On January 12, Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers responded to an injured skier in the backcountry area known as Four Pines, south of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The skier, a local resident in his mid 20s, had skied over a small cliff and landed on a rock.

Four Pines is accessible through backcountry gates at JHMR. It is not controlled for avalanches, and requires skiers and snowboarders to ascend two separate bootpacks.

TCSAR conducts a helicopter short-haul rescue in the JHMR backcountry. Photo: TCSAR

The Jackson Hole Ski Patrol initially responded to check on the skier’s injuries, and subsequently requested a helicopter assist from TCSAR. Given the area’s steep terrain, TCSAR decided that a short-haul operation was the best move, meaning the rescuers and patient would be lifted from the site via a rope attached to the belly of the helicopter and flown out of the backcountry.

In this case, the TCSAR helicopter inserted two volunteers onto the slope to provide patient care and package him for transport. The helicopter flew laps overhead during this brief process, and then returned to pick up both rescuers and the patient. After clipping into the rope, the volunteers and patient were short-hauled to the LZ (landing zone) and a waiting ambulance at the base of Teton Village.

The team completed the mission in about two hours. TCSAR appreciates and is grateful for the coordination with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Ski Patrol to bring this operation to a successful close.