JACKSON, Wyo. — As temperatures begin to dip during the night in Jackson Hole, attention is shifting towards the impending winter season.
A few changes are going on at Jackson Hole Mountain resort, including the recent approval to increase backcountry permits. Back in June, Bridger-Teton National Forest approved a request from the resort to amend Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Outfitting and Guiding Special Use Permit. The amendment will now allow 2,4000 user days per season. No changes were made to the 50-day limit on Teton Pass.
The permit area will remain unchanged. The area includes 2,146 acres adjacent to JHMR’s southern boundary, Rock Springs, Jensen Canyon area, and 1,874 acres on the east side of Teton Pass on both sides of Highway 22.
The resort has held the Outfitter Guide permit for backcountry skiing for over 30 years.
Originally approved for 1,200 user days from December 1 through April 15, the resort began drawing additional days in 2012 through the Forest Service winter “pool.” This increased the user days to approximately 1,800 to 2,000 user days annually.
“The intent is that this will free up the pool days for other uses and they [JHMR] wouldn’t have to use the pool days,” Mary Cernicek BTNF Public Affairs Officer told Buckrail.
Bridger-Teton National Forest also approved a number of summer and winter trail improvements and infrastructure improvements.
ski trail improvements include:
- Rendezvous Trail widening
- Bird-In-The-Hand upgrade
- Hoback Trail entrance upgrade
- Cheyenne Gully exit upgrade
- Lower Sublette Ridge trail upgrade
Winter infrastructure improvements include:
- A new single-story ski patrol station under the top Tram dock
- A new garage for the Rendevous Peak snowcat near the top of the tram
- Relocation of an Avalanche Pipe Cannon from above the Bridger Gondola to the north of thr top Tram terminal
