Group aims to educate recreators about Teton Pass

The Teton Pass is one of the most popular spots for backcountry winter recreators. But could it be at risk of getting taken away?

“If you’re gonna have access to places, you need to have some responsibility,” said John Pistono, Teton Pass Ambassador.

Drive up the Teton Pass pretty much any time during the winter, and you will see its parking lot full of cars and people exploring the backcountry. There are 140,000 to 150,000 backcountry runs on the pass each year. With so many people using the pass, there are risks to safety and conservation of the area. The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently raised these concerns, so locals formed a group to protect the pass.

“What they want us to do is, whenever we’re using the road or features that are above the road, to realize that we, they’re giving us all the freedom in the world,” Pistono said. “For instance, people are worried about the pass closing in terms of some of these agencies taking it away. They’re not going to take it away. We’re going to take it away from ourselves by screwing up.”

The group is called the Teton Backcountry Alliance. Their goal is to educate the community about issues with snow sport recreating in the area. They want people to be safe on the pass and use it respectfully.

“So, not skiing avalanche paths in high danger,” said Kim Havell, a steering committee member for the Teton Backcountry Alliance. “Not skiing the road cuts because that goes right down directly onto commuters. Being aware of plow drivers coming up and down the road. Being aware of people coming up and over the pass all day long. Walking single file, keeping dogs on a leash. There’s a wide variety of things here that we all need to be aware of and respect in order to keep using the terrain the way we want to.”

The group says spreading this message from person to person is key to getting people involved and keeping the pass open.

“Really, we’ve been granted an incredible benefit here to be able to ski all that terrain and utilize it for walking our dogs, for snowshoeing, for cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, backcountry skiing,” Havell said. “It’s a real privilege. And if we don’t respect it, and we’re not each individually ambassadors, then it will get taken away.”

To learn more or get involved with the Teton Backcountry Alliance, visit its Facebook page.