I read a story in the PR this morning regarding a new pathway from Moose Jct. to Jenny Lake. It sounds like a good thing, I’m all for more ways to enjoy the outdoors without the worry of becoming roadkill.
There was one thing that made me wonder though. The article states that no pets are allowed, leashed or not, and no one is allowed after sundown. It states that this is for the animals’ protection. That makes perfect sense, but nowhere on the article is anything said about peoples’ protection.
I’ll admit, I’m not familiar with that particular area, but I do know that there is an abundance of wildlife in Idaho, and that’s one of the reasons that people travel these areas. There was even a pic on the article of a moose crossing the path at sunset.
I’m sure there are people here that know more about this type of thing than I do. Is this safe? Would you walk this path with a child in a stroller? What are your thoughts?
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It WAS all he had to say about it!
:@:)
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Ha ha… “for animals protection”. Yeah, today we care more about the animals than we do for people. Yep, it’s a crazy world we live in.
Makes sense, though, when we live in a world where it’s legal to murder unborn babies, but the upraor only comes when the doctor who’s doing the murders gets killed. Don’t get me wrong, I think that both are aweful, but fall into the same camp. Just something to think about.
Sorry, wish i knew the area more personally. Too bad you can’t take a dog to alleviate your fears some.
Your best bet when venturing out into Idaho’s vast wilderness is to always go with other people and be noisy as your walking through the woods. Most of the animals out there are more afraid of us than we are of them and as long as you don’t sneak up on them and scare em, they’ll move on without bothering you. So talk loudly, whistle while you walk and generally make a lot of noise.
and don’t forget your bear spray.
Come on people, this pathway is in Grand Teton National Park, not the I.F. Greenbelt. What’s wrong with looking out for the safety of the animals in a national park? That’s part of the reason the parks were created. There are millions of acres of other places you can take your dogs.
Guest 3636 –
a responsible pet owner won’t let their pet hurt the wildlife or it’s surroundinggs anymore than their owner will by walking through. I have no problem with looking out for the wildlife, I don’t think anyone said they did. But I can understand people being concerned about being hurt by the wildlife.
It’s not always the pet hurting the wildlife that’s the problem. Wildlife have been known to chase domestic pets too. If people are concerned about being hurt by wildlife while using normal precautions and common sense then they shouldn’t go to the national parks.
I was thinking that they didn’t want people bringing pets because they are still not exactly sure how the wild animals will react to the people on the trail, but I could be wrong. I can see where bringing another animal into the picture could make the wild animals act differently and pose a danger to the walkers and pets as well as the wild animals.
I can also see that no one wants to see someone’s weiner dog get off their leash, take chase after a gopher, or a moose, and get trampled in front of kids and everybody.
Alice wrote: “There was one thing that made me wonder though. The article states that no pets are allowed, leashed or not, and no one is allowed after sundown. It states that this is for the animals’ protection. That makes perfect sense, but nowhere on the article is anything said about peoples’ protection.”
Maybe they were being diplomatic and hoping the pathway users would get the message without them explicitly stating it and insulting their intelligence by inferring they wouldn’t realize danger existed.
(I prefer that type of warning to the ones that say ‘don’t use your hair dryer while showering.’)
I like the warning on the chainsaw that says “do not stop chainsaw with genitals”.
I must say though, that they really should spell it out. I know I’m not the only one who has seen people walk right up to wildlife for that once-in-a-lifetime photo.
That same person probably tried to dry their hair with their chainsaw in the tub.
The pathway is not out in the wilderness area of Grand Teton, folks, but it is in a area of the park a bit less traveled than some others. It is a nice, paved pathway (similar to the greenbelt path) and it runs right along the road from the new Moose Jct. Visitor Center, through the entrance gate (fee required!), and on to Jenny Lake. But, frankly, pets are welcome in a lot of places–a National Park dedicated to preserving and protecting wildlife may not be one.
sorry, I forgot…pets (leashed or not) are not allowed on a vast majority of paths and trails in any national park. Just enjoy the path with the spirit it was built.
It’s sad the amount of people in this world that truly lack common sense. I remember a few years back while visiting Yellowstone I stood in utter shock along with a dozen other park visitors as this women attempted to hand feed her sandwhich to a 14 point elk. Everyone was yelling at her to stop and not to feed the wildlife but she wouldn’t listen. Only when a park ranger rushed over and calmly asked the woman to back up real slowly did she listen. Once they were at a safe distance he proceeded to scold her and ask if she was out of her mind. There are signs all over the park telling you to stay a certain distance from the animals and not to feed the wildlife. Not to mention all the warnings in the pamphlet they give you when you enter the park and still so many people go there thinking it’s some kind of huge petting zoo.
Applejacks comment reminded me of an experience I had in Yellowstone about 40 years ago. At that time, the bears were a nuisance on the roadways. They would stand up by your car and mooch food. Seldom did a car get through the Park without scratches on the doors and windows. It took forever to drive through the Park because of the bears on the roadway. People would stop their cars and get out to get better pictures of the “tame” bears. One woman even was trying to put her child on a bear’s back to get a picture. The child showed more sense than the mother. He was fighting and screaming that he didn’t want to do it. So if people would do something this stupid then, why should we expect any more out of them now?
sometimes being blunt has more worth than tact.