TETON VILLAGE, Wyo. — The backcountry gates surrounding Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) have been closed to protect the public and search and rescue personnel while early season conditions persist, according to a Wednesday announcement by JHMR, Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) and Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF).
“Due to shallow snowpack below 8,000 feet, the backcountry gates around JHMR will remain closed until conditions improve to where search and rescue response is reasonably feasible,” Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr said in the announcement. “Current conditions at lower elevations make rescue difficult. It is unsafe or not possible to use rescue toboggans. Low snow could force skiers and riders to walk back to in-bounds areas once they enter the backcountry, potentially trapping them with no reasonable access back to the Resort.”
The announcement notes that the closure of these gates is “infrequent” but “not unprecedented,” and that the “safety mitigation [measure] falls within JHMR’s special use permit and a Forest Supervisor special order.”
Conditions will be monitored daily and gates will be opened when it is considered reasonably safe to do so.
