During the winter months, Grand Teton National Park is a winter sport enthusiasts dream, with miles of rolling trails, amazing scenery, abundant quality snow and quantity and excellent wildlife viewing. Trail difficulty varies from flat easy courses to more difficult tracks that gain and lose significant elevation. Some of the more popular areas for ski tours include the Signal Mountain Lodge Area, Death Canyon, Phelps Lake, the Moose-Wilson Road, the Colter Bay Area, Jenny Lake, the Taggart Lake Area and the Flagg Ranch Area. The Teton Range offers excellent alpine ski descent potential for the seasoned ski-mountaineer. For the even more adventuresome, overnight tours are an option, and overnight ski tourers, ski mountaineers, and snowshoers must register at park headquarters in Moose and obtain a free camping permit. Winter visitors should keep in mind that winter is especially stressful for the wildlife of the park and approaching too close elevates this stress. Wintertime in the mountains carries the additional hazards of quickly changing weather and the presence of avalanche hazard. Backcountry travelers should be prepared for winter travel in the mountains, remembering that Jackson Hole is one of the coldest climates in the US during the winter months. Users of the backcountry should avoid known avalanche paths, steep canyons, and gullies and should check with jhavalanche.org, call 733-2664 for the National Forest avalanche report and weather forecast, or check in with a ranger at the Moose Visitor Center (8 am-5 pm) for up to date weather and hazard conditions.