Tourists trapped by Gov't. shutdown and severe weather - talk about bad timing!

[2naSalit]

Some may be aware of the logistics involved in where you enter and stay when visiting remote places like Yellowstone NP. Some tourists had the unfortunate experience of waking up in an unpleasant situation Monday as the discovered the Park was closed and they were unable to leave Cooke City by way of the park road (a potion which stays open year round for the residents of Cooke City because the only other way to anywhere is over a pass that doesn't stay open for travel in winter) because not only was the park closed, Chief Joseph Pass had received several feet of snow over the week-end.


Thanks, Tea Party!

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/economy/article_64840e7c-2d4d-11e3-90fa-0019bb2963f4.html

[gopiscrap]

1. Yikes hope they'll be ok

[2naSalit]

2. AT least the guy with

the one business that hasn't evacuated for the season was still open! They will at least have a place to stay, but I wonder who is footing THAT bill. The only park employees on duty are the LEOs and they have been cut to the bare minimum over several years of Congressional budget cuts and then the sequester...

It's winter here now and it's not just business owners who are losing $$, their employees - those of us who live in the area year round, are totally screwed. Some of us will get some unemployment but it's based on wages earned a year ago... not a good thing since winter is just starting and we have a long way to go before we don't need to pay for heat again. It's costly whether you have propane, wood or electricity. Gas prices have been at about $4/gal all summer so going out to cut wood isn't that inexpensive anymore either.

Hope somebody comes to rescue all who wish to get out. Food supplies will go quickly in this scenario since orders were diminished for the end of the season anyway. Perhaps some residents could drive the visitors out to Gardiner and TOW their vehicles so they won't be driving them. That might be a solution, if anyone has access to tow equipment, that is.

[ManiacJoe]

3. What would happen

if the tourists told the rangers that they were leaving via the "permit only" route and to sent them the bill for the fine due to having no permit?

[2naSalit]

4. Good question

I would imagine they might be able to do that, I don't see why they haven't figured some way to get out, of course, there might be parts of the route that require plowing and that could be an issue for a couple days but not likely... hasn't snowed since Thursday or Friday and above freezing temps during the day, and only a couple of short stretches where the road would be shaded and possibly icy.

The fines are kind of hefty and you have to attend court in Mammoth HS district court, I think it is. It would be a federal fine but I could also see the judge waiving the fines since all they would be doing is getting out of the park to go home. Seems like they could figure it out by now, especially if nobody noticed until they got to the North gate at Gardiner.

Made a headline for the regional paper though. I feel bad for all those folks who had planned their weddings at parks and such who were told they couldn't get married there and had to scramble to change plans for those!! And the guy from New England who planned a month-long float trip with his son on the Colorado R. through Grand Canyon and was held up at the gate because the only access to the river was through park property. He's out about $20K+ and had to apply for a permit for years.

[madville]

5. So they're not physically trapped

Just can't drive on the park road because they don't have the kind of sticker that is issued to local commuters. Kind of ridiculous. Were they told they couldn't drive out on the park road after 01OCT? Says the snow closed road had been that way since 24SEP so that wasn't a surprise.

[2naSalit]

6. Technically trapped

by park rules but probably not physically for the last 24-36 hrs. It snow a bunch early in the week but they should be able to pass by now. I know of one foreign tourist who was in the back country, took a couple days to get out, and the rangers were pretty pissed when they passed through the gate on Thursday.

Fines for violations in the park aren't small matters, especially for being in the park while it's closed. If the residents can get out then one might imagine the tourists would be able to do so, theoretically. Funny how the park officials are more strict than usual all of a sudden. I think that the last I heard of someone being charged for illegal entry the fine was something like $1K and then some. federal violations are expensive. Still, I don't see why they can't get out either.