated on August 25, 2000, as part of the park’s 50th anniversary celebration.

Fire Danger Rating Elevated to Very High

July 30, 2008
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Teton interagency fire managers announce that the fire danger rating will be elevated to Very High for both the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park as of Thursday,
July 31. Recent hot temperatures, low humidity and windy conditions have increased the potential for intense fire activity. Local residents and visitors alike should exercise an extra measure of caution and practice heightened fire safety at all times.

When determining fire danger ratings, fire officials use several indices, such as: the moisture content of grasses, shrubs and trees; projected weather conditions (including temperatures and possible wind events); the ability of fire to spread after ignition; and the availability of fire-fighting resources. A fire danger rating of Very High means that fires can start easily, spread quickly and burn intensely.

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.

To report a fire or smoke in either area, call Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307.739.3630. For more fire information, please contact Bridger-Teton National Forest at 307.739.5500, or visit the Web at www.tetonfires.com.

Extension of Signal Mountain Summit Road Paving Project

July 28, 2008
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A paving project on the Signal Mountain Summit Road in Grand Teton National Park will be extended for an additional week, due to an unexpected equipment malfunction. Paving will be underway throughout this week from Monday, July 28 through Thursday, July 31, and continue through the following week from Monday, August 4 through Thursday, August 7. The road will be open to weekend travel on Friday, August 1, Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3.

The temporary travel closure on the Signal Mountain Summit Road may cause inconvenience to some visitors and local residents; to avoid this road during the scheduled construction, alternate travel plans should be made during Monday through Thursday for the next two weeks.

If there are any additional changes to the road work schedule, the public will be notified as soon as possible. For road updates, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/grte or call the park’s recorded information line on road conditions at 307.739.3614.

Astronomy Under the Tetons Event Scheduled for August 3

July 25, 2008
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Grand Teton National Park will join with the Jackson Hole Astronomy Club to celebrate National Astronomy Day on Sunday, August 3. Several family-oriented activities are planned, offering visitors and local residents the opportunity to learn about star gazing, meteor showers, sunspots, star clusters, galaxies and much more. The special event, titled “Astronomy under the Tetons,” will begin at
2 p.m. at the Colter Bay Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park and end with late-night star gazing session on the nearby shore of Jackson Lake.

To recognize National Astronomy Day, solar-filtered telescopes will be available to view sunspots from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Colter Bay Visitor Center. Throughout the afternoon, exhibits and information tables will also be set up, providing fun and interesting information to children and adults alike. Beginning at 9 in the evening, Park Ranger Naturalist Bob Hoyle will present a PowerPoint program at the Colter Bay Amphitheater; this educational program focuses on American Indian use of the sky and its celestial bodies, and includes incredible images of stars and other astronomical objects. As a finale, high-powered telescopes will be set up at 10 p.m. along the shore of Colter Bay for participants to view stars, galaxies, nebulas and other cosmic phenomena. Anyone planning to attend the evening program and telescope observation session should dress warmly as evening temperatures at Colter Bay can be quite chilly even in July.

For those who would like to learn more about “Astronomy under the Tetons,” please call either the Colter Bay Visitor Center at 307.739.3594 or Jackson Hole Astronomy Club President Walt Farmer at 307.733.2173. Information is also available on Walt Farmer’s Web site at www.theastrocowboy.com/Astro/astro.htm.

Wolves and Other Wildlife Killed by Vehicles in Grand Teton National Park

July 24, 2008
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Numerous animals—including wolves, elk, and moose—have been hit and killed by vehicles in Grand Teton National Park during the past month. Consequently, Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott strongly reminds motorists to slow down and be alert for wildlife that may be traveling across, or wandering near, park roads.

On Wednesday afternoon, July 23, a sub-adult male wolf was hit and killed by a car traveling on Highway 26/89/191 near the Glacier View Turnout. Luckily, the occupants of the vehicle were uninjured; however the young wolf died as a result of the collision, and the car was damaged enough to require it to be towed away. This marks the second time in the past month that a wolf was killed by a motor vehicle. On Monday, June 23, a radio-collared male wolf was killed by a car on Highway 26/287 about 1 3/4 miles east of Moran Junction. Besides these two incidents, one fox, one pronghorn antelope, one bison, two moose, four deer and four elk have also lost their lives in vehicle collisions since the 19th of June.

These recent incidents serve as a reminder that many animals are often wandering across, and roaming near, the park’s roadways. Therefore, motorists must be extra alert while driving and slow down for their own safety, as well as the welfare of park wildlife.

Motorists are reminded to drive the posted speed limit and to be prepared to stop suddenly for wildlife on the roads. Driving slower than indicated speed limits—especially at night—can increase the margin of safety for people and animals. Collisions between motor vehicles and wildlife may result in severe damage to a vehicle, serious or fatal injuries to the occupants of that vehicle, and/or death for the animal involved.

Each year, over 100 animals are hit and killed on park roads. Since the beginning of 2008, a total of 35 animals have been killed in collisions with automobiles. These collisions resulted in the deaths of deer, elk, moose, bison, pronghorn, wolves and smaller creatures such as foxes, otters, and pine martens. With an extra measure of caution—and increased attention to the road—this statistic could be greatly reduced during the remainder of 2008.

North Park Road Improvement Project Begins in Grand Teton National Park

July 22, 2008
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Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a road improvement project will take place on the north park road from the Lizard Creek Campground in Grand Teton National Park to the Snake River Bridge at Flagg Ranch in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Project work will begin on or about Monday, July 28, and continue through the summer/fall season. This project is necessary to improve travel conditions and ensure safety for the millions of motorists who use this road each year.

The initial phase of the highway improvement project involves replacing the many culverts that assist with drainage under the roadway. Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday of each week. While flaggers will direct vehicles through the work zone and keep traffic moving, motorists should expect delays of up to 30 minutes.

In addition to the road project, repairs will begin on the Snake River Bridge at Flagg Ranch as early as Friday, August 1. Work on the bridge will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and delays of up to 30 minutes are possible. Flaggers will direct traffic; however, travel will be reduced to one lane. The bridge will reopen to two-way traffic for the winter season.

The north park road improvement project will continue during the 2009 summer season. Weather permitting, project work will begin in April and continue through mid-November. During that time, the road will be resurfaced and widened. During this second phase of the project, traffic will again be reduced to one lane.The north park road project is a continuation of work that began in 2003 with reconstruction of the highway from the South Gate of Yellowstone National Park to Flagg Ranch and a stretch of road from Lizard Creek Campground to Leeks Marina.

Superintendent Gibson Scott reminds everyone that roadwork is necessary for the park to maintain safe and high quality roads for the large volume of traffic passing over them each year.

Local residents and park visitors are advised to use caution, drive slowly and watch out for workers and equipment when traveling through the project zones. Every effort will be made to minimize the inconvenience of these projects to those people traveling through the work areas.

Roadwork schedules may change or be delayed due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen circumstances. For road updates, visit the park’s Web site at www.nps.gov/grte or call the park’s recorded road information line at 307.739.3614.

Investigation Continues on the Grand Teton Climbing Fatality

July 21, 2008
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Grand Teton National Park rangers continue to investigate the death of longtime Exum Mountain Guides employee George Gardner, age 58, that occurred on Saturday, July 19. Fellow guides, who were with Gardner before the accident that took his life, have provided rangers with extensive information about the circumstances leading up to his untimely death.

Gardner and several other Exum guides had taken a group of clients, including youths from Wilderness Ventures, to the Lower Saddle on Saturday with the intention of climbing the Grand Teton the following day. After the group had eaten dinner and settled into their Lower Saddle camp for the evening, Gardner departed around 5 p.m. to free solo climb the Lower Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton, a climb rated 5.7 on the Yosemite Decimal System. According to his colleagues, Gardner planned to climb the route to Wall Street and then return back to Lower Saddle base camp. It is not unusual for professional guides—either in pairs or solo—to go out for additional climbing on their own, once their clients have settled in for the night.

Several guides were concerned when Gardner had not returned by dark; however, the guides noticed headlamps coming down from the Upper Saddle and they figured it was Gardner, perhaps assisting a mountaineering party in their late-hour descent. When the guides awoke at 3 a.m. to prepare for the day’s excursion, they discovered that Gardner was missing. Out of concern, they notified Exum Mountain Guides President Jack Turner, who contacted Teton Interagency Dispatch Center (TIDC) with news of the missing guide. After the call, park rangers immediately began coordinating a search and rescue response, and requested for an interagency contract helicopter to arrive at first light.

At the Lower Saddle, several Exum guides began a hasty search for Gardner, with three guides climbing the Lower Exum Ridge route and two guides ascending the classic route to the Upper Exum Ridge via Wall Street. One of the guides ascending towards Wall Street spotted Gardner’s body around 6 a.m. from an area near the Eye of the Needle. After alerting the party that was ascending the Lower Exum Ridge, two of the guides from the Lower Exum Ridge party climbed to Gardner’s location and confirmed that he was deceased. Park rangers and TIDC were notified of the fatality, prompting a switch to a recovery and investigation operation. At approximately 6:30 a.m., park rangers were flown by helicopter with the intention of landing at the Lower Saddle. They were diverted to a landing spot on Teepee Glacier due to moderate and high wind conditions; a local storm system with lightning temporarily shut down air operations. After the storm passed, the helicopter delivered additional rangers involved with the recovery and investigation effort to the Lower Saddle. Gardner’s body was flown from the accident site on the mountain via short haul and delivered to his family and a contingent of fellow climbing guides at the park’s Lupine Meadows rescue cache at 12:30 p.m. Gardner’s body was then transferred to the Teton County Coroner’s office in Jackson, Wyoming.

Park rangers are further investigating the accident, though they acknowledge that the exact cause may never be known for certain. Rangers speculate that Gardner may have fallen from one of the upper pitches of the Lower Exum Ridge route. They also note that there was a substantial (and atypical) wind gust—of about 60 mph—at approximately 6 p.m. the day of the accident that may have been a factor in Gardner’s fall. Whatever the cause of this accident, park rangers and Exum guides both agree that Gardner was climbing well within the realm of his capabilities, and doing what he was comfortable with and what he loved.

Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott expressed heartfelt condolences on behalf of all park staff. “Park employees, local residents and the climbing community are stunned by this tragedy,” she said. “George was not only a respected guide, but also a wonderful mentor to other climbers. Our hearts go out to his family.”

A resident of Ridgeway, Colorado, Gardner had been an Exum guide for 17 years and a climbing guide for 28 years. His vast mountaineering experience included expeditions on the southwest face of Kanchenjunga and the west face of Hyani Potosi in Bolivia’s Cordillera Real; ski ascents in the Alps and in Colorado; and extensive climbing in North America and the Himalayas. He was the program director for Sterling College’s “Semester in the Himalayas” as well as an AMGA Certified Alpine Guide.

Climbing Guide Takes Fatal Fall on Grand Teton

July 20, 2008
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Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott is saddened to announce that climbing guide George Gardner, age 58, from Ridgeway, CO, died Saturday evening, July 19, from traumatic injuries suffered in a fall while solo climbing a route on the Grand Teton. Gardner was not guiding any clients at the time of the fall.

Park rangers are investigating the accident and will issue more information as it becomes available.

Road Improvement Project from Jackson Lake Lodge to Moran Junction

July 16, 2008
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Grand Teton National Park is conducting a chip seal project on a portion of Highway 89/287, from Jackson Lake Lodge to Moran Junction. The project will take two days: Wednesday, July 16 and Thursday, July 17. Motorists should expect delays of no more than 15 minutes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on each of those days, while the chip seal project is being completed.

Flaggers will direct traffic through the work zone. Motorists are asked to be cautious while traveling through the area and to drive slowly in order to avoid windshield damage.

Chip sealing is a critical part of road maintenance, and the project will improve the long-term durability of this heavily-used park road.

Roadwork schedules may change or be delayed due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen circumstances. For road updates, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/grte or call the park’s recorded information line on road conditions at (307) 739-3614.

Personal Valuables Stolen from Vehicles in Grand Teton National Park

July 13, 2008
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Grand Teton National Park rangers responded to two separate incidents of theft on Friday, July 11. In each case, valuable personal items were stolen from unattended vehicles. Rangers are currently conducting investigations into both incidents.

The first theft occurred early Friday morning; however, it was not reported to Teton Interagency Dispatch Center until 2:30 p.m. An individual had parked her car and walked a short distance down a dirt road, leaving her vehicle temporarily unlocked. While she was away from her car, a laptop computer was stolen from the unlocked vehicle. A witness in the area at the time of the incident recalled seeing a male, who was acting suspiciously, driving either a red Chevy pickup or Suburban.

Later that same day, at about 5:30 p.m., park rangers took another report of a theft in a nearby location. This time, a wallet—visible on the center console—was stolen from a locked vehicle at a turnout along Highway 89, north of Moose, Wyoming. The perpetrator broke a window to get the wallet, which contained cash, credit cards and personal information. A separate witness recalled seeing a red Chevy Suburban in the area at that time, possibly the same vehicle described at the earlier crime scene.

After the owner of the wallet called to report that his credit cards were stolen, park rangers subsequently learned that his card had been used at an establishment outside of the park. Rangers worked cooperatively with the Teton County Sheriff’s Office to interview clerks working at the establishment, and it was determined that the card had been used to withdraw funds from an ATM machine.

Teton County sheriffs also responded to multiple similar incidents on Friday. Investigating officials believe that these incidents may be related.

While crimes of this type are rare in Grand Teton National Park, park visitors and area residents are reminded to avoid becoming a victim by locking vehicle doors and securing valuables at all times. People should never leave valuable items—such as purses, wallets, cameras or computers—in plain sight inside unattended vehicles. People should either carry these items with them or lock them in the trunk of the vehicle, out of sight.

Visitors and residents should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to park rangers at any visitor center or ranger station.

Youth Conservation Program Thrives at Grand Teton National Park

July 10 , 2008
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Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott salutes the Grand Teton National Park Foundation for their invaluable help in establishing and supporting the Youth Conservation Program (YCP) at Grand Teton National Park. Thanks to generous donations made by several donors through the Foundation, the park has been able to offer this youth employment opportunity for the past three years. This year’s program includes 17 YCP crew members—with enrollees from as far away as Florida and California. The 2008 crew represents an increase of five members over last year’s crew, three of whom returned after participating in the 2007 program.

YCP crews work with National Park Service (NPS) staff to improve trails and structures throughout the park. Their efforts include the rehabilitation of trails and backcountry areas through projects like brushing, hazard tree removal, and construction of water bars and drainage swales. Participants also pull exotic weeds, clear vegetation, build fences, construct stone masonry, install bear-proof containers, repair historic structures, and repair and launch the ferry boat at Menor’s Ferry Historic District. NPS teams work with the YCP teens to provide a unique educational experience that includes park history, as well as training in safety, fire, and rescue operations. Crew members work primarily for the NPS Trails Branch, but they also collaborate with other park divisions in order to gain a well-rounded understanding of the variety of resource protection and management issues that the NPS regularly encounters. Through their diverse tasks and exposure to park operations, YCP members are able to see firsthand the value of land stewardship and develop personal conservation ethics. This year, a previous YCP member obtained a seasonal position at Grand Teton, while two others are in the process of securing seasonal federal employment elsewhere.

The YCP is a summer employment program for high school students, ages 16 to 19. YCP enrollees develop an understanding of NPS conservation ethics as they assist with projects to complete critically-needed maintenance and rehabilitation on park trails and other resources. Participants work alongside NPS crew leaders and become familiar with NPS stewardship goals, while learning essential trail maintenance skills. YCP participants also serve as park ambassadors, as they complete project work on some of the most visible, and most impacted, park trails—trails like Jenny, String, Taggart and Bradley lakes, and the trails near Colter Bay. The YCP program runs for ten weeks, from mid-June through mid-August.

As an extension of their mission to support new and innovative projects that add value to the park, the Grand Teton National Park Foundation provides funding for salaries for YCP participants, as well as some of their work gear and transportation to and from Jackson.

For more information about YCP and how to contribute to future YCP activities, or other Foundation programs, please call Leslie Mattson at 307.732.0629, or email leslie@gtnpf.org.

Female Black Bear Euthanized in Grand Teton National Park

July 8 , 2008
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Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that park biologists euthanized a female black bear on Monday, July 7, out of concern for public safety. The bear’s increasingly bold behavior toward park visitors, and her repeated attempts to get human food, forced park officials to make the difficult decision to remove her from the population in order to reduce future threats to visitors and their safety.

The nine-year-old bear was easily identifiable because she wore a yellow eartag in her left ear. Bear #22044 was originally tagged in 2004 during a research project involving both grizzly and black bears. She had no history of nuisance behavior until 2007, when natural foods were in scant supply throughout the park.

During the past two years, the 175-pound female black bear gradually became human food-conditioned and unafraid of people. For several weeks during 2007, and especially during the last two weeks, she frequented the Colter Bay area, as well as Elk Island in the middle of Jackson Lake, roaming in search of food and getting multiple food rewards. Throughout August and early September of 2007, she actively sought and obtained human foods, and was consequently hazed several times. There were no additional incidents involving this bear until June 28 of this year, when she grabbed food from people cooking on Elk Island. After that situation, almost daily incidents occurred involving this bear and her attempts to acquire human foods. On July 1, she tore into bags of trash left at campsites in the Colter Bay campground.

Although quite habituated to people, bear #22044 had never acted aggressively toward humans until last week, when she flattened and damaged two tents in the Colter Bay campground. In each case, people were not in the tents at the time of the incident; however, food had been left unattended inside one of the tents. She also put her paws onto another tent as if she was going to crush it. Her recent behavior—combined with the potential for her to become a risk to human safety—contributed to the decision to permanently remove her from the population. This bear was not a good candidate for relocation because of her well-established habit of seeking out human food sources within developed areas.

Once again, park officials strongly remind visitors that proper disposal of garbage and storage of food items is extremely important. Thoughtless actions of people can literally lead to a life or death situation for bears that easily become corrupted by the availability of human food and garbage. Once a bear acquires human food, it often loses its fear of people and may become dangerous. Human carelessness doesn’t just endanger people; it can also result in a bear’s death.

Bears are active in areas of high visitor use, as well as in the backcountry. For the health and safety of all bears, as well as that of park visitors, please adhere to the following rules: Never leave food or backpacks unattended, even for a minute; use available storage facilities when camping, or secure food in your car; dispose of garbage in bear-proof garbage cans, provided at all campgrounds; when camping in the park’s backcountry, use the approved, portable bear-proof food canisters; never run from a bear, and do not drop your backpack if a bear charges you.

Detailed information about how to behave in bear country is available at park visitor centers and ranger stations. Please take the time to educate yourself about bear safety before enjoying the park. Through information and proper actions, you may help save the life of a bear.

New Artwork Donated to Grand Teton National Park Collection

July 7, 2008
08-36
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott is pleased to announce that three artists—Scott L. Christensen, William G. Smith and Kathy Wipfler—will donate original pieces of art to the Teton Collection, the park’s permanent art collection. The three painters will present their newly created artwork to Superintendent Scott during a brief ceremony to be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, in the art gallery of the new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at Moose, Wyoming.

These fine art paintings represent the most recent additions to the park’s Teton Collection—a collaborative project between the Grand Teton Association (formerly Grand Teton Natural History Association) and the National Park Service. The art collection was created about 50 years ago, when world-renowned painter Conrad Schwiering—then a board member of the Association—initiated a program to pay homage to the beauty of the Teton landscape through fine art. In the tradition established by Schwiering and the early Association board, the Grand Teton Association art committee purchases paintings, or commissions new ones, to enhance the park’s art collection. The Association usually adds one new painting every year; the paintings by Wipfler, Smith, and Christensen represent the last three years’ contributions.

The Teton Collection serves as a testament to the crucial role that art has played in preserving Grand Teton National Park and other public lands, and reflects the historic significance of artwork throughout the greater Jackson Hole area. The eclectic collection features artwork by John Clymer, Olaus Murie, Joanne Hennes, Leland Curtis, Conrad Schwiering, Jim Wilcox, Betty Thomas, and Harrison Crandall. All of these artists found creative inspiration from the Teton landscape, and each has skillfully captured the spectacular scenery and wild inhabitants of this region. The Association is in the process of creating an informational brochure to hand out at the gallery that will provide an overview of all the artists and their paintings.

Scott L. Christensen, of Christensen Studio, Inc., in Victor, Idaho, has exhibited his work in many prestigious museums and shows throughout the country, including the National Academy of Western Art, Prix de West Invitational at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming; the Denver Art Museum; the Kimball Museum; the Salmagundi Club in New York; the Autry Museum; and the Salon d’Arts at the Colorado History Museum. Christensen has been a recipient of many honors throughout his career, including Arts for the Parks competition in 1991; Northwest Rendezvous Juror’s Award of Merit in 1993 and 1994; Most Distinguished Alumni of Chadron State College 1997; and the Prix de West Award for his painting “Wind River Ice” in 2000.

William G. Smith has worked steadily as a freelance illustrator and commissioned artist for the past thirty years, completing scores of portrait, landscape and wildlife commissions. He has given art his full-time effort since 2004. He has won many awards in shows and contests, including the Arts for the Parks Mini 100 in 2004, the Collector’s Choice Award in the Arts for the Parks Top 100 in 2005, and first place in the Wyoming Conservation Stamp contest for the 2009 Conservation Stamp.

Kathy Wipfler’s paintings appear in the Kriendler Gallery, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, Wyoming, and in the collections of Senator and Mrs. Alan Simpson, Governor and Mrs. Mike Sullivan, and Governor and Mrs. Jim Geringer. Her work also appears in 22 other Western states’ Governors’ collections as well as those of three Canadian premiers. Last year, one of her paintings was selected as a permanent part of the Whitney Collection at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming. Wipfler’s work has been featured at the Maynard Dixon Show, Mt. Carmel, Utah; Western Visions Show, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming; Northwest Rendezvous Show, Helena, Montana; Plein Air Painters of America, Catalina Island, and Tahoe; and the Coors Western Art Show, Denver, Colorado.

Formerly displayed on the walls of the old Moose Visitor Center, the Teton Collection is now showcased in the gallery at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center. Since relocating to the gallery, the collection has become even more visible to the public, and this new space provides a fitting home for this precious artwork.

The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter months.

Injured Climber Flown from Middle Teton on July Fourth

July 6, 2008
08-35
Grand Teton National Park rangers and an interagency contract helicopter evacuated an injured climber from the Middle Teton on Friday, July 4, at 5:45 p.m. 24-year-old Tom Wilkinson, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, tumbled approximately 150 feet and suffered a severe ankle injury while descending a snowfield on the Middle Teton. He was wearing crampons and a helmet at the time of the fall; he was also carrying an ice axe.

Wilkinson and his climbing partner, Christopher Leath, also 24 years old, of Wilson, Wyoming, were descending the South Couloir route—a rarely climbed couloir, between the Southwest and Ellingwood couloirs—when Wilkinson fell. He tumbled over several rockbands, injured his ankle when he impacted a rock, and came to a stop above a cliff (elevation 11,300 ft.). Leath placed an emergency cell phone call, which was transferred to park rangers at 12:30 p.m. Rangers began coordinating a rescue operation and requested the assistance of an interagency contract helicopter. Because the two climbers were unable to describe their exact position on the mountain, an initial reconnaissance flight was required to locate them. During this flight, rangers and the pilot determined that winds were too strong to allow for the insertion of rescue personnel to the climbers’ location. Instead, six rangers and a helitack crew member were flown to a landing zone in the Garnet Canyon Meadows, and they approached the party on foot.

Two rangers reached the climbers at 3:45 p.m., and another helicopter flight was launched to determine if weather conditions had stabilized enough so that the pilot could perform a short-haul evacuation of Wilkinson. When there is no suitable spot to land a helicopter, the short-haul method is used to place rescue personnel, who are suspended below the helicopter by a 100-150-foot rope, into a location near the patient; the injured person is then secured into either an evacuation suit or a rescue litter to be airlifted for a short flight to another landing spot where the ship can safely touch down. In this case, rangers provided medical care to Wilkinson, placed him in an evacuation suit, and flew him, along with an attending ranger, below the helicopter to Lupine Meadows. A waiting park ambulance transported Wilkinson to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson for further medical care.

Climbers are reminded that dangerous and variable snow conditions persist above 9,000 feet. Backcountry users are advised to stop in or call a visitor center or ranger station on the day of travel to obtain the most current trail, route and snow conditions. Climbers should also note that most climbing accidents involve slips on snow, and most occur on the descent at the end of a long day.

Lecture Series Celebrates David T. Vernon Collection at Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park

July 2, 2008
08-34
Grand Teton National Park will host a lecture series entitled “Celebrate the Vernon Collection” for three consecutive nights—Monday, July 7, Tuesday, July 8, and Wednesday, July 9—in the Colter Bay Visitor Center auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Three guest speakers, Dr. Douglas Evelyn, Mr. George Horse Capture, and Dr. Herman J. Viola will share their in-depth knowledge of American Indian interests and museum curation, as well as specific information about the David T. Vernon Collection on exhibit in the Indian Arts Museum at Colter Bay. Collectively, these speakers have many years of experience at the world-renowned Smithsonian and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

This lecture series is a reunion of sorts: all three men participated in a presentation 30 years ago at the Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum. The return of these museum experts to this area is a testament to the value and significance of the Vernon Collection. The collection contains an impressive variety of American Indian artifacts collected by David T. Vernon over his lifetime. The collection was purchased by the Jackson Hole Preserve, Incorporated—a Rockefeller Family foundation dedicated to conservation of cultural and natural resources. Laurance S. Rockefeller loaned the Vernon collection to the National Park Service and requested that the impressive artifacts be exhibited in Grand Teton National Park. The Indian Arts Museum was built to house the collection and it opened to the public in June 1972 with Mr. Rockefeller and Mr. Vernon serving as key dignitaries at the dedication. A few years later, Mr. Rockefeller donated the entire collection to the National Park Service with the stipulation that it continue to be displayed in Grand Teton.

Dr. Douglas Evelyn will present his lecture, “National Mall and the Smithsonian,” on Monday, July 7. Dr. Evelyn, a historian of Washington, D.C. by avocation and an independent museum consultant by occupation, specializes in museum planning and management following a 36-year career at the Smithsonian Institution. He helped establish the National Museum of the American Indian, serving as its deputy director for 14 years. He also served as deputy director at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, from 1979 to 1991, and at the National Portrait Gallery, where he began his Smithsonian career in 1969. Dr. Evelyn has been active in the American museum scene for over four decades, including serving as staff, treasurer and board member for the American Association of Museums; as president and board member of the American Association of State and Local History; and on the United States board of the International Council of Museums. He is now a trustee of the New York State Historical Association and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

George Horse Capture, a Gros Ventre Indian tribal member, will present a talk entitled “In Search of the Gros Ventre Indian People” on Tuesday July 8. Mr. Horse Capture served as deputy assistant director for cultural resources of the National Museum of the American Indian from March 1994 until his retirement in 2006. He was curator at the Plains Indian Museum, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, in Cody, Wyoming for 11 years, and he has taught Native American Studies at Montana State University in Bozeman. His many awards include the Lila Wallace-Readers’ Digest Community Folklife Program Grant—a $15,000 award to conduct the “Ft. Belknap Tribes Traditional Design Recovery Project.” He has published several book reviews, as well as other publications, including the article “From Reservation to the Smithsonian via Alcatraz,” in American Culture and Research Journal. He has served as a consultant to many Indian tribes, participated in a range of community activities, appeared in several films and television programs, and even produced several films himself, including I’d Rather Be Powwowing, a 16mm film that won the Old West Trail’s William F. Cody Motion Picture Award for best film portraying the West in 1983.

Dr. Herman J. Viola’s lecture, slated for Wednesday, July 9, is called “The View from the Riverbank: American Indians and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.” Dr. Viola is a curator emeritus at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. A specialist on the history of the American West, he served as director of the museum’s National Anthropological Archives in addition to organizing two major exhibitions for the Smithsonian: “Magnificent Voyagers” and “Seeds of Change.” Prior to joining the staff of the Smithsonian Institution in 1972, he was an archivist at the National Archives of the United States, where he launched and was the first editor of Prologue: The Journal of the National Archives. His publications include Exploring the West, After Columbus, Warrior Artists, and The North American Indians. He is also the author of the middle school social studies textbook, Why We Remember. His most recent book, Little Bighorn Remembered: the Untold Indian Story of Custer's Last Stand, was selected by both the Book of the Month Club and the Quality Paperback Club, and was a primary selection of the History Club.

Road Construction Projects Planned for Signal Mountain Summit Road and Pacific Creek Road

July 2, 2008
08-33
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a temporary travel closure will be in place on the Signal Mountain Summit Road beginning Monday, July 14 in order to facilitate a repaving project. The temporary closure is scheduled to be in effect from Monday through Thursday for three consecutive weeks; however, the road will be open to travel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each week.

The Signal Mountain Summit Road has deteriorated and needs to be repaved in order to ensure safe travel for the many visitors who drive it each summer. To minimize the travel closure, and allow for limited visitor access during the repaving project, road work will only take place from Monday through Thursday of each week. During the three-week construction period, the road will open to vehicle travel at 7 a.m. on Friday mornings and close again to traffic at 10 p.m. on Sunday nights.

Park staff will also be paving the Pacific Creek Road. This project will involve only minor delays of approximately five minutes—travel closures are not required for completion of this roadwork. Work on the Pacific Creek Road will be underway from June 30 through July 10. The construction area includes a section of road between the Teton Wilderness Road junction and the Pacific Creek housing area.

Road crews will complete both projects in the shortest time possible, barring inclement weather or equipment malfunction. If road work schedules change, the public will be notified as soon as possible.

The temporary closure of the Signal Mountain Summit Road may cause some inconvenience to visitors and local residents; alternate travel plans should be made to avoid this road during the scheduled construction days of Monday through Thursday.

Injured Climber Evacuated by Helicopter from Teewinot Mountain

June 24, 2008
08-32
Grand Teton National Park rangers and an interagency contract helicopter evacuated an injured 16-year-old girl from Teewinot Mountain on Tuesday, June 24, at 2:15 p.m. The young woman, from New Mexico and visiting Jackson Hole with her family, slipped on snow and tumbled about 100 meters near the Worshipper and the Idol (elevation 11,000 ft.) while descending the east face of Teewinot with two other climbers. She suffered injuries to her hip, elbow and ankle during the fall as well as lacerations on her forehead and hands. She was wearing crampons and a helmet at the time of the fall; she was also carrying an ice axe.

An Exum guide, who was taking a client up the mountain, first made contact with the injured girl at approximately 10:15 a.m. The guide stabilized her, provided emergency medical assistance, and contacted park rangers for assistance. Due to the nature of the injuries, the location of the accident, the difficult terrain, and the prolonged time an evacuation by foot would take, rangers made the decision to evacuate the injured climber by helicopter.

Two park rangers were flown from Lupine Meadows and inserted by the short-haul method to the injured party’s location on Teewinot; a third ranger was then inserted with medical equipment and a rescue litter. When there is no suitable spot to land a helicopter, the short-haul method is used to place rescue personnel, who are suspended below the helicopter by a rope, into a location near the patient; the injured person is then secured into either an evacuation suit or a rescue litter to be airlifted for a short flight to another landing spot where the ship can safely touch down. In this case, rangers provided medical care to the patient and placed her into a rescue litter. She was then flown in tandem with an attending ranger to the Lupine Meadows Rescue Cache on the valley floor at 2:15 p.m., where a waiting park ambulance transported her to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson for further medical care.

This marks the first major search and rescue operation in Grand Teton National Park this summer.

Serious Vehicle Accident Results in Two Fatalities in Grand Teton National Park

June 24, 2008
08-31
A head-on collision between a passenger car and a semi truck hauling a car transport trailer resulted in the death of two people in Grand Teton National Park. The accident occurred Monday afternoon, June 23, at 4:30 p.m. on Highway 26/89/191, approximately 1.5 miles south of the Moose junction.

Teton Interagency Dispatch received a report of the accident from the Teton County Sheriff’s Office shortly after it occurred. Approximately 10 park rangers and emergency medical personnel along with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS personnel immediately responded to the scene, and several Teton Interagency fire staff helped with traffic control at various intersections near the accident site. In addition to the park response, several Teton County sheriffs and a Wyoming Highway Patrol officer assisted with traffic control and an accident reconstruction investigation. Other mutual aid assistance included a Teton County ambulance, and the Teton County rescue vehicle with an extrication team, responding from Jackson, Wyoming.

Details on the cause of the accident will become available after the investigation is completed. The two deceased persons were visitors from Belgium. Their identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Due to the serious nature of the accident and the position of the semi truck and its trailer, Highway 26/89/191 was closed from 4:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Traffic was rerouted through detours along the Antelope Flats Road and the Moose-Wilson Road.

American Indian Guest Artists Program in Grand Teton National Park

June 23, 2008
08-30
Every summer, Grand Teton National Park sponsors an exciting program for visiting American Indian artists at the Colter Bay Visitor Center and Indian Arts Museum. For the past 33 years, artists from diverse tribes have demonstrated their traditional and contemporary art forms, providing visitors an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of—and appreciation for—American Indian art and culture.

Artists participating in the program represent tribes from across the United States. Among the art forms demonstrated are painting, weaving, pottery, beadwork, decorative gourds and musical instruments. Guest artists exhibit daily, Monday through Sunday, from approximately 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the lower level of the Colter Bay Indian Arts Museum. Artists also offer their finished items for purchase. The 2008 schedule with dates and type of artwork demonstrated is:

June 23 – 29
Andrea Two Bulls
Oglala Sioux
Beadwork & Painting

June 30 – July 6
DG House
Cherokee
Painting

July 7 – 13
Ted Moran
S’Klallan
Northwest Coast Carving

July 14 – 20
Eddie Two Bulls
Oglala Sioux
Painting

July 21 – 27
Shonto Begay
Navajo
Painting

July 28 – Aug. 3
Aiona Anderson
Thompson
Painting & Pottery

August 4 – 10
Paul Hacker
Choctaw
Flutes, Knives, & Pottery

August 11 – 17
Jola LaBeau
Eastern Shoshone
Beadwork

August 18 – 24
Willie & Debbie LaMere
Shoshone
Beadwork & Flint Knapping

August 25 – 31
Lela Teton & Josie Bronco
Shoshone
Beadwork

Sept. 1 – 7
Clyde Hall & Nancy Nacki
Shoshone
Beadwork & Quill Work

Sept. 8 – 14
Guillermo Martinez
Tarascan-Apache
Drums & Flutes