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East gate snowmobile use declines
By Carole Cloudwalker
This document was published online on Thursday, March 20, 2008
The total number of snowmobilers entering Yellowstone's East Entrance between December 2007-February 2008 declined by almost 50 percent from the previous winter.
At the same time, the actual number of sleds going through the east gate declined more than 56 percent.
Park officials recently released February statistics on park winter use that also show a parkwide decline of about 7 percent in visitation from December-February this year.
A total of 126 snowmobile visitors came via the east gate through February 2008, compared to 241 in 2007.
Skiers also were down, with 134 going through the East Entrance this winter and 179 doing so last year - a decline of 25 percent.
In terms of actual sleds, 87 entered via the East Entrance this winter compared to 200 in 2007 - a decline of 56 percent.
Twenty snowcoaches went through the East Entrance this year, while only seven entered in 2007, for an increase of 186 percent.
In 2008 snowcoaches carried 182 people into the park via the east gate, while in 2007 they carried only 54, an increase of 237 percent.
This winter brought more frequent closures of the East Entrance Road because of avalanche danger and avalanche control work, park spokesman Al Nash said.
He reported that during an average year, Sylvan Pass is closed about 10 times because of avalanche danger and mitigations such as firing the howitzer or dropping charges from a helicopter to trigger avalanches.
This winter there were at least 14 closures of the pass between Dec. 18, 2007, and March 9, officials said.
Some closures lasted several days, while others were for only portions of one day to give rangers time to perform mitigation.
The most recent closure came Sunday morning, March 9, when a naturally-occurring avalanche took place, closing the pass to snowcoaches but not snowmibiles for several hours. The East Entrance Road closed for the winter season as scheduled Sunday evening, Nash said.
Yellowstone now is preparing for spring snow plowing prior to the 2008 summer season.
This winter may have been the last time mitigation measures are used on Sylvan Pass.
Park Service representatives have conducted a series of meetings with a group comprised of various government representatives who hope to reach a suitable solution to avalanche danger on Sylvan Pass.
If a solution isn't agreed upon by June 1, the park has said it will no longer trigger avalanches artificially on Sylvan because of the danger officials say it poses to employees and the public.
Instead, they will evaluate the danger and allow travel over the pass only when they deem it safe.
Uncertainty about openings and closures of the East Entrance prompted Pahaska Tepee Resort owner Bob Coe to close his North Fork lodge early last winter. The lodge, once a popular snowmobile destination and rental center, was not open at all this winter.
Cody and Park County businessmen have complained that closing the East Entrance during winter, which is the Park Service's preferred alternative in its recent Record of Decision on winter use in Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks, damages the area's economy.
2008 Yellowstone winter visitation
East Entrance - 442 total visitors, 126 snowmobile visitors, 182 snowcoach visitors, 134 skiers.
North Entrance - 37,950 total visitors, 677 snowmobile visitors, 3,525 snowcoach visitors, no skiers.
West Entrance - 29,806 total visitors, 17,090 snowmobile visitors, 12,641 snowcoach visitors, 75 skiers.
South Entrance - 14,685 total visitors, 10,395 snowmobile visitors, 4,260 snowcoach visitors, 24 skiers.
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