IMPACT TO SKIING - No Grand Targhee Expansion
IMPACT TO WILDERNESS & GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
January 14, 2021
“Backcountry skiing, splitboarding, and other forms of human-powered snowsports are activities which are seeing substantial growth. USDA and Forest Service recreation researchers predict that participation in backcountry skiing (including splitboarding) will increase between 55% and 106% by 2060. In contrast, Snowsports Industries America (the winter outdoor industry's non-profit trade association) data shows that participation in resort skiing has declined steadily over the past decade. With more people than ever exploring the backcountry, it's critically important that we preserve close-to-home, easy-to-access undeveloped terrain.” 

Hilary Eisen, Policy Director
Winter Wildlands Alliance

Teton Canyon is a beautiful place to visit in winter. Magnificent views of the Tetons, Table, Battleship, Fossil, Treasure and Bannon Mountains await to be the backdrop for the day. Silence and solitude greet you. The decisions made here are your own. They are made with the knowledge you learn in avalanche courses, studying maps and former experiences in the backcountry. The unpredictability of the mountains sits in the back of your head. Knowing the inherent risk of this unpredictability humbles you because if something does go wrong it can take hours before help arrives. 

Teton Canyon is a wild landscape and it must remain that way. Chairlifts, avalanche mitigation and guided skiing in South Bowl will take away the silence, solitude and self-reliance that make backcountry skiing in Teton Canyon so special. If Grand Targhee expands into South Bowl, the magic of Teton Canyon will be marred by endless noise and the scars of roads, ski runs, and chairlifts on South Bowl. Land that is currently public and open for all to enjoy will be limited to those who can pay Grand Targhee for access.