CODY, WYOMING - Cody area government leaders are hopeful that they might hammer out an agreement with Yellowstone officials soon, to keep the Park's East Gate open in the winter.

Pahasaka resort, just outside Yellowstone’s East gate, used to send dozens of snowmobilers into the park daily. In 2004, a snowcoach operation started taking people in the East Gate. But, next year, under the parks new winter use plan, snowmobiles will go in only when there is no avalanche danger. The park will not use the old howitzer to bring down the slides. Under that scenario, the snowcoach probably wouldn’t run at all.

Buffalo Bill Historical Center CEO Bruce Eldredge took a trip into the park on the last day of the season. He says the operator said, “He at the time of our trip did not think that he would run again without a gate that he could count on being open.” Eldredge may have taken the last snowcoach ever through the East Gate. He said, “The scenery was just gorgeous. Miles and miles of undisturbed snow.”

Cody area government officials have been meeting with Yellowstone Park officials since December. They hope to persuade the park to keep clearing the avalanche danger on Sylvan Pass in the winter. State Representative Colin Simpson told KULR 8, “I think there’s a good chance we can come to an agreement by April 24th, or late April.”

Cody’s Mayor Roger Sedam said, “We agreed that we needed to listen to each other.” Sedam says they understand now avalanche mitigation is more complicated than it used to be. He and Simpson hope to find out more about the costs of full forecasting, to be used in the new winter use plan. Simpson described it, “Which is the use of the weather station, traveling to Sylvan Pass every day to assess the situation, and not using explosives.” Simpson thinks the numbers may show the cost of adding the howitzer, and helicopter may be relatively small. “From my best estimate it may be only $75,000 to go beyond full forecasting.”

Neither Simpson, nor Sedam could say whether Wyoming, or Cody would be willing to pay part of that cost. KULR 8 attempted to reach Yellowstone officials for comment on the meetings. They were not available for comment. The next meeting is in Billings in April.