Stephen Koch, renowned Jackson Hole mountain man known to occasionally dress in drag, unintentionally re-opened a wound among snowsports enthusiasts last week when he posted the above video of himself and friends skiing The Skillet on Mt. Moran utilizing a snowmobile as transportation. Consequently, The Jackson Hole News & Guide reported Feb 21st that Grand Teton Park officials plan to begin an investigation into the unauthorized use of snowmobiles in the National Park. The question of whether Stephen and his friends broke a law is unambiguous: they did.

However, more poignantly, is the rule fair?

According the park's winter use plan, "40 unguided, (Best Available Technology) snowmobiles a day on Jackson Lake (in Grand Teton) to facilitate ice fishing, as well as 25 snowmobiles a day to travel on the Grassy Lake Road." This being the case, it is fair to ask the park service to explain why it is less harmful to use a snowmobile to transport ice fishermen than to transport skiers & climbers?

The unauthorized answer: it is about an uneasy compromise and irritable enforcement of a law that is intended to limit snowmobiles in the park. It has nothing to do about fairness or even environmental protection. As stated in the New & Guide's article, GTNP's position uses familiar rhetoric about environmental issues, but fails to sufficiently answer why recreational intent matters (i.e. why fishing is allowed and skiing/climbing is not).

GTNP doesn't hate skiers; they hate snowmobiles. And as much as they have tried to eliminate the obnoxious, smelly motorized vehicles from winter recreation in the National Parks, lobbyists and powerful law-makers won't allow a moratorium on the subject. Consequently, an extremely narrow motorized vehical provision was drafted that does the minimum to placate pissed-off tour companies and fishing enthusiasts. Conclusion? We skiers and climbers need more lobbyists. Thanks Stephen for bringing this conversation to the table - even if you didn't mean to.

JH News & Guide :: Grand Teton National Park's response

“We are investigating,” park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said Friday. “It’s not something to take lightly. If warranted, citations will be issued.”

The distinction between using snowmobiles to reach ice fishing spots and employing them for touring or backcountry access “has been hashed over time and time again,” Skaggs said.

Regulations say machines are “for the purpose of ice fishing only,” Skaggs said.

Rangers can and will check snowmobilers on the lake for fishing licenses and gear. They might patrol to ensure that parties are not using ice fishing as an excuse to access backcountry ski slopes, Skaggs said.

“It’s not for touring around the lake; it’s not for joy-riding around the lake,” she said of snowmobile access.

“Given the sensitivity of the winter use issue in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a blatant disregard for the established regulations by individuals, such as these climbers, just further complicates the process of getting to a final decision on appropriate and sustainable winter use activities in our national parks,” she said.