It’s that time of the year again in Grand Teton National Park when plows have cleared the Teton Park Road but automobiles are not yet permitted to swarm the asphalt.

Until May 1, about 14 miles of the road between the Taggart Lake trailhead and Signal Mountain Lodge are open to walkers, cyclists and wheeled skaters. Park crews used plows and a large snowblower to also clear the several-mile Jenny Lake scenic loop, adding to the auto-free mileage.

A park Facebook announcement Wednesday that plowing was complete earned 648 likes within a day.

On good-weather days, the car-free season attracts thousands. Whether one tries to keep pace with the young, tan, fit and wealthy, pedal with the populace or just shuffle along under the soaring peaks, the road has room for all.

Motorized vehicles will return to the popular roadway May 1, but the snow is so deep that trails, walkways, campgrounds and other facilities are still buried.

In this photo, a cyclist on April 16 wends his way through a recently plowed avenue as road crews were still clearing their way through the chest-deep snowpack.

Angus M. Thuermer Jr. is the natural resources reporter for WyoFile. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years experience in Wyoming. Contact him at angus@wyofile.com or (307)...

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  3. Oh, the lucky ones that get to see and use these roads until the hoards of automobiles arrive!

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