Indian Paintbrush Road Use Policy
Revised: May 2, 2022
Observations
No website representing a community with roads like those in Indian Paintbrush would be complete without something being posted about our number one hazard. That hazared is not the roads, though we like to blame them, but rather the people driving on them. Most of us are careful, some of us frankly are not, and all of us can benefit from a reminder of what we can do to avoid bad situations and keep the roads safe for all.
FACTS: The roads in Indian Paintbrush are steeper than Teton Pass (10%) in some places. They are also narrower than a usual road and contain blind corners. Unexpected encounters with wildlife should be anticipated any time of the year. People, children and dogs frequently use the roads both day and night. In some locations there is no escape opportunity when oncoming traffic is taking their half of the road from the middle. This is common along the middle section of Paintbrush Trail with its dropoff. Trees are also unfortunate targets
HOMEOWNERS: The responsibility falls directly upon you to not only exercise caution on the roads but to insure that renters, leasers, contractors, property managers, service personnel, workers and guests traveling to and from your home understand and practice the policies as well. If you have renters or leasers, encourage them to register at the website. Doing so includes them in the community and makes a wealth of information available to them that otherwise would be your responsibility to pass along to them.
WINTER: These are significant concerns in summer. When winter conditions are added to the mix, conditions can become nothing short of desperate. During the winter of 2021/2022 there were over 30 documented slide-offs, nearly all of them in 6 common locations. While some were visitors, others were residents, some repeat offenders - often sliding off in the same location! Don't assume that just because someone lives here, they are a competent driver. Timely plowing is not a guarantee, so you should assess the conditions prior to leaving or returning home. During storm periods, every effort is made to post up-to-the-minute road alerts on the web page. Roads have been impassable to all but 4WD vehicles with chains at times, and slide-offs at the bottom of the road have kept numbers of people from a timely dinner. Think seriously about the wisdom (or lack thereof) of pulling a trailer up or down snowpacked roads in winter.
WILDLIFE: Indian Paintbrush is prime wildlife habitat. It offers something for almost every critter in Jackson Hole, either on its way through like elk and deer, or those looking to take up summer residence like moose, fox and even an occasional bear. Small animals are often forgotten or dismissed as part of the neighborhood. Squirrels, grouse, pine marten, and others can be encountered, using or crossing the roads.
The roadkilled fox pictured is very similar to a small female that frequented the neighborhood during 2021. Due to the death of the mother before the four kits were fully whelped, she was the only known survivor of her litter to make it through the winter of 20/21. She ranged as far south as Mosquito Creek and was seen as far north as the top of Teton Pass during her time in the area. She disappeared over Thanksgiving, 2021 and was likely one of many victims from traffic on the Fall Creek road as she had been seen regularly in that area at the time.
Your Role
20 MPH This is the most important and overlooked rule. You flaunt the basic laws of physics, i.e.; gravity, friction and reaction time when you speed. In the scope of the subdivision, you save a ridiculously small sliver of time by going 30 instead of 20. When wet or icy, all bets are are off. Slow down, save a squrrel and preserve your good karma when passing walkers.
YIELD Yield to anything on the road and in particular, uphill traffic. Slow down or come to a complete stop, particularly in challenging winter conditions. If you cannot slow or stop, you have become an unguided missle rather than a responsible driver.
COMMUNICATE Be proactive and make sure that those who visit, rent, work at, or have other reasons to use the roads because of you understand the road policies and implications of ignoring them.
BE PATIENT Remember where you live. Regardless of your where your head is, don't haze or push wildlife, especially in winter when stress can injure or kill them. It is poor form to expect wildlife to get out of your way just because you are a human and in a hurry.
PARKING IN THE ROADWAY is prohibited. You might be in it just a little or a lot, but your doing so can, and has hindered the passage of ambulances, fire trucks, snowplows and commercial vehicles. The "this doesn't apply to me" syndrome repeatedly results in problems with adequate plowing. In a wildland fire situation, leaving your vehicle on the roadway or blocking the entrance to a water facility could create a life-threatening situation.
WINTER Some general advice: Don't be the bozo who blocks the road because you tried to bring a front-wheel-drive vehicle with summer tires up the road when everyone else was trying to get home too. And... then locks it and leaves because your cell phone doesn't work! All-weather tires on an all-wheel-drive vehicle is the bare minimum, and even that doesn't work in all conditions. Many long-time residents run snow tires, sometimes studded on all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicles, and still, there are conditions requiring a plow to clear things first. Finally, when going downhill, if you have four-wheel or all-wheel drive, leave it engaged. Doing so will provide better traction and control, and downhill control (as some residents can attest) is every bit as important.