Jay Pistono worked for the Bridger-Teton National Forest for nearly 20 years as its only paid Teton Pass Ambassador. He’s worked to create a culture of decency among the occasionally ornery skiers who use the pass. He’s broken up fights over dog poop, encouraged better parking, talked people out of skiing avalanche-prone lines above Wyoming State Highway 22, and trained and managed volunteer Ambassadors (from Teton Backcountry Alliance).
But Pistono was a seasonal BTNF employee, and last September federal officials in D.C. paused all seasonal hiring. “We were facing the first winter since 2005 where the BTNF wouldn’t have Jay on Teton Pass helping encourage responsible recreation and training other volunteers,” says Scott Kosiba, Friends of Bridger-Teton’s executive director.
Because of its unique partnership with the BTNF, at the beginning of the winter 24/25 season, FBT was able to step in and hire Jay despite the freeze on seasonal workers. Jay’s continued presence on Teton Pass, along with seven Ambassadors hired by Teton Backcountry Alliance and additional volunteer TBCA Ambassadors—the most Ambassadors ever on Teton Pass—made for a winter in which there was better parking, better skier behavior, and fewer skier-triggered slides that affected the road.
Jay says that it was overall increased number of Ambassadors and not just his continued presence on Teton Pass that made a huge difference this winter. “This year at any given time, there was almost always someone at the top and then we were able to also be at trailheads like Phillips, Coal Creek, Old Pass Road, and Stateline.”
“The top can only handle so much—there are only about 50 parking spaces—so we’ve been seeing more and more people using other trailheads,” Pistono says. “I bet Coal Creek, which can fit between 60 and 65 cars if people park creatively, which they do, was busier than the top a lot this year.”
Jay says the increased number of Teton Backcountry Alliance Ambassadors, which he trained, helped keep both the information and the way it was delivered fresh. “It wasn’t always me telling someone to pick up their dog poop or leash their dog,” he says. “It was every Ambassador who was up there sharing the same messaging.”
“I heard from WYDOT that they’re pretty happy with what we were able to do this year,” says Pistono, who acknowledges that it’s not just because of the increased Ambassadors. “It’s up to everyone who’s up there to help.”
Having Pistono and TBCA’s Ambassadors on Teton Pass is important because the parking lot on top, which skiers use to access the Mount Glory bootpack and skiing on the southside, isn’t a forest service parking lot. WYDOT plows it as a pull-out area for trucks and cars to chain up. Any time it decides the behavior of backcountry users complicates it job too much and/or makes WY22 unsafe for the 10,000+ commuters that drive it daily, WYDOT could stop plowing this area. This would make skiing the southside and hiking up Mt. Glory much more arduous.
How to help Teton Pass Ambassadors:
1) Park tight to adjacent cars; if you can only get the driver’s door 75 percent open, you’ve done a good parking job.
2) Get ready at the back of your vehicle; once parked, rather than stand alongside your car as you put on your boots and organize your gear, move to the back to do this and allow the next car to park close to yours.
3) Keep your dog on a leash until you’re away from the parking lot; pick up your dog’s poop.
4) Be friendly to other users (and to Ambassadors).
5) Ski/ride responsibly.
6) Have fun, but not at the risk of endangering others, the wildlife, or the environment.
