WILSON, Wyo. — ’Tis the season for winter weather wreaking havoc on Teton Pass conditions!
The mountain pass serves as a critical entry point into Jackson Hole for commuters and visitors alike. In winter, snow and ice accumulation can transform the roadway from scenic route to hazardous obstacle course.
Trooper Todd Baxter with the Wyoming Highway Patrol spoke with Buckrail about Teton Pass safety, and how drivers can navigate the steep mountain terrain safely this season.
Know the chain law
Baxter’s primary directive for Pass commuters is to heed Wyoming’s chain law, which is implemented on stretches of highway when warranted by weather conditions. The law includes two levels of restrictions: at Level 1, hazardous conditions can restrict travel to vehicles equipped with tire chains, adequate snow tires or all-wheel drive capability; Level 2 adds a requirement for commercial vehicles to have chains on at least two of the drive wheels at opposite ends of the same drive axle.
Baxter said the chain law acts as a useful barometer for Pass conditions, and that it shouldn’t be ignored.
“When the law is put into effect, it’s put into effect by the plow drivers, who are up there seeing the condition of the road,” Baxter said. “We had an awful lot of trouble last year because we had a lot of people who were trying to make the commute over the Pass, but they didn’t have the right tires. We closed the pass more last winter than we ever have before and it was because people were coming up there without the right equipment.”
Baxter noted that if conditions on the Pass exceed Level 1 of the chain law, typically the road gets closed before ever reaching Level 2.
Allow plenty of time
Another crucial element to a safe journey over the Pass is driving cautiously instead of trying to get to the other side as quickly as possible.
“When you’re going to commute, give yourself plenty of time, because that Pass is incredibly unpredictable on a good day,” Baxter said. “If you start out stressed … you might find yourself finding yourself doing something you shouldn’t do because you’re in a hurry.”
Baxter shared that he’s seen drivers attempt to speed around cars that have gotten stuck, jeopardizing their own safety and the safety of drivers in the oncoming traffic lane.
“Have patience with that guy who’s driving the Pass for the first time,” Baxter said. “Don’t worry about the people behind you. I don’t want you going any faster than you’re comfortable going. Sometimes you’ve got someone going 10 mph and we have to slow down and be courteous and wait. If he feels rushed and takes that turn too fast and crashes, and then you get stuck behind him, what have we gained? Don’t go any faster than you’re comfortable.”
One portion of the Pass stood out to Baxter as an opportunity to exercise extra caution: the temporary detour at milepost 12.8, where the Big Fill Slide took out the road in June. The new road segment is steeper and curves more sharply than the former roadway did, so drivers should really take their time navigating that bend. Baxter said he and his colleagues have been specially monitoring that part of the road.
Prepare for delays
Even if drivers are being cautious, accidents happen. Baxter suggests that all Pass drivers be prepared for potential delays when approaching the road, starting with having plenty of gas in the tank.
“If there is a crash up there, and it does take time to clear it off, if you run out of gas it gets cold pretty fast in your car,” Baxter said. “Plan a little bit so if somebody else has a crash and you have to wait, make sure you’ve got enough gas, and you’ll be fine. Bring any basic necessities you’re going to need if you get stuck.”
Baxter also suggests keeping a blanket and some water in the car, noting that while out on patrol he’s seen people on the Pass who are waiting in the cold for a tow truck next to their crashed car.
One potential cause of delays are vehicles disobeying the seasonal rule prohibiting use of trailers over the Pass. Baxter recalled a single day this month when he stopped three semi-trucks at the bottom of the Wilson side, caught another at the top of the Pass, and then heard from his colleague that he had stopped four more semis.
“What we run into an awful lot are truck drivers who basically follow the map the GPS shows them,” Baxter said. “The blue road looks the same no matter where it goes. Sometimes you can’t tell you’re going over a mountain pass until you get there. A lot of them will just go ahead and give it a try. Sometimes we’re lucky and we get them stopped in Wilson and turn them around, [but] we just don’t have enough personnel to put two people out there all the time.”
The key takeaway from Buckrail’s conversation with Trooper Baxter was that Teton Pass drivers, even if they’ve driven it twice a day for 20 years, need to remember that driving a mountain pass comes with inherent risks, and that road safety has to be a communal effort.
“It’s easy to take the Pass for granted, but you just can’t do that, especially in the winter,” Baxter said. “Maybe it’s not you who makes the mistake, but if somebody else does and the road gets closed, you’re going to be stuck up there with them, too.”
Read more winter driving tips here. See the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Teton Pass webcam for conditions, and the travel map for additional details. Drivers can sign up for 511 Notify alerts here.
