Winter closures set to lift; park opening roads
From staff reports
April 30, 2009
Winter range closures will lift at 8 a.m. Friday in Bridger-Teton National Forest, a major step in the valley’s transition to spring.
The winter range closures include the slopes above Putt-Putt trail in the Cache Creek area, Josie’s Ridge and KC trails, the slopes north of Game Creek, Porcupine Creek, Horse Creek, Camp Creek, Poison Creek, Dog Creek and the Fall Creek area near Hoback Junction.
Winter restrictions also lift on roads in the Jackson and Buffalo ranger districts.
Until Friday, officials in the Jackson and Buffalo Ranger districts say users must abide by winter closures, which are essential for wildlife survival. Warm weather earlier this month kept patrollers busy following reports of people illegally entering closed winter ranges.
And recreationists should use good judgment after the closures are lifted. Roads and trails remain highly vulnerable to damage during the spring melt, and any roads damaged this spring may not be repaired in time for summer.
Minimizing impact now will ensure roads and trails are in good shape for summer.
The winter-to-spring transition also means overlaps in sporting use, as snowmobilers and skiers share terrain with hikers, cyclists and horseback riders.
Free travel maps, which delineate closure areas, are available at the forest supervisor’s office or the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center on North Cache Street. For information, call Bridger-Teton National Forest at 739-5500.
Also Friday, Grand Teton National Park will begin to open roadways to motor vehicle traffic for the start of the summer tourist season.
Teton Park and Moose-Wilson roads will open Friday. Antelope Flats Road reopened to vehicle traffic in mid-April.
The gravel road and parking area to the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve will remain closed to the public until the road can sufficiently dry out and harden to handle vehicles and work can be completed on the accessibility trail to the Preserve Center. Grassy Lake Road, in the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, will open June 1.
