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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center Opens to the Public
June 21, 2008
08-29
Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and the staff of Grand Teton National Park, the family and associates of Laurance S. Rockefeller, former Assistant Secretary of State John Turner, and approximately 175 guests joined together on Saturday, June 21, 2008, for a dedication ceremony to mark the grand opening of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center. The new interpretive center—the first platinum-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building to be constructed in the National Park System—offers visitors a distinctive opportunity to learn about the natural world while exploring the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve property in Grand Teton National Park. Eight miles of woodland trails wind throughout the 1,106-acre Preserve; these trails have been open since November of 2007 when the property transferred to the National Park Service. The trail system is accessible year-round, and the new 7,500-square-foot Center will be open annually from May through September.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is a reflection of Mr. Rockefeller’s life-long commitment to making areas of natural scenic beauty accessible to the public. He strongly believed that nature has the power to restore and sustain the human spirit. It was his hope that, by experiencing this spiritual and emotional renewal, visitors to the Preserve would become aware of the importance of nature in their own lives and acknowledge their roles in acting as good stewards of the land.
During the Saturday ceremony, Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky said her father thought of “mind-body-spirit as one word,” because people would be “physically and emotionally renewed at the same time.” Clayton Wesley Frye, longtime senior associate of Mr. Rockefeller, stated that Laurance was the “intellectual father” of the Preserve, and he prioritized “removing the hand of man” to return the Preserve to its natural state. John Turner told of floating the Snake River with Laurance and Mary Rockefeller “on a beautiful fall day with blazing colors,” and having Mr. Rockefeller hint at his desire to return the JY Ranch to its natural condition. Turner went on to say that “Laurance hoped people would restore their spirits in the wilderness setting.”
Mr. Rockefeller also believed that managing natural areas requires a careful balance between preservation and public access. This balance is consistent with the mission of the National Park Service, which will manage the Preserve in such a way as to allow for public enjoyment of the place while preventing overcrowding and overuse of the trails and rest areas. In this way, the opportunity for visitors to experience the extraordinary beauty of the area will be available to future generations.
The primary visitor experience at the Preserve is hiking a network of trails that provides access to views of Phelps Lake and the Tetons, as well as other scenic and ecological features. This experience is supported by the newly opened Center, which orients visitors and provides a series of sensory exhibits designed to make visitors more aware of nature on many levels.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center is situated to capture views of the Teton Range, and the interpretive experience within the building has been carefully choreographed to make visitors more aware of natural elements found on the Preserve. Visitors move through a series of sensory experiences linked with a poem by esteemed nature writer Terry Tempest Williams. These visual, auditory and tactile explorations include recordings of Mr. Rockefeller speaking about conservation, high definition nature videos, large-scale photography, and a soundscape room with nature recordings from the Preserve. There is also a resource room that provides a place for visitors to relax and learn about the Preserve. Comfortable seating, tables, chairs and a fireplace invite visitors to sit and explore books, albums and maps. The Center and restroom buildings were designed and constructed to be a model National Park Service facility by using the latest environmental technologies and sustainable techniques. A brochure explaining these attributes is available at the orientation desk in the Preserve Center.
The 8-mile trail network has been carefully designed to lead visitors on self-directed hikes to the most scenic and ecologically significant areas of the Preserve, including Lake Creek, Phelps Lake and the adjacent ridges. Visitors walking the 2.5-mile primary loop experience views of Phelps Lake and the Teton Range from a series of rest areas where they may sit and enjoy the views, observe wildlife and touch the water. Over 5 miles of secondary trails lead visitors through remote areas of the Preserve and to a series of overlooks along the glacial ridges. The network also includes a .3-mile accessible trail that provides an opportunity for visitors with limited mobility to experience the Lake Creek riparian community.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is the former JY Ranch and served as a longtime summer retreat for the Rockefeller family. Between July 2004 and May 2007, thirty buildings, as well as the roads, utilities and other structures were removed, and the developed areas were reclaimed to blend with the natural landscape. Approximately half of the structures, including the oldest residential cabins and dining and recreation buildings, were moved to a new family property outside Grand Teton National Park. The remaining structures were donated to the Park Service for housing and service facilities at several sites within the park. The extensive reclamation enhanced wildlife habitat, reduced non-native vegetation, and reconnected fragmented wetlands.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is open to the public seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can call 307.739.3654 for information on programs or facilities.
For digital images of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center and property, please go online to http://npsfocus.nps.gov/ and search for "Rockefeller Preserve."
08-29
Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and the staff of Grand Teton National Park, the family and associates of Laurance S. Rockefeller, former Assistant Secretary of State John Turner, and approximately 175 guests joined together on Saturday, June 21, 2008, for a dedication ceremony to mark the grand opening of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center. The new interpretive center—the first platinum-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building to be constructed in the National Park System—offers visitors a distinctive opportunity to learn about the natural world while exploring the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve property in Grand Teton National Park. Eight miles of woodland trails wind throughout the 1,106-acre Preserve; these trails have been open since November of 2007 when the property transferred to the National Park Service. The trail system is accessible year-round, and the new 7,500-square-foot Center will be open annually from May through September.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is a reflection of Mr. Rockefeller’s life-long commitment to making areas of natural scenic beauty accessible to the public. He strongly believed that nature has the power to restore and sustain the human spirit. It was his hope that, by experiencing this spiritual and emotional renewal, visitors to the Preserve would become aware of the importance of nature in their own lives and acknowledge their roles in acting as good stewards of the land.
During the Saturday ceremony, Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky said her father thought of “mind-body-spirit as one word,” because people would be “physically and emotionally renewed at the same time.” Clayton Wesley Frye, longtime senior associate of Mr. Rockefeller, stated that Laurance was the “intellectual father” of the Preserve, and he prioritized “removing the hand of man” to return the Preserve to its natural state. John Turner told of floating the Snake River with Laurance and Mary Rockefeller “on a beautiful fall day with blazing colors,” and having Mr. Rockefeller hint at his desire to return the JY Ranch to its natural condition. Turner went on to say that “Laurance hoped people would restore their spirits in the wilderness setting.”
Mr. Rockefeller also believed that managing natural areas requires a careful balance between preservation and public access. This balance is consistent with the mission of the National Park Service, which will manage the Preserve in such a way as to allow for public enjoyment of the place while preventing overcrowding and overuse of the trails and rest areas. In this way, the opportunity for visitors to experience the extraordinary beauty of the area will be available to future generations.
The primary visitor experience at the Preserve is hiking a network of trails that provides access to views of Phelps Lake and the Tetons, as well as other scenic and ecological features. This experience is supported by the newly opened Center, which orients visitors and provides a series of sensory exhibits designed to make visitors more aware of nature on many levels.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center is situated to capture views of the Teton Range, and the interpretive experience within the building has been carefully choreographed to make visitors more aware of natural elements found on the Preserve. Visitors move through a series of sensory experiences linked with a poem by esteemed nature writer Terry Tempest Williams. These visual, auditory and tactile explorations include recordings of Mr. Rockefeller speaking about conservation, high definition nature videos, large-scale photography, and a soundscape room with nature recordings from the Preserve. There is also a resource room that provides a place for visitors to relax and learn about the Preserve. Comfortable seating, tables, chairs and a fireplace invite visitors to sit and explore books, albums and maps. The Center and restroom buildings were designed and constructed to be a model National Park Service facility by using the latest environmental technologies and sustainable techniques. A brochure explaining these attributes is available at the orientation desk in the Preserve Center.
The 8-mile trail network has been carefully designed to lead visitors on self-directed hikes to the most scenic and ecologically significant areas of the Preserve, including Lake Creek, Phelps Lake and the adjacent ridges. Visitors walking the 2.5-mile primary loop experience views of Phelps Lake and the Teton Range from a series of rest areas where they may sit and enjoy the views, observe wildlife and touch the water. Over 5 miles of secondary trails lead visitors through remote areas of the Preserve and to a series of overlooks along the glacial ridges. The network also includes a .3-mile accessible trail that provides an opportunity for visitors with limited mobility to experience the Lake Creek riparian community.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is the former JY Ranch and served as a longtime summer retreat for the Rockefeller family. Between July 2004 and May 2007, thirty buildings, as well as the roads, utilities and other structures were removed, and the developed areas were reclaimed to blend with the natural landscape. Approximately half of the structures, including the oldest residential cabins and dining and recreation buildings, were moved to a new family property outside Grand Teton National Park. The remaining structures were donated to the Park Service for housing and service facilities at several sites within the park. The extensive reclamation enhanced wildlife habitat, reduced non-native vegetation, and reconnected fragmented wetlands.
The Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is open to the public seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can call 307.739.3654 for information on programs or facilities.
For digital images of the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center and property, please go online to http://npsfocus.nps.gov/ and search for "Rockefeller Preserve."
Temporary Travel Closure Scheduled for Moose-Wilson Road Within Grand Teton National Park
June 16, 2008
08-28
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a temporary travel closure will be in place on the Moose-Wilson Road within Grand Teton National Park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. During the Saturday closure, through travel will not be possible on the Moose-Wilson Road between the gate at the Granite Canyon trailhead and the gate at the Death Canyon trailhead road. However, access to these popular trailheads and their parking lots will be available for those who wish to drive only to those destinations.
This temporary closure is related to a dedication ceremony for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve (LSR Preserve). The closure is being implemented to provide for the safe operation of shuttle buses that will be traveling to and from the LSR Preserve as they transport invited guests to the event from park headquarters at Moose. The buses are over-sized and unable to safely navigate the narrow road with normal two-way vehicle traffic.
To alert travelers of the expected one-day, 12-hour closure, electronic signs will be in place on Wyoming Highway #390 beginning Tuesday, June 17. Signs will also be placed at the junction of the Teton Park Road and the Moose-Wilson Road to inform local residents and visitors of the scheduled closure.
This temporary closure may inconvenience visitors and local residents who wish to drive the length of the Moose-Wilson Road on Saturday, June 21; therefore, motorists are advised to make travel plans accordingly and not expect to make a through trip on the Moose-Wilson Road during the June 21st closure.
In addition to the temporary travel closure on the Moose-Wilson Road, the parking area for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve will be closed to all public entry from 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 through 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, in order to accommodate preparations for the dedication ceremony.
For further information, contact Roger Scott, public information officer for the dedication event, at (307) 739-3376.
08-28
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a temporary travel closure will be in place on the Moose-Wilson Road within Grand Teton National Park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. During the Saturday closure, through travel will not be possible on the Moose-Wilson Road between the gate at the Granite Canyon trailhead and the gate at the Death Canyon trailhead road. However, access to these popular trailheads and their parking lots will be available for those who wish to drive only to those destinations.
This temporary closure is related to a dedication ceremony for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve (LSR Preserve). The closure is being implemented to provide for the safe operation of shuttle buses that will be traveling to and from the LSR Preserve as they transport invited guests to the event from park headquarters at Moose. The buses are over-sized and unable to safely navigate the narrow road with normal two-way vehicle traffic.
To alert travelers of the expected one-day, 12-hour closure, electronic signs will be in place on Wyoming Highway #390 beginning Tuesday, June 17. Signs will also be placed at the junction of the Teton Park Road and the Moose-Wilson Road to inform local residents and visitors of the scheduled closure.
This temporary closure may inconvenience visitors and local residents who wish to drive the length of the Moose-Wilson Road on Saturday, June 21; therefore, motorists are advised to make travel plans accordingly and not expect to make a through trip on the Moose-Wilson Road during the June 21st closure.
In addition to the temporary travel closure on the Moose-Wilson Road, the parking area for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve will be closed to all public entry from 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 through 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, in order to accommodate preparations for the dedication ceremony.
For further information, contact Roger Scott, public information officer for the dedication event, at (307) 739-3376.
Cattle Drive May Cause Minor Traffic Delay near Moran Junction
June 9, 2008
08-26
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that motorists may experience a minor travel delay along Highway 26/89/191 from Moran Junction to the Elk Ranch flats (one mile south of the junction) on Saturday morning, June 14, between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. The temporary delay will allow for the safe movement of cattle from the Pinto Ranch of Buffalo Valley to the Elk Ranch pastures, which lie south of Moran Junction and the Buffalo Fork River. Park rangers will provide traffic control during the cattle drive.
Pinto Ranch wranglers will drive a herd of about 250 cattle westward from the ranch using a right of way along Highway 26/287. When the cattle drive reaches Moran Junction, the animals will need to use the roadway to cross the Buffalo Fork bridge. At this point, motorists will likely experience a delay of 30–40 minutes while cattle clear both the bridge itself and a swampy area just south of the bridge.
To avoid the temporary road delay during the cattle drive, local residents and park visitors may choose to travel an alternate route through Grand Teton National Park using the Teton Park Road between Jackson Lake Junction and Moose Junction. Every effort will be made to reduce the time required for this travel delay and minimize any inconvenience to travelers who may be using Highway 26/89/191 to access Moran Junction during the Saturday morning cattle drive.
Grand Teton National Park officials requested that the Pinto Ranch shift their cattle from their historic, free-range Pacific Creek grazing allotment north of Moran to the fenced Elk Ranch pastures in order to minimize potential conflicts with predators living in the Pacific Creek drainage.
In accordance with the 1950 Grand Teton National Park enabling legislation, certain historic grazing privileges were retained. Since that time, the fenced and irrigated Elk Ranch pastures have been used for cattle grazing.
08-26
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that motorists may experience a minor travel delay along Highway 26/89/191 from Moran Junction to the Elk Ranch flats (one mile south of the junction) on Saturday morning, June 14, between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. The temporary delay will allow for the safe movement of cattle from the Pinto Ranch of Buffalo Valley to the Elk Ranch pastures, which lie south of Moran Junction and the Buffalo Fork River. Park rangers will provide traffic control during the cattle drive.
Pinto Ranch wranglers will drive a herd of about 250 cattle westward from the ranch using a right of way along Highway 26/287. When the cattle drive reaches Moran Junction, the animals will need to use the roadway to cross the Buffalo Fork bridge. At this point, motorists will likely experience a delay of 30–40 minutes while cattle clear both the bridge itself and a swampy area just south of the bridge.
To avoid the temporary road delay during the cattle drive, local residents and park visitors may choose to travel an alternate route through Grand Teton National Park using the Teton Park Road between Jackson Lake Junction and Moose Junction. Every effort will be made to reduce the time required for this travel delay and minimize any inconvenience to travelers who may be using Highway 26/89/191 to access Moran Junction during the Saturday morning cattle drive.
Grand Teton National Park officials requested that the Pinto Ranch shift their cattle from their historic, free-range Pacific Creek grazing allotment north of Moran to the fenced Elk Ranch pastures in order to minimize potential conflicts with predators living in the Pacific Creek drainage.
In accordance with the 1950 Grand Teton National Park enabling legislation, certain historic grazing privileges were retained. Since that time, the fenced and irrigated Elk Ranch pastures have been used for cattle grazing.
Firefighters to Gather for 10th Annual All Fire Day Training
June 9, 2008
08-25
For the past ten years, firefighters from three counties, as well as state and federal agencies, have started the summer wildland fire season with an integrated fire training exercise. On Saturday, June 14, about 150 firefighters from Teton, Sublette and Lincoln counties, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk Refuge, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Wyoming State Forestry Division will gather at Hoback Ranches near Bondurant for the annual All Fire Day. Hoback Ranches homeowners are also participating this year, along with the Sublette County Sheriff’s Department, search and rescue, emergency management, animal control, emergency medical services, and the local American Red Cross chapter.
“All Fire Day 2008 is a collaborative approach to wildland fire training from all county, state and federal partners to improve interagency coordination and emergency preparedness,” said All Fire Day Operations Section Chief Steve Markason. “By conducting a fire operations scenario within a wildland-urban interface setting, the neighborhood has the opportunity to practice their wildfire response and evacuation plan in a realistic situation.”
All Fire Day will focus on a wildfire scenario that involves a Wyoming incident management team and line officers from the southern and western portions of the state, as well as firefighters who will work through a variety of drills, structure assessments and live fire exercises. Homeowners at Hoback Ranches will have the opportunity to participate in a mock evacuation and learn the steps to take in protecting their homes from wildfire. The exercises will take place, weather permitting.
“We made a conscious effort this year to involve homeowners and make sure they had all the necessary information to be prepared in the event of a wildfire,” said Deputy Operations Chief Willy Watsabaugh. “We know Hoback Ranches is in a high risk area for wildland fires. With the homeowners engaged in the exercise, they will have the opportunity to better understand firefighters’ perspectives when it comes to protecting homes in the wildland-urban interface.”
All Fire Day training was established in 1998 to provide opportunities for interagency fire personnel to complete field exercises that test skills. The exercises also promote safety and efficiency in wildland firefighting, while building relationships and better communication through increased agency coordination.
Media representatives are welcome to attend. Please contact Traci Weaver at 307-739-3692 or 307-690-1128 for more information.
08-25
For the past ten years, firefighters from three counties, as well as state and federal agencies, have started the summer wildland fire season with an integrated fire training exercise. On Saturday, June 14, about 150 firefighters from Teton, Sublette and Lincoln counties, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, the National Elk Refuge, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Wyoming State Forestry Division will gather at Hoback Ranches near Bondurant for the annual All Fire Day. Hoback Ranches homeowners are also participating this year, along with the Sublette County Sheriff’s Department, search and rescue, emergency management, animal control, emergency medical services, and the local American Red Cross chapter.
“All Fire Day 2008 is a collaborative approach to wildland fire training from all county, state and federal partners to improve interagency coordination and emergency preparedness,” said All Fire Day Operations Section Chief Steve Markason. “By conducting a fire operations scenario within a wildland-urban interface setting, the neighborhood has the opportunity to practice their wildfire response and evacuation plan in a realistic situation.”
All Fire Day will focus on a wildfire scenario that involves a Wyoming incident management team and line officers from the southern and western portions of the state, as well as firefighters who will work through a variety of drills, structure assessments and live fire exercises. Homeowners at Hoback Ranches will have the opportunity to participate in a mock evacuation and learn the steps to take in protecting their homes from wildfire. The exercises will take place, weather permitting.
“We made a conscious effort this year to involve homeowners and make sure they had all the necessary information to be prepared in the event of a wildfire,” said Deputy Operations Chief Willy Watsabaugh. “We know Hoback Ranches is in a high risk area for wildland fires. With the homeowners engaged in the exercise, they will have the opportunity to better understand firefighters’ perspectives when it comes to protecting homes in the wildland-urban interface.”
All Fire Day training was established in 1998 to provide opportunities for interagency fire personnel to complete field exercises that test skills. The exercises also promote safety and efficiency in wildland firefighting, while building relationships and better communication through increased agency coordination.
Media representatives are welcome to attend. Please contact Traci Weaver at 307-739-3692 or 307-690-1128 for more information.
Temporary Travel Closure Scheduled for Moose-Wilson Road Within Grand Teton National Park
June 2, 2008
08-24
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a temporary travel closure will be in place on the unpaved segment of the Moose-Wilson Road within Grand Teton National Park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 6. This temporary closure is necessary to prepare for and apply a dust abatement product to the gravel portion of the road from the Granite Canyon trailhead parking area for a distance of 1.5 miles north. The closure will prevent the ability to make a “through trip” on the Moose-Wilson Road for approximately 12 hours.
Although the temporary closure will inconvenience visitors and local residents who wish to drive the length of the Moose-Wilson Road on Friday, the dust abatement application will make future travel a safer and more enjoyable experience. By minimizing dust on this road, visibility will be improved and damage to nearby vegetation will be reduced. Local residents and park visitors are advised to make travel plans accordingly and detour away from the Moose-Wilson Road during the closure.
The product used for dust abatement is a slurry of magnesium chloride. It is the same product that is used to treat dirt roads in and around Jackson Hole. This product coats the road surface, but it can also adhere to the undercarriage of vehicles. Motorists who may drive this portion of the Moose-Wilson Road after it reopens on Friday evening may want to rinse off their vehicles to eliminate any residue.
Roadwork schedules may change, or be delayed, due to weather conditions or other extenuating circumstances.
08-24
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a temporary travel closure will be in place on the unpaved segment of the Moose-Wilson Road within Grand Teton National Park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, June 6. This temporary closure is necessary to prepare for and apply a dust abatement product to the gravel portion of the road from the Granite Canyon trailhead parking area for a distance of 1.5 miles north. The closure will prevent the ability to make a “through trip” on the Moose-Wilson Road for approximately 12 hours.
Although the temporary closure will inconvenience visitors and local residents who wish to drive the length of the Moose-Wilson Road on Friday, the dust abatement application will make future travel a safer and more enjoyable experience. By minimizing dust on this road, visibility will be improved and damage to nearby vegetation will be reduced. Local residents and park visitors are advised to make travel plans accordingly and detour away from the Moose-Wilson Road during the closure.
The product used for dust abatement is a slurry of magnesium chloride. It is the same product that is used to treat dirt roads in and around Jackson Hole. This product coats the road surface, but it can also adhere to the undercarriage of vehicles. Motorists who may drive this portion of the Moose-Wilson Road after it reopens on Friday evening may want to rinse off their vehicles to eliminate any residue.
Roadwork schedules may change, or be delayed, due to weather conditions or other extenuating circumstances.
Grand Teton National Park Closely Monitors Gros Ventre River Bank Erosion
May 28, 2008
08-23
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that park staff and federal highways officials are closely tracking and monitoring the erosion of the north bank of the Gros Ventre River as it relates to a portion of the Gros Ventre Road between the junction with Highway 26/89/191 and the Gros Ventre Campground. Due to the spring runoff and recent rains, the Gros Ventre River is swollen and flowing fast. The force of the river’s current is gradually eroding away a section of river bank near to the road surface. At present, 24 feet of roadside remains between the river bank and the edge of the road itself.
Park rangers have placed bright orange traffic cones along the segment of road that is subject to bank erosion. Motorists should heed these traffic cones—which mark the undercut bank of the Gros Ventre River—and not drive onto the road shoulder at that location. Pedestrians should also avoid walking along the road shoulder near the traffic cones. As a prudent measure, visitors should refrain from walking along the banks of any fast-moving rivers or streams throughout the park.
Federal highways engineers recently surveyed the situation with park officials and have provided recommendations for a contingency plan in the event that the river bank continues to slough off and compromise the stability of the road surface. They are also assisting the park in determining future options for reducing additional bank erosion.
The deepening river channel and swift current will determine what can be safely accomplished in the near term. Park officials are frequently monitoring the situation and analyzing remediation options that can be scheduled for a later date when river flows have subsided.
08-23
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that park staff and federal highways officials are closely tracking and monitoring the erosion of the north bank of the Gros Ventre River as it relates to a portion of the Gros Ventre Road between the junction with Highway 26/89/191 and the Gros Ventre Campground. Due to the spring runoff and recent rains, the Gros Ventre River is swollen and flowing fast. The force of the river’s current is gradually eroding away a section of river bank near to the road surface. At present, 24 feet of roadside remains between the river bank and the edge of the road itself.
Park rangers have placed bright orange traffic cones along the segment of road that is subject to bank erosion. Motorists should heed these traffic cones—which mark the undercut bank of the Gros Ventre River—and not drive onto the road shoulder at that location. Pedestrians should also avoid walking along the road shoulder near the traffic cones. As a prudent measure, visitors should refrain from walking along the banks of any fast-moving rivers or streams throughout the park.
Federal highways engineers recently surveyed the situation with park officials and have provided recommendations for a contingency plan in the event that the river bank continues to slough off and compromise the stability of the road surface. They are also assisting the park in determining future options for reducing additional bank erosion.
The deepening river channel and swift current will determine what can be safely accomplished in the near term. Park officials are frequently monitoring the situation and analyzing remediation options that can be scheduled for a later date when river flows have subsided.
Grand Teton National Park Breaks Ground on Pathway Project
May 20, 2008
08-21
Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and the staff of Grand Teton National Park hosted over 100 people at an outdoor event on Saturday, May 17, to mark the beginning of construction on multi-use pathways in the park. National Park Service Intermountain Region Director Mike Snyder, National Parks and Conservation Association President Tom Kiernan and Trustee Emeritus Gretchen Long, Friends of Pathways Board Member Don Alsted, and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) served as honored guest speakers for a groundbreaking ceremony held in Moose, Wyoming against a backdrop of the snow-covered Teton Range.
Superintendent Scott welcomed the audience, which included David Axelrad, father of Gabriella Axelrad. Thirteen-year-old Gabriella was accidentally killed by an inattentive driver while bicycling on a park road in 1999, and her untimely death began a movement to establish separated pathways in Grand Teton.
Superintendent Scott also paid tribute to the late Senator Craig Thomas for his unwavering dedication to Grand Teton National Park and his ability to secure federal appropriations for special projects such as the new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center and multi-use pathways. Senator Thomas was able to obtain $8 million in federal appropriations for park pathways.
In addition, Superintendent Scott acknowledged the interest and support shown by the local community, as well as the Teton County commissioners, Jackson Mayor Mark Barron and the Jackson Town Council, who have been instrumental in establishing pathways within the town of Jackson and the valley of Jackson Hole. At the completion of remarks, Superintendent Scott invited all the guest speakers to join her with gold-colored shovels in hand to break ground where the pathway will be constructed.
Full construction will begin later this month on the first pathway segment—an 8-mile section that runs parallel to the Teton Park Road from Dornan’s, near the junction with Highway 26/89/191, to the South Jenny Lake area. The first portion of the pathway segment will be complete in fall of 2008, with the remainder completed by fall of 2009. Superintendent Scott reminded the audience that the park’s transportation plan will be implemented in stages as planning, design and appropriations become available.
In her final remarks, Superintendent Scott said: “As the pathway begins to take shape, we recognize the important balance between maintaining critical wildlife habitat and providing safe visitor access. Through these pathways, along with our hiking trails and new visitor center, we have set the stage for our visitors to form personal connections that inspire them to become more conservation-minded, and more engaged in helping to care for the land, our incomparable wildlife, and our common heritage. We need to keep in mind that all of us are stewards of this special place, for present-day and future generations.”
08-21
Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and the staff of Grand Teton National Park hosted over 100 people at an outdoor event on Saturday, May 17, to mark the beginning of construction on multi-use pathways in the park. National Park Service Intermountain Region Director Mike Snyder, National Parks and Conservation Association President Tom Kiernan and Trustee Emeritus Gretchen Long, Friends of Pathways Board Member Don Alsted, and Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) served as honored guest speakers for a groundbreaking ceremony held in Moose, Wyoming against a backdrop of the snow-covered Teton Range.
Superintendent Scott welcomed the audience, which included David Axelrad, father of Gabriella Axelrad. Thirteen-year-old Gabriella was accidentally killed by an inattentive driver while bicycling on a park road in 1999, and her untimely death began a movement to establish separated pathways in Grand Teton.
Superintendent Scott also paid tribute to the late Senator Craig Thomas for his unwavering dedication to Grand Teton National Park and his ability to secure federal appropriations for special projects such as the new Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center and multi-use pathways. Senator Thomas was able to obtain $8 million in federal appropriations for park pathways.
In addition, Superintendent Scott acknowledged the interest and support shown by the local community, as well as the Teton County commissioners, Jackson Mayor Mark Barron and the Jackson Town Council, who have been instrumental in establishing pathways within the town of Jackson and the valley of Jackson Hole. At the completion of remarks, Superintendent Scott invited all the guest speakers to join her with gold-colored shovels in hand to break ground where the pathway will be constructed.
Full construction will begin later this month on the first pathway segment—an 8-mile section that runs parallel to the Teton Park Road from Dornan’s, near the junction with Highway 26/89/191, to the South Jenny Lake area. The first portion of the pathway segment will be complete in fall of 2008, with the remainder completed by fall of 2009. Superintendent Scott reminded the audience that the park’s transportation plan will be implemented in stages as planning, design and appropriations become available.
In her final remarks, Superintendent Scott said: “As the pathway begins to take shape, we recognize the important balance between maintaining critical wildlife habitat and providing safe visitor access. Through these pathways, along with our hiking trails and new visitor center, we have set the stage for our visitors to form personal connections that inspire them to become more conservation-minded, and more engaged in helping to care for the land, our incomparable wildlife, and our common heritage. We need to keep in mind that all of us are stewards of this special place, for present-day and future generations.”
Annual Spring Clean-Up to Occur in Grand Teton National Park
May 19, 2008
08-21
Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that Grand Teton National Park staff and concession employees will join together for the annual park clean-up day on Thursday, May 22. From 8 a.m. to noon, employees will be out picking up litter along park roadways, turnouts and parking lots before summer visitors arrive. Anyone driving through Grand Teton on Thursday morning should be alert for people walking along the roads. Slow moving and parked vehicles will be encountered during clean-up hours.
Each year before the summer season is in full swing, park and concession employees take time to remove litter and debris from park roadsides and turnouts. This activity typically takes place by mid May; however, this year the park clean-up was rescheduled for May 22 due to the lingering snow cover along many of the park’s roads.
"Although park staff and concessioner employees traditionally take this time to ‘spruce up’ the park before summer visitors arrive, each and everyone who visits Grand Teton can eliminate unsightly trash by placing any litter in garbage cans and dumpsters located throughout the park. This relatively simple, and responsible, act is very much appreciated,” said Superintendent Scott.
The Craig Thomas and Colter Bay visitor centers and bookstores, as well as the interagency communication center and law enforcement patrols, will continue normal operations while clean-up efforts are under way throughout the park.
08-21
Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that Grand Teton National Park staff and concession employees will join together for the annual park clean-up day on Thursday, May 22. From 8 a.m. to noon, employees will be out picking up litter along park roadways, turnouts and parking lots before summer visitors arrive. Anyone driving through Grand Teton on Thursday morning should be alert for people walking along the roads. Slow moving and parked vehicles will be encountered during clean-up hours.
Each year before the summer season is in full swing, park and concession employees take time to remove litter and debris from park roadsides and turnouts. This activity typically takes place by mid May; however, this year the park clean-up was rescheduled for May 22 due to the lingering snow cover along many of the park’s roads.
"Although park staff and concessioner employees traditionally take this time to ‘spruce up’ the park before summer visitors arrive, each and everyone who visits Grand Teton can eliminate unsightly trash by placing any litter in garbage cans and dumpsters located throughout the park. This relatively simple, and responsible, act is very much appreciated,” said Superintendent Scott.
The Craig Thomas and Colter Bay visitor centers and bookstores, as well as the interagency communication center and law enforcement patrols, will continue normal operations while clean-up efforts are under way throughout the park.
Grand Teton National Park Rangers Receive Interior Department Valor Awards
May 15, 2008
08-20
Renny Jackson, Chris Harder, Jack McConnell, Dave Bywater, Ed Visnovske, and Steve Rickert received a Department of the Interior Valor Award from Secretary Dirk Kempthorne at a special ceremony held on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, in Washington D.C. Five of the valor award recipients are rangers at Grand Teton National Park who serve on the mountain rescue team based at Jenny Lake; Rickert, who worked as a seasonal ranger during the 1980s and 1990s, is a registered nurse at St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming. Visnovske was recognized for unusual courage involving a high degree of personal risk during a 2002 rescue on Middle Cathedral Rock in Yosemite Valley at Yosemite National Park. Jackson, Harder, McConnell, Bywater and Rickert received their awards for heroic actions during a life-saving mountain rescue operation in 2004 on Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park. In both rescue incidents, lives were saved by the professionalism, skill and courage of these six men.
Denali National Park Chief Ranger Pete Armington recommended valor awards for Jackson, Harder, McConnell, Bywater and Rickert, and submitted the following account of the Mt. McKinley rescue: On May 20, 2004, Korean climber Ho Cho sustained severe head injuries in a fall on Mt. McKinley’s West Buttress. While his climbing partner descended for help, Cho endured an exposed night at 18,200 feet. Extreme weather turned back two rescue attempts by Cho’s teammates. Alerted by radio, park rangers at the 14,200-foot camp mobilized a rescue team consisting of NPS employees Bywater, Harder, Jackson, McConnell, and Rickert, as well as two British volunteers. They reached the 17,200-foot high camp in just over three hours, a remarkable demonstration of strength and stamina given the elevation, technical terrain, and whiteout conditions. Rickert and Bywater initially remained to erect dome tents and construct snow walls for protection from high winds, an effort that later proved critical to the survival of both Cho and the rescuers. Meanwhile, their teammates began the climb to Denali Pass to locate Cho on the Harper Glacier, 800 feet below the Pass. Semi-conscious and severely frostbitten, Cho was packaged in a rescue sled and dragged back up to the Pass.
The team then faced a series of time-consuming technical rope lowerings to the 17,200-foot camp in gale-force winds, arctic temperatures, and driving snow. With time of the essence, Jackson placed a single ice axe as an initial anchor. Harder and McConnell attended the litter while the British volunteers established the next anchor system. The patient was carefully lowered down the steep, treacherous terrain, and then transferred to the next system, a leap-frogging method repeatedly employed for several hours. Soon after the lowering started, Bywater and Rickert rejoined the team, providing crucial relief for their exhausted teammates. Visibility at this time was often less than 100 feet, and the avalanche hazard steadily increased. The entire rescue team finally reached the temporary safety of the high camp shelter after 18 hours of grueling and dangerous work. During the night, Rickert and Harder provided constant medical care to the patient. Continuing bad weather the following day forced the team to complete a 3,000-foot technical rope lowering (with Rickert attending the rescue litter) to the 14,200-foot camp, from where Cho was evacuated a day later. Without this team’s selfless efforts, there is no doubt Cho would have perished.
Denali Chief Ranger Armington stated, “Over the last 35 years, I have seen NPS rangers execute many remarkable rescues—in Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton and Denali. Few, if any, of these rescues required the sheer physical team effort and endurance that this one did. What the Grand Teton patrol accomplished, without any air support and under the most extreme environmental conditions, stands out as a truly amazing and astounding life-saving achievement. They are heroes!”
Yosemite National Park Emergency Services Manager Keith Lober recommended the valor award for Visnovske, and submitted the following account of the rescue operation on Middle Cathedral Rock:On June 2, 2002, just before nightfall, Yosemite Valley rangers received a report of a significant rock fall followed by calls for help coming from the Direct North Buttress route on Middle Cathedral Rock. Using a spotting scope and public address system, rangers determined that 33-year old John Kurth of Durango, Colorado, had been caught in a rock fall that swept over him, injuring his neck, his shoulder, and fracturing his elbow. Due to nightfall and the difficult position of the climbing party—1,700 feet above the valley floor at the base of a long chimney system laden with loose rock—it was decided that it would be necessary to wait until morning to conduct the rescue effort. Kurth’s climbing partner held Kurth’s arm in traction as they huddled all night on a tiny sloping ledge. Early the next morning, rangers John Dill, Dave Horne, Greg Lawler and Ed Visnovske, and firefighters Dan Gleason and Shawn Walters, rappelled from the park’s helicopter to a small ledge 300 feet above the injured climber. From this dangerous, small ledge, the rescue team worked together to build a technical rope rigging system and then lowered Ranger Dave Horne three hundred feet down the loose rock in the chimney system to Kurth’s location. The entire area remained very much at risk of continued rock fall throughout the rescue operation. The rescue team handling the technical rope system at the top of the long chimney had to be vigilant of rock fall hitting them from above, and also had to be cautious about accidentally initiating a rock fall onto the victim and rescuers below in the vertical chimney. Once with the patient, Ranger Horne packaged Kurth into a rescue litter with the assistance of Kurth’s climbing partner. The rescue team then reversed their rope system and cautiously hauled Ranger Horne and Kurth to the top of the chimney where they were short-hauled by long line under the park helicopter to El Capitan Meadow and a waiting ambulance. The rest of the rescue team, Dill, Lawler, Visnovske, Walters and Gleason were then short-hauled by the helicopter to El Capitan Meadow. For his heroic actions, courage, teamwork, and professionalism, Edward Visnovske is granted the Valor Award of the Department of the Interior.
Yosemite EMS Manager Lober stated, “This was a difficult, technical rescue that demanded a high-level of skill, caution and proficiency to execute. Ed was instrumental to the rescue operation, and the entire team used their climbing expertise to safely carry out a successful mission, bringing Mr. Kurth to safety and needed medical care.”
Valor awards are presented to Department of the Interior employees who have demonstrated unusual courage involving a high degree of personal risk in the face of danger. The act of heroism is not required to be related to official duties, or to have occurred at the official duty station. Recipients receive a special certificate and citation signed by the Secretary, and an engraved gold valor award medal.
08-20
Renny Jackson, Chris Harder, Jack McConnell, Dave Bywater, Ed Visnovske, and Steve Rickert received a Department of the Interior Valor Award from Secretary Dirk Kempthorne at a special ceremony held on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, in Washington D.C. Five of the valor award recipients are rangers at Grand Teton National Park who serve on the mountain rescue team based at Jenny Lake; Rickert, who worked as a seasonal ranger during the 1980s and 1990s, is a registered nurse at St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming. Visnovske was recognized for unusual courage involving a high degree of personal risk during a 2002 rescue on Middle Cathedral Rock in Yosemite Valley at Yosemite National Park. Jackson, Harder, McConnell, Bywater and Rickert received their awards for heroic actions during a life-saving mountain rescue operation in 2004 on Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park. In both rescue incidents, lives were saved by the professionalism, skill and courage of these six men.
Denali National Park Chief Ranger Pete Armington recommended valor awards for Jackson, Harder, McConnell, Bywater and Rickert, and submitted the following account of the Mt. McKinley rescue: On May 20, 2004, Korean climber Ho Cho sustained severe head injuries in a fall on Mt. McKinley’s West Buttress. While his climbing partner descended for help, Cho endured an exposed night at 18,200 feet. Extreme weather turned back two rescue attempts by Cho’s teammates. Alerted by radio, park rangers at the 14,200-foot camp mobilized a rescue team consisting of NPS employees Bywater, Harder, Jackson, McConnell, and Rickert, as well as two British volunteers. They reached the 17,200-foot high camp in just over three hours, a remarkable demonstration of strength and stamina given the elevation, technical terrain, and whiteout conditions. Rickert and Bywater initially remained to erect dome tents and construct snow walls for protection from high winds, an effort that later proved critical to the survival of both Cho and the rescuers. Meanwhile, their teammates began the climb to Denali Pass to locate Cho on the Harper Glacier, 800 feet below the Pass. Semi-conscious and severely frostbitten, Cho was packaged in a rescue sled and dragged back up to the Pass.
The team then faced a series of time-consuming technical rope lowerings to the 17,200-foot camp in gale-force winds, arctic temperatures, and driving snow. With time of the essence, Jackson placed a single ice axe as an initial anchor. Harder and McConnell attended the litter while the British volunteers established the next anchor system. The patient was carefully lowered down the steep, treacherous terrain, and then transferred to the next system, a leap-frogging method repeatedly employed for several hours. Soon after the lowering started, Bywater and Rickert rejoined the team, providing crucial relief for their exhausted teammates. Visibility at this time was often less than 100 feet, and the avalanche hazard steadily increased. The entire rescue team finally reached the temporary safety of the high camp shelter after 18 hours of grueling and dangerous work. During the night, Rickert and Harder provided constant medical care to the patient. Continuing bad weather the following day forced the team to complete a 3,000-foot technical rope lowering (with Rickert attending the rescue litter) to the 14,200-foot camp, from where Cho was evacuated a day later. Without this team’s selfless efforts, there is no doubt Cho would have perished.
Denali Chief Ranger Armington stated, “Over the last 35 years, I have seen NPS rangers execute many remarkable rescues—in Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Grand Teton and Denali. Few, if any, of these rescues required the sheer physical team effort and endurance that this one did. What the Grand Teton patrol accomplished, without any air support and under the most extreme environmental conditions, stands out as a truly amazing and astounding life-saving achievement. They are heroes!”
Yosemite National Park Emergency Services Manager Keith Lober recommended the valor award for Visnovske, and submitted the following account of the rescue operation on Middle Cathedral Rock:On June 2, 2002, just before nightfall, Yosemite Valley rangers received a report of a significant rock fall followed by calls for help coming from the Direct North Buttress route on Middle Cathedral Rock. Using a spotting scope and public address system, rangers determined that 33-year old John Kurth of Durango, Colorado, had been caught in a rock fall that swept over him, injuring his neck, his shoulder, and fracturing his elbow. Due to nightfall and the difficult position of the climbing party—1,700 feet above the valley floor at the base of a long chimney system laden with loose rock—it was decided that it would be necessary to wait until morning to conduct the rescue effort. Kurth’s climbing partner held Kurth’s arm in traction as they huddled all night on a tiny sloping ledge. Early the next morning, rangers John Dill, Dave Horne, Greg Lawler and Ed Visnovske, and firefighters Dan Gleason and Shawn Walters, rappelled from the park’s helicopter to a small ledge 300 feet above the injured climber. From this dangerous, small ledge, the rescue team worked together to build a technical rope rigging system and then lowered Ranger Dave Horne three hundred feet down the loose rock in the chimney system to Kurth’s location. The entire area remained very much at risk of continued rock fall throughout the rescue operation. The rescue team handling the technical rope system at the top of the long chimney had to be vigilant of rock fall hitting them from above, and also had to be cautious about accidentally initiating a rock fall onto the victim and rescuers below in the vertical chimney. Once with the patient, Ranger Horne packaged Kurth into a rescue litter with the assistance of Kurth’s climbing partner. The rescue team then reversed their rope system and cautiously hauled Ranger Horne and Kurth to the top of the chimney where they were short-hauled by long line under the park helicopter to El Capitan Meadow and a waiting ambulance. The rest of the rescue team, Dill, Lawler, Visnovske, Walters and Gleason were then short-hauled by the helicopter to El Capitan Meadow. For his heroic actions, courage, teamwork, and professionalism, Edward Visnovske is granted the Valor Award of the Department of the Interior.
Yosemite EMS Manager Lober stated, “This was a difficult, technical rescue that demanded a high-level of skill, caution and proficiency to execute. Ed was instrumental to the rescue operation, and the entire team used their climbing expertise to safely carry out a successful mission, bringing Mr. Kurth to safety and needed medical care.”
Valor awards are presented to Department of the Interior employees who have demonstrated unusual courage involving a high degree of personal risk in the face of danger. The act of heroism is not required to be related to official duties, or to have occurred at the official duty station. Recipients receive a special certificate and citation signed by the Secretary, and an engraved gold valor award medal.
Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship Awarded for 2008
May 12, 2008
08-19
Grand Teton National Park and the Grand Teton Association (GTA) are pleased to announce that Emilene Ostlind has received the Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship for 2008. Ostlind, the fourth recipient of an Evison Fellowship, is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie in the disciplines of creative writing, and environment and natural resources. She plans to use her fellowship award to produce a series of nonfiction essays about the pronghorn antelope herd that summers in Grand Teton National Park and winters in the Upper Green River Basin as a means to promote designation of a national migration corridor for their protection.
Ostlind graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Wyoming in 2004. She earned multiple undergraduate degrees: a B.A. in environment and natural resources, a B.A. in humanities/fine arts, and a B.A. in Spanish. Ostlind has also received numerous awards and honors during her academic career, including becoming a Wyoming candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship in 2004.
In her application for the Evison Fellowship, Ostlind states, “While scientific studies, resource management planning and even political lobbying play crucial roles in the conservation of habitat and wild places, I would propose that creative arts most strongly influence public attitudes about how to prioritize land use.” Ostlind also states that, “Throughout the history of American conservation, each landmark event or movement has been preceded by literature that compelled general audiences and connected them to landscapes, flora, fauna, and other ecosystem elements—often those in imminent danger.” As part of her project, Ostlind plans to hike the length of the pronghorn migration path from the Red Desert south of Pinedale to Grand Teton National Park. She will also spend the summer interacting with scientists and conservationist groups who are trying to bring attention to the pronghorn migratory path and the establishment of a national migration corridor.
The Evison Fellowship was established in memory of Boyd Evison after his death in October, 2002, and created to honor Boyd’s extensive and dedicated service to both the National Park Service (NPS) and GTA. Evison retired in 1994 from an exemplary 42-year career with the NPS and soon after began a second career as executive director for the GTA, a non-profit park partner dedicated to aiding interpretive, educational, and research programs for Grand Teton National Park.
Evison Fellowships provide tuition assistance and a yearly stipend to cover travel and field research costs; Grand Teton offers housing and office space for students during field sessions. The goal of the fellowship is to encourage scientific and conservation-related research in national parks. It invites highly motivated, graduate students to conduct research within Grand Teton and the greater Yellowstone area; and it supports study leading to a master’s or Ph.D. degree in the biosciences, geosciences or social sciences. Upon program completion, the Evison Fellow provides a copy of his/her thesis to the GTA.
To inquire about applying for a Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship, or to donate funds toward this worthy program, please contact Jan Lynch, executive director, Grand Teton Association at P.O. Box 170, Moose, Wyoming, 83012, or call 307.739.3406.
08-19
Grand Teton National Park and the Grand Teton Association (GTA) are pleased to announce that Emilene Ostlind has received the Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship for 2008. Ostlind, the fourth recipient of an Evison Fellowship, is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie in the disciplines of creative writing, and environment and natural resources. She plans to use her fellowship award to produce a series of nonfiction essays about the pronghorn antelope herd that summers in Grand Teton National Park and winters in the Upper Green River Basin as a means to promote designation of a national migration corridor for their protection.
Ostlind graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Wyoming in 2004. She earned multiple undergraduate degrees: a B.A. in environment and natural resources, a B.A. in humanities/fine arts, and a B.A. in Spanish. Ostlind has also received numerous awards and honors during her academic career, including becoming a Wyoming candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship in 2004.
In her application for the Evison Fellowship, Ostlind states, “While scientific studies, resource management planning and even political lobbying play crucial roles in the conservation of habitat and wild places, I would propose that creative arts most strongly influence public attitudes about how to prioritize land use.” Ostlind also states that, “Throughout the history of American conservation, each landmark event or movement has been preceded by literature that compelled general audiences and connected them to landscapes, flora, fauna, and other ecosystem elements—often those in imminent danger.” As part of her project, Ostlind plans to hike the length of the pronghorn migration path from the Red Desert south of Pinedale to Grand Teton National Park. She will also spend the summer interacting with scientists and conservationist groups who are trying to bring attention to the pronghorn migratory path and the establishment of a national migration corridor.
The Evison Fellowship was established in memory of Boyd Evison after his death in October, 2002, and created to honor Boyd’s extensive and dedicated service to both the National Park Service (NPS) and GTA. Evison retired in 1994 from an exemplary 42-year career with the NPS and soon after began a second career as executive director for the GTA, a non-profit park partner dedicated to aiding interpretive, educational, and research programs for Grand Teton National Park.
Evison Fellowships provide tuition assistance and a yearly stipend to cover travel and field research costs; Grand Teton offers housing and office space for students during field sessions. The goal of the fellowship is to encourage scientific and conservation-related research in national parks. It invites highly motivated, graduate students to conduct research within Grand Teton and the greater Yellowstone area; and it supports study leading to a master’s or Ph.D. degree in the biosciences, geosciences or social sciences. Upon program completion, the Evison Fellow provides a copy of his/her thesis to the GTA.
To inquire about applying for a Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship, or to donate funds toward this worthy program, please contact Jan Lynch, executive director, Grand Teton Association at P.O. Box 170, Moose, Wyoming, 83012, or call 307.739.3406.
Delayed Opening of Facilities in Grand Teton National Park
May 6, 2008
08-17
All facilities at south Jenny Lake— including the Jenny Lake visitor center, ranger station, public comfort station, store, campground, and Jenny Lake boating facilities—will not open until Thursday, May 22, 2008. This change from the previously announced schedule is due to a lingering, substantial snowpack (three to four feet deep) as well as freezing overnight temperatures that may affect water pipes. All trails in the south Jenny Lake area are snow-covered and icy, including pathways to and from the lakeshore and around the buildings. Trails on the west shore of Jenny Lake are buried under eight to ten feet of snow. Foot travel will be difficult, so hiking is not recommended at this time.
Public campsites will be available at Gros Ventre and Signal Mountain campgrounds starting Friday, May 9; however, due to considerable snow cover, Signal Mountain campground is limited to self-contained RV sites only—tent sites, grills and picnic tables are still buried under several feet of snow. The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is open year-round; the Colter Bay Visitor Center will open on Saturday, May 10 as planned.
The gravel parking lot for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is partially snow-covered and saturated with moisture; therefore, use of the parking lot will not be possible until the surface is clear of snow, dries, and hardens enough to support vehicles without being damaged. Weather conditions will determine the length of time required for this temporary restriction.
Although Moose-Wilson Road within Grand Teton National Park opened to vehicular traffic for the 2008 summer season on Thursday, May 1, motorists are advised to plan for a temporary travel closure on this road from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 23. The closure is necessary to prepare for and apply a dust abatement product to the gravel portion of the road from the Granite Canyon trailhead parking area for a distance of 1.5 miles north. This temporary closure precludes the ability to make a “through trip” on the Moose-Wilson Road. The roadwork schedule and closure may change or be delayed due to weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.
The product used for dust abatement is a slurry of magnesium chloride. It is the same product used by Teton County to treat dirt roads in and around Jackson Hole. This product coats the road surface, but it can also adhere to the undercarriage of vehicles. Motorists who drive the Moose-Wilson Road after it reopens on Friday evening may want to rinse off their vehicles to eliminate any residue.
Local residents and park visitors are advised to make travel plans accordingly and detour away from the Moose-Wilson Road during the closure on Friday, May 23rd.
08-17
All facilities at south Jenny Lake— including the Jenny Lake visitor center, ranger station, public comfort station, store, campground, and Jenny Lake boating facilities—will not open until Thursday, May 22, 2008. This change from the previously announced schedule is due to a lingering, substantial snowpack (three to four feet deep) as well as freezing overnight temperatures that may affect water pipes. All trails in the south Jenny Lake area are snow-covered and icy, including pathways to and from the lakeshore and around the buildings. Trails on the west shore of Jenny Lake are buried under eight to ten feet of snow. Foot travel will be difficult, so hiking is not recommended at this time.
Public campsites will be available at Gros Ventre and Signal Mountain campgrounds starting Friday, May 9; however, due to considerable snow cover, Signal Mountain campground is limited to self-contained RV sites only—tent sites, grills and picnic tables are still buried under several feet of snow. The Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center is open year-round; the Colter Bay Visitor Center will open on Saturday, May 10 as planned.
The gravel parking lot for the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve is partially snow-covered and saturated with moisture; therefore, use of the parking lot will not be possible until the surface is clear of snow, dries, and hardens enough to support vehicles without being damaged. Weather conditions will determine the length of time required for this temporary restriction.
Although Moose-Wilson Road within Grand Teton National Park opened to vehicular traffic for the 2008 summer season on Thursday, May 1, motorists are advised to plan for a temporary travel closure on this road from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, May 23. The closure is necessary to prepare for and apply a dust abatement product to the gravel portion of the road from the Granite Canyon trailhead parking area for a distance of 1.5 miles north. This temporary closure precludes the ability to make a “through trip” on the Moose-Wilson Road. The roadwork schedule and closure may change or be delayed due to weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.
The product used for dust abatement is a slurry of magnesium chloride. It is the same product used by Teton County to treat dirt roads in and around Jackson Hole. This product coats the road surface, but it can also adhere to the undercarriage of vehicles. Motorists who drive the Moose-Wilson Road after it reopens on Friday evening may want to rinse off their vehicles to eliminate any residue.
Local residents and park visitors are advised to make travel plans accordingly and detour away from the Moose-Wilson Road during the closure on Friday, May 23rd.
Grand Teton National Park Celebrates International Migratory Bird Day
May 6, 2008
08-18
Grand Teton National Park will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) with a bird-watching caravan on Sunday, May 11, 2008. Park ranger naturalist Andrew Langford will visit birding hotspots throughout the park to locate, identify, and count birds as part of the North American Migration Count.The free activity begins at 8 a.m. in the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at Moose, Wyoming and finishes by 4 p.m. at Christian Pond near Jackson Lake Lodge. Park entrance stations are open and collecting fees; participants will need to present a park pass when passing through these stations.
Observed each year in May to celebrate and support bird conservation, IMBD serves as the hallmark outreach event for Partners in Flight—an international conservation program whose goal is to reverse declining populations of migratory birds by bringing attention to factors that may contribute to worldwide declines. Anyone interested in birds is welcome to participate in Grand Teton’s IMBD celebration and annual bird count. Reservations are not required. Throughout the day, participants will take short walks at various locations, so those attending should wear comfortable shoes and bring a lunch, drinking water, warm clothing and rain gear. Bird field guides, binoculars and spotting scopes are also recommended.
According to the IMBD Web site, the theme for 2008 is “Tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitat and People.” This theme focuses on the long distances that migratory birds travel between breeding and non-breeding sites throughout the Western Hemisphere. It also highlights the birds that make these fantastic journeys, and explores the habitats on which they depend and what those habitats provide. Additionally, the 2008 theme draws attention to the people who are important to conservation of birds and their habitats.
Nearly 350 North American migratory bird species travel each year between their nesting grounds in North America and non-breeding habitats in South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the southern United States; these include such familiar birds as ospreys, peregrine falcons, warblers and thrushes. Each spring, many of the same birds return to northwestern Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park where they find critical food resources and nesting sites during the summer season. Besides providing enjoyment for bird watchers around the world, migratory birds contribute to local, regional and world economies by controlling insect pests and generating billions in recreational dollars. Unfortunately, research indicates that many migratory bird species are in decline and facing increased threats on their migration routes and within their summer and winter habitats.
For more information about International Migratory Bird Day and the North American Migration Count, please call the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at 307.739.3399.
08-18
Grand Teton National Park will celebrate International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) with a bird-watching caravan on Sunday, May 11, 2008. Park ranger naturalist Andrew Langford will visit birding hotspots throughout the park to locate, identify, and count birds as part of the North American Migration Count.The free activity begins at 8 a.m. in the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at Moose, Wyoming and finishes by 4 p.m. at Christian Pond near Jackson Lake Lodge. Park entrance stations are open and collecting fees; participants will need to present a park pass when passing through these stations.
Observed each year in May to celebrate and support bird conservation, IMBD serves as the hallmark outreach event for Partners in Flight—an international conservation program whose goal is to reverse declining populations of migratory birds by bringing attention to factors that may contribute to worldwide declines. Anyone interested in birds is welcome to participate in Grand Teton’s IMBD celebration and annual bird count. Reservations are not required. Throughout the day, participants will take short walks at various locations, so those attending should wear comfortable shoes and bring a lunch, drinking water, warm clothing and rain gear. Bird field guides, binoculars and spotting scopes are also recommended.
According to the IMBD Web site, the theme for 2008 is “Tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitat and People.” This theme focuses on the long distances that migratory birds travel between breeding and non-breeding sites throughout the Western Hemisphere. It also highlights the birds that make these fantastic journeys, and explores the habitats on which they depend and what those habitats provide. Additionally, the 2008 theme draws attention to the people who are important to conservation of birds and their habitats.
Nearly 350 North American migratory bird species travel each year between their nesting grounds in North America and non-breeding habitats in South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the southern United States; these include such familiar birds as ospreys, peregrine falcons, warblers and thrushes. Each spring, many of the same birds return to northwestern Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park where they find critical food resources and nesting sites during the summer season. Besides providing enjoyment for bird watchers around the world, migratory birds contribute to local, regional and world economies by controlling insect pests and generating billions in recreational dollars. Unfortunately, research indicates that many migratory bird species are in decline and facing increased threats on their migration routes and within their summer and winter habitats.
For more information about International Migratory Bird Day and the North American Migration Count, please call the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at 307.739.3399.
Bridger-Teton and Grand Teton Fire Managers Plan Spring-time Prescribed Fires
Interagency News Release
Grand Teton National Park
Bridger-Teton National Forest
April 29, 2008
Teton interagency fire managers plan to conduct several prescribed fires this spring to treat more than 2,900 acres of wildland fuels. Projects are scheduled for locations in Kemmerer, Pinedale and Jackson Hole, and include: the Granite Creek area in Grand Teton National Park; the Lava Creek area east of Moran Junction; Hoback Ranches on the Bridger-Teton National Forest; and the Chicken Creek area on the south end of the Wind River mountains. In addition, the Kemmerer district will be burning piles in the Fontenelle Basin. If weather conditions are conducive, firefighters will burn these proposed units during the next few weeks of May.
“Prescribed fires in the spring create a mosaic of burned and unburned fuels, resulting in diverse wildlife habitat and vigorous plant regrowth,” said Interagency Fuels Specialist Mack McFarland. “However, prolonged winter weather conditions have pushed back our normal spring burning by as much as two weeks. These conditions have also created a short window of opportunity between snow off and green up when prescribed fires can be effectively used to treat target acres.”
North Zone Projects:
Lava Creek – This prescribed fire, which is primarily on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, includes two units totaling 182-acres in the Buffalo Valley defensible space fuels reduction project. The project area contains primarily sagebrush and grass fuels with intermixed aspen and conifer-encroached aspen stands. The prescribed fire will help break up the continuity of brush fields while maintaining or increasing the coverage of aspen stands to reduce the potential for high-intensity fires.
Granite Creek – This prescribed fire includes 92 acres of sagebrush and grass near Poker Flats at Grand Teton National Park’s southern boundary. Along with reintroducing fire to create a mosaic of burned and unburned areas to enhance habitat, this project will modify fuel loading to reduce fire behavior in the event of a wildfire in an area that borders private residences and lands, and includes park buildings and other facilities.
Both projects focus on creating defensible space around park and forest developed areas, and target accumulations of flammable fuels to minimize risk of future high-intensity wildland fires.
East Zone Projects:
Hoback Ranches Pile Burn – This prescribed fire on the Bridger-Teton National Forest includes 10 units and a total of 250 acres of piles near the community of Hoback Ranches. Burning of these piles is a follow up treatment to the Hoback Ranches wildland urban interface thinning that was completed in 2005 and 2006.
Chicken Creek – This project is a landscape burn in sagebrush, grass, and aspen fuel types. The purpose of the project is to increase habitat diversity and structure to improve the vegetative quality and quantity in deer and elk transition range in the Chicken Creek and Squaw Creek areas of the Pinedale Ranger District. The prescribed fire area includes 2,310 acres.
“Even though April has provided colder than normal temperatures, and delayed our spring burning, I am hopeful that we will still have a burn window to accomplish some fuels and wildlife related objectives,” said Bridger-Teton’s East Zone Fuels Asst. Fire Management Officer Mark Randall.
Fire managers will proceed with prescribed fire ignitions when favorable weather and fire behavior conditions are met. Smoke will be visible the day of the burn, and may persist for several days, especially in mountain valleys during early morning and evenings. Please use caution in the vicinity of the fires and be aware that minimal traffic restrictions may be implemented to allow for public and firefighter safety and fire equipment access.
For more information about prescribed fires, please call 307-739-3692 for park information or 307-739-5500 for forest information.
Grand Teton National Park
Bridger-Teton National Forest
April 29, 2008
Teton interagency fire managers plan to conduct several prescribed fires this spring to treat more than 2,900 acres of wildland fuels. Projects are scheduled for locations in Kemmerer, Pinedale and Jackson Hole, and include: the Granite Creek area in Grand Teton National Park; the Lava Creek area east of Moran Junction; Hoback Ranches on the Bridger-Teton National Forest; and the Chicken Creek area on the south end of the Wind River mountains. In addition, the Kemmerer district will be burning piles in the Fontenelle Basin. If weather conditions are conducive, firefighters will burn these proposed units during the next few weeks of May.
“Prescribed fires in the spring create a mosaic of burned and unburned fuels, resulting in diverse wildlife habitat and vigorous plant regrowth,” said Interagency Fuels Specialist Mack McFarland. “However, prolonged winter weather conditions have pushed back our normal spring burning by as much as two weeks. These conditions have also created a short window of opportunity between snow off and green up when prescribed fires can be effectively used to treat target acres.”
North Zone Projects:
Lava Creek – This prescribed fire, which is primarily on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, includes two units totaling 182-acres in the Buffalo Valley defensible space fuels reduction project. The project area contains primarily sagebrush and grass fuels with intermixed aspen and conifer-encroached aspen stands. The prescribed fire will help break up the continuity of brush fields while maintaining or increasing the coverage of aspen stands to reduce the potential for high-intensity fires.
Granite Creek – This prescribed fire includes 92 acres of sagebrush and grass near Poker Flats at Grand Teton National Park’s southern boundary. Along with reintroducing fire to create a mosaic of burned and unburned areas to enhance habitat, this project will modify fuel loading to reduce fire behavior in the event of a wildfire in an area that borders private residences and lands, and includes park buildings and other facilities.
Both projects focus on creating defensible space around park and forest developed areas, and target accumulations of flammable fuels to minimize risk of future high-intensity wildland fires.
East Zone Projects:
Hoback Ranches Pile Burn – This prescribed fire on the Bridger-Teton National Forest includes 10 units and a total of 250 acres of piles near the community of Hoback Ranches. Burning of these piles is a follow up treatment to the Hoback Ranches wildland urban interface thinning that was completed in 2005 and 2006.
Chicken Creek – This project is a landscape burn in sagebrush, grass, and aspen fuel types. The purpose of the project is to increase habitat diversity and structure to improve the vegetative quality and quantity in deer and elk transition range in the Chicken Creek and Squaw Creek areas of the Pinedale Ranger District. The prescribed fire area includes 2,310 acres.
“Even though April has provided colder than normal temperatures, and delayed our spring burning, I am hopeful that we will still have a burn window to accomplish some fuels and wildlife related objectives,” said Bridger-Teton’s East Zone Fuels Asst. Fire Management Officer Mark Randall.
Fire managers will proceed with prescribed fire ignitions when favorable weather and fire behavior conditions are met. Smoke will be visible the day of the burn, and may persist for several days, especially in mountain valleys during early morning and evenings. Please use caution in the vicinity of the fires and be aware that minimal traffic restrictions may be implemented to allow for public and firefighter safety and fire equipment access.
For more information about prescribed fires, please call 307-739-3692 for park information or 307-739-5500 for forest information.
Caution Advised for Bears Actively Seeking Food
Interagency News Release
Grand Teton National Park
Wyoming Game and Fish
April 24, 2008
Local residents living in the greater Jackson Hole area are cautioned that bears—including grizzly bears—are actively seeking food and have recently visited residences where attractants such as bird feeders, composting bins, garbage, and pet foods have been stored outside during the winter months. Since bears are out of their winter dens, these attractants must be cleaned up immediately and stored out of reach of bears to prevent them from obtaining food rewards. Access to human food habituates bears, and habituated animals can lose their fear of humans—which in turn threatens the safety of both people and the bears themselves. Responsible residents of Jackson Hole should annually secure all food, garbage and other odorous items during early spring when hungry bears have emerged from hibernation.
As bears leave their winter dens, they search for any food source that will help restore fat reserves lost during hibernation. Winter-weakened animals and winter-killed wildlife carcasses generally provide immediate sources of protein. When these carcasses are not readily available to bears, they may search for other foods, including easily obtained human-foods. After snow banks recede, bears also dig up and eat burrowing rodents and spring wildflowers; however, with a significant snowpack remaining from the rigorous winter, access to these food sources may be limited.
As bears have once again become active, appropriate precautions for traveling in bear country must be taken. Do not approach a bear under any circumstances. This is particularly important for situations involving bears with cubs, and bears near a carcass or other food source. Be especially alert for the possibility of bears scavenging on a winter-killed animal carcass. If fresh bear sign or scavenger birds (ravens, magpies, and eagles) are present, leave the area and take an alternate route of travel to avoid a potential encounter with bears that may be feeding at that location.
When traveling in bear country, precautionary measures should be exercised, including carrying bear pepper spray and keeping it easily accessible for ready use. Please take the time to learn how to properly handle bear pepper spray and remember that having it with you is not a substitute for being alert. While enjoying the Jackson Hole backcountry, hikers should exercise good judgment and follow recommended safety precautions, such as making noise and traveling in a group.
Local residents and park visitors are requested to report any sightings of bears—or signs of their activities—near developed areas. Reports should be made as soon as possible to the nearest park visitor center, ranger station, or the Wyoming Game and Fish Department office. This timely information will assist wildlife officials in keeping the public informed about recent bear activity, and in keeping bears away from unnatural food sources.
Grand Teton National Park
Wyoming Game and Fish
April 24, 2008
Local residents living in the greater Jackson Hole area are cautioned that bears—including grizzly bears—are actively seeking food and have recently visited residences where attractants such as bird feeders, composting bins, garbage, and pet foods have been stored outside during the winter months. Since bears are out of their winter dens, these attractants must be cleaned up immediately and stored out of reach of bears to prevent them from obtaining food rewards. Access to human food habituates bears, and habituated animals can lose their fear of humans—which in turn threatens the safety of both people and the bears themselves. Responsible residents of Jackson Hole should annually secure all food, garbage and other odorous items during early spring when hungry bears have emerged from hibernation.
As bears leave their winter dens, they search for any food source that will help restore fat reserves lost during hibernation. Winter-weakened animals and winter-killed wildlife carcasses generally provide immediate sources of protein. When these carcasses are not readily available to bears, they may search for other foods, including easily obtained human-foods. After snow banks recede, bears also dig up and eat burrowing rodents and spring wildflowers; however, with a significant snowpack remaining from the rigorous winter, access to these food sources may be limited.
As bears have once again become active, appropriate precautions for traveling in bear country must be taken. Do not approach a bear under any circumstances. This is particularly important for situations involving bears with cubs, and bears near a carcass or other food source. Be especially alert for the possibility of bears scavenging on a winter-killed animal carcass. If fresh bear sign or scavenger birds (ravens, magpies, and eagles) are present, leave the area and take an alternate route of travel to avoid a potential encounter with bears that may be feeding at that location.
When traveling in bear country, precautionary measures should be exercised, including carrying bear pepper spray and keeping it easily accessible for ready use. Please take the time to learn how to properly handle bear pepper spray and remember that having it with you is not a substitute for being alert. While enjoying the Jackson Hole backcountry, hikers should exercise good judgment and follow recommended safety precautions, such as making noise and traveling in a group.
Local residents and park visitors are requested to report any sightings of bears—or signs of their activities—near developed areas. Reports should be made as soon as possible to the nearest park visitor center, ranger station, or the Wyoming Game and Fish Department office. This timely information will assist wildlife officials in keeping the public informed about recent bear activity, and in keeping bears away from unnatural food sources.
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