WILSON, Wyo. — With already long wait times for parking on top of Teton Pass, U.S. Forest Service Teton Pass Ambassador Jay Pistono spoke to Buckrail about what skiers and boarders can do to create a safer and more enjoyable experience when heading out into the backcountry this winter.
Pistono is serving his 24th year as Teton Pass Ambassador and his fourth year as Teton Backcountry Alliance (TBCA) Field Director. According to TBCA, an ambassador shares information, answers questions, promotes responsible use and helps with basic parking area tasks, such as shoveling steps.
Pistono said that new this year, approximately 18 ambassadors will be helping to manage the backcountry access points, including Old Pass Road, Phillips Canyon trailhead, Teton Pass summit, Coal Creek and, if time allows, the Idaho state line. He said that an ambassador will most likely be on-hand from Fridays through Sundays for the duration of the season.
“Making personal contact with backcountry skiers is the most effective way of reminding people of the need to be safe and to ski responsibly,” Pistono said. “If you look at the Pass now, you have a lot of vehicles, a lot of uses and a lot of snow. If you put that combination together in any area, it’s challenging.”
TBCA reported on Dec. 13 that trailhead counters show that on average about 800 people are skiing the Teton Pass backcountry daily. Last winter, the Mt. Glory counter showed that 1,133 people ascended the mountain’s boot pack on Feb. 17. According to TBCA, the consequence of this high level of use is greater congestion at trailheads, a greater need for people to park in ways that don’t interfere with highway department snowplows and a greater need for skier stewardship.
Pistono explained that the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has been willing to share its turnouts for parking, but the public needs to cooperate or else they could lose parking privileges altogether.
To keep parking privileges for backcountry users, Pistono has weekly meetings with the snow drivers to discuss safety and plowing needs. He urges backcountry users to park conscientiously, so the roadway remains clear for plow drivers. He said when people don’t park close enough together, the lot sometimes only fits 40 vehicles. Typically, the lot can accommodate approximately 50 vehicles.
“If you’re parking right, you usually have to get your gear ready behind your car,” Pistono said.
Pistono said that people can become heated if a vehicle takes up more than one parking space. Pistono estimates that people behave cordially about 75% of the time. He said that the courtesy level will typically go down after someone waits on a parking space for 20 minutes, and then “behavior can become aggressive.”
“Most people are on a time budget, so they tend not to want to wait,” Pistono said. “They’ll park past the boundaries on either side or they’ll sneak in front of other people waiting in line. Sometimes, if you have dealt with three or four high-powered arguments, you kinda of need to leave to go fix yourself. I’ll just go for a ski.”
Pass ambassadors mark the parking lot boundaries with spray paint. Pistono suggested that people “can be adults” by getting out of their vehicles to organize when and where to park, especially if it’s more than three or four cars waiting.
“People can say, ‘you’re first and you’re second’ … and then that group of people watches out for the spots as they become available,” Pistono said. “If you are at one end and the person in the front didn’t see someone exit, let them know that there’s a space available.”
While waiting for an open parking space, Pistono said that cars need to wait close together with flashers on, especially during low visibility conditions. Pistono added that people walking along the highway create a dangerous situation because so many more cars are driving over the Pass. He advises using the skin track along the south or north side embankments to get back to the parking area after skiing down from First or Second Turn.
Additionally, dogs running off leash has created tensions. Pistono said that he does not want to see a dog getting hit on the highway. Dog leash laws are in effect at the top of the Pass and on Old Pass Road, and this information has been posted with new red signs.
Pistono emphasized that sometimes people need to be held accountable when enforcing laws and behaviors.
“I don’t care about hurt feelings … we are after the behavior, not the person,” Pistono said. “I don’t care if it’s my best friend. Everyone has to work on a cooperative basis for that place to work in general.”
To reduce overall parking congestion and to lower carbon emissions, TBCA’s free Teton Pass Shuttle has added another day of service this year. The shuttle will now run on both Saturdays and Sundays, beginning on Saturday, Dec. 21, until March 30, 2025. Its route will travel a loop from the Stilson Parking lot to Coal Creek, with stops at Trail Creek/Old Pass Road and the Teton Pass Summit in both directions. The schedule can be viewed here or a QR code to access the schedule is available on a sign at the top of the Pass.
