Sawtooth National Forest officials may soon move to close off a large portion of the Warm Springs Creek drainage to skiers and hikers to protect wintering elk.
"We're getting pretty close," Ketchum Ranger District trails coordinator Renee Catherine said Monday.
The annual closure covers the open, south-facing slopes on the north side of Warm Springs Road. It stretches from the Heidelberg Hill-Wanderers Way trail in Ketchum to the West Fork of Warm Springs Creek.
The area is typically closed off when enough snows have fallen to begin forcing elk down into conflict with skiers hiking the same slopes. Even before the closure, people should keep a good distance from wintering wildlife, officials say.
Wintering elk that feel threatened by human activity will often flee from danger, thereby wasting precious energy they need to survive during the cold months. By March and April, their fat reserves are at their lowest, and any unnecessary exercise caused by running from dogs, snowmobiles or skiers can lower those reserves to dangerous levels.
Sawtooth Forest officials close the area in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Throughout the winter, clusters of elk are often seen grazing on the windswept slopes above Ketchum's Warm Springs neighborhood.
Catherine said another Pacific storm expected to arrive in the area later today or early Christmas day could prompt the closure. She said anyone considering an outing in the Warm Springs area should watch for closure signs.
