The most surprising thing in this photo is black pavement. We haven’t see anything like that since November on the side roads. For those of us who live here, black pavement is a sign that spring’s on its way (and not a minute too soon.)
If you’re a snowmobiler, don’t give up yet. Things are just getting good. The snow has settled significantly and the riding is fabulous. If you’re willing to get up high, you can ride until May. But for now, even down lower it’s still absolutely incredible. According the link at right, the snow levels for today at the Chick Creek Road reporting station are still 53″ though the snow is settling / melting about 3/4″ per day. Obviously that will accellerate as temperatures rise, but there’s a good 4 - 6 weeks left in the snowmobile season.
Come join us!
Rental properties are a hot topic here in Island Park. It seems residents in sub-divisions would like to see some sort of regulations on the rental properties. On the other side of the table, property owners and property management companies would like (for obvious reasons) to see them remain un-regulated.
This is one of those polarizing issues, here in Island Park. Almost nobody is ambivalent toward the subject. People think they’re great or they think they’re the worst thing you could have in your neighborhood. The differences probably stem primarily from your source of motivation. Land owners and property managers derive income from the rentals, so they’d obviously be for it. On the other hand, neighborhood residents see people coming through their neighborhoods who have nothing invested and who — at least potentially — don’t treat things with the same respect an owner would.
People whose income is derived (either directly or indirectly) from the tourist trade would love to see more rentals available. There really aren’t enough places to stay here to classify Island Park as a true “destination” area. Rental cabins could affect that positively. On the other hand, one of the things most people like about coming here is that it’s not a true “destination” area.
Whichever way you feel, plan on being at the meeting in June to express your thoughts and feelings. The meeting will be held in Island Park, and we’ll let you know when it is.
I just got an email from U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). He indicated that wolves have been de-listed from the endangered species list in many states and would soon be in Idaho. That opens the way for them to be controlled (read in hunted.) For many that’s horrible news. For those of us who live here, it’s not only a good thing, it’s about time.
Much of the income derived by Island Park residents comes from tourism. Those tourists include people who come here to ride ATV’s and snowmobiles and fishermen. But there is also a large group who come here to hunt. It is undeniable that wolves have had a dramatic negative impact on the deer, elk and moose populations.
All you have to do is take a drive through the Lamar Valley (northeast corner of Yellowstone) and see how much game you see. Yeah, you’ll see bears and wolves, but you won’t see elk (at least not to the extent you did before the re-introduction of the wolves.)
Let’s face it. Wolves have to eat to survive. While the environmentalists would have you believe that wolves eat only the sick and afflicted, that’s just not reality. Wolves “pick the low-hanging fruit.” Meaning the young, the weak, and (of course) the sick and afflicted.
The problem is that wolves are outnumbering the elk in some areas, and that means the packs are decimating entire herds. Hunting wolves, while not a great sport in itself, will have the desired effect of reducing wolf populations and keeping the balance at a level where it ought to be. Wyoming Game and Fish officials have indicated they will be letting over 1,000 wolf tags in the months to come. That’s good news for ranchers and hunters.
What do you think?
I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. After a winter of snow almost every day, budgets stretched to the breaking point, several fatal accidents, almost daily road closures, etc., etc., etc., the public is starting to express its dissatisfaction with the whole mess.
A week or two ago, citizens took county commissioners to task over the way Hwy. 20 is cleaned from Osborne bridge south. It seems that from Osborne bridge north, the snowplow drivers are Island Park residents (and thus supposedly have a vested interest in doing a better job on the roads.) From Osborne bridge south, “valley-dwellers” plow the roads (presumably with less vested interest in doing their best.
Now, I’m not going to comment on who takes their job more seriously, but you have to agree (if you’ve spent any time on Hwy. 20 at all.) that the road is in much better condition from Osborne bridge north. You also can’t dispute that the majority of the problems with accidents, etc. have been in the vicinity of federal hill (south of Pinehaven.) You also can’t dispute that after the bruhaha with the county commissioners, the quality of cleaning from Ashton to Osborne bridge improved.
I guess, at the end of the day, it does make a difference to get involved in the political process. If you go make your concerns known, they might not do anything about it. If you don’t make your concerns known, they for sure won’t do anything about it. So get involved!
If you’ve been in Island Park lately, you’ve seen people (or the evidence of people) shoveling roof and porches. By all accounts it’s been an odd year. Normally, roofs will slide, reducing the load. But this year, even houses that normally slide are holding fast to the snow.
The building code for Island Park states that roofs must be able to hold 135 pounds per square foot. So, let’s see. If you have a chunk of snow 3 feet by 3 feet by five or six feet high, it would have to be over 1,000 pounds to put your roof in danger – theoretically. But what happens if one side of the roof unloads and the other doesn’t (that happens pretty frequently?) Now we’re not talking weight that is bearing straight down. We’ve got lateral forces involved, and most homes aren’t engineered for that.
Or what about the home I helped shovel the other day? The roof of the porch was attached to the wall of the cabin on one side and supported by columns (logs) on the other. What was happening was the weight on the porch was pulling laterally, and pulling the wall of the cabin over (literally it had moved the wall “out” over 2 inches. Had the snow been left on the porch, it could have easily and permanently impacted the structural integrity of the home.)
Snow removal is not cheap. Trailers are going for upwards of $250 and cabins with steep roofs and many valleys are fetching $1,000 or more. That’s pretty spendy…. until you consider the price of rebuilding because the snow tore your walls down.
No. I don’t mean Christmas. If you’re a snowmobiler, and you’ve spent much time in Island Park, you know there are a handful of weeks in the year when the conditions are absolutely perfect.
With the sunshine and warm temperatures the last few days, we’re starting into “those days.”
Temperatures have been above freezing for the first time this year (literally, for the first time since the end of November,) and the snow is finally beginning to settle in earnest. We’re finally able to go wherever, whenever, without wondering, “Will I be stuck if I keep going?”
These are days never to be forgotten. Get up here and get going!
Last week saw avalanche training at Pond’s Lodge. Those who attended were well instructed and learned a great deal. By all accounts it was a great seminar — well worth the cost and the effort.
My concern is all those who didn’t attend. We have literally hundreds of thousands of snowmobilers pass through our area every year. Most ride the newer sleds that will get you into areas where you have no business being. I worry that they weren’t at the seminar learning how to forecast the level of danger and what to do in the event of a disaster.
In the old days you had to wait until spring to get deep into the back country. I remember going up on the back side of Lion’s Head with Bill Howell of Valley View in the early seventies. “There are only two weeks a year when you can get up here,” he said. “Too early and there’s too much powder, too late and the snow’s too mushy.” We took the hoods off the sleds to help with cooling on the warm day (remember air cooled machines?) We had a great ride on perfect snow conditions.
Fast forward to today. You can make that trip anytime there’s enough snow. Steep and deep? No problem — at least not in terms of getting there. But what about unstable snow? There are chutes up there that slide every time you turn around. Could you predict with any degree of certainty whether it was safe to ride there or not? Not if you haven’t had the class.
My suggestion is to get training, carry a shovel, carry a probe, wear a beacon, etc. I know… that stuff is always in the way and it’s expensive. My response to that is, do you know how much a funeral costs these days? What will the cost be for your loved ones? If you can afford a sled that will get you where you have no business being, you can afford the cost of beacons, shovels, probes and the rest. This is your life we’re talking about here. This is not the place to scrimp.
Get training!
No, the big boys won’t be in town until next week. This weekend it was the “little” boys (and girls). Literally. P.A.Y.S. Racing sponsored the races for youngsters 3 - 10 years old. But even though they’re young, the action was fast and furious (see the photos page for more shots.) About 30 racers vied for trophies and points in three different categories. Winners are posted on the P.A.Y.S. Racing website. The next races are in Rexburg in two weeks.
Between 15 and 30 inches of snow have fallen in the last week in Island Park bringing the totals to 44 inches at Ponds and 68 inches near Stamp Meadows. More snow is slated for the next several days. Snowmobilers report that there is finally enough snow to cover the majority of the stumps, although it’s still unwise to go “bump-busting.” Snow up on Jefferson, Black Canyon or Two Top is near eight feet, so there’s plenty of snow when you get up high.
Local Television stations had reported that Island Park had snow levels 80% of normal for this time of year, but that was before the heavy snowfall of the last few days. We’re probably approaching normal by now. For further information about normal snowfall, check with www.localnews8.com .
Bad weather over the last week or so has caused multiple closures of highway 20 from Ashton to the Montana line. Visibility across the flats has dropped to near zero on several occasions, and blowing snow has drifted the road in completely. So, as a reminder, always carry extra clothing in your car in the winter. You can get one of those large plastic containers with a lid and put in extra snow clothes, boots, gloves, mittens, hats, food and water, etc. and in the event of a slide off, or road closure, or whatever, you’ll be sure to still be alive when help arrives. Avoid going out in the weather in non-winter clothing — even if it’s just to go to the store. Unfortunate things happen without warning. It’s up to you to keep yourself safe.
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