Bicycle Path Closing For Season
Whether you are a serious bicyclist or a casual rider who enjoys the recently-opened pathway between Jackson and Grand Teton National Park, this is the last weekend it will be open this season. The five-mile segment of pathway is subject to an annual closure between October first and April 30th in order toreduce impacts to migrating elk that winter on the National Elk Refuge. Town and County Pathways Coordinator Brian Schilling says maintenance crews will set up barriers along the length of the pathway Monday to discourage cyclists and pedestrians from using it while it is closed. Violators of the closure can be cited for trespassing, fined and otherwise face additional federal prosecution. Permanent signs noting the dates of the closure are located along the pathway, and additional seasonal signs and barriers will be installed at access points along the pathway on October first. In the meantime, the county is conducting its second year of studies to determine the dates, time of day, types of animals and approximate number of animals accessing the refuge by means of the elk jumps on the west side of the reserve with the aid of motion-activated cameras. That information will allow the county and refuge officials to determine if the closure dates and management of the pathway should be revised. Schilling says that evaluation is to be done after three years of study.
