Ariel Kazunas knew she couldnât stop the train.
The volunteer Teton Pass ambassador saw a group of more than 20 leaving the summit of the pass, headed south toward Telemark Bowl and Chiverâs Ridge. Some had backpacks; some didnât. Some had beacons; some didnât. One told her he had one but left it on the kitchen table.
âI checked in with a handful of them and was like, âHey, howâs it going today?â â she said âHalf of them were like, âWell, we have a couple of friends that are locals, and they say that this is pretty safe terrain.â â
Frequent winter visitors to Teton Pass and surrounding areas will eventually bump into a smiling skier with a bright orange jacket with an embroidered logo reading âTeton Pass Ambassador.â
The Teton Backcountry Alliance has recruited seven skilled volunteers to help with the load that for many years fell on the shoulders of Jay Pistono. Pistono and recently, Mike Penterson of Victor, work for the Bridger-Teton National Forest to promote safety, a sense of community and sustainable access for visitors in the wintertime. Now, the Bridger-Teton will have seven more helpers.
âWith the winter of COVID and the dramatic increase of backcountry use and the helluva winter weâre having, all of which are related to each other, we thought it would be good to have more boots on the ground,â said Teton Backcountry Alliance director Gary Kofinas. âPeople who can basically be there for folks. We have a lot of out-of-towners. If youâve gone over Teton Pass recentl
Democracy attacked
There are so many pillars of our fragile democracy under attack right now. Our free press, copied and admired all over the world, has become âthe enemy of the people.â This is the phrase used repeatedly by authoritarian rulers, e.g. Stalin, and now Trump. There is no democracy without a free press. The press has been attacked repeatedly, verbally and with violence, since Trump took office.
Science too is under attack. Sowing doubt, and promoting liberty without responsibility, is wrong. Maybe our new senator heard about the rally at the Cheyenne Capitol building screaming to remove all of the life-saving methods to curb the growth of COVID-19. Lummis was cheered, Cheney booed. Fake blood was thrown on the Cheyenne Health Departmentâs doors. Our health care workers and those around the state and country are threatened daily because of misinformation from the Republican party. Our top U.S. epidemiologist now needs security. Our science and medicine t
When Brenden Cronin returned to his truck on Teton Pass on a recent morning, he was aghast at what he found.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation avalanche forecasterâs truck in the auxiliary lot had been broken into and moved. One party had taken the keys from the toolbox and repositioned the vehicle, presumably to exit the parking lot.
A second party was in the act of moving it, having found the keys on the floorboards, when Cronin rolled up.
âI was so blown away it happened, and that I actually witnessed it,â he said. âI used some pretty choice words.â