Jackson, Wyo. — On Monday afternoon, February 13, TCSAR received its fifth rescue call in five days. The latest incident concerned a group of five snowmobilers from out of town who were stuck in the Slate Creek area of the Gros Ventre Mountains. The men, all between the ages of 60-80 years old, started out from a guest ranch on the east side of Togwotee Pass and rode their snowmobiles into the Continental Divide Trail system. After entering the Slate Creek area, the men went down a hill where four of their five sleds became stuck. They managed to get an emergency call out on a cell phone, which initiated a response by TCSAR.

TCSAR volunteers helped five snowmobilers get unstuck and safely out of the Gros Ventre Mountains on Monday, February 13. Photo: TCSAR

Four TCSAR volunteers dispatched on snowmobiles at Atherton Creek and drove up the Gros Ventre Road. They then crossed the ice-covered river and found the men a short distance above Slate Creek, about 10 miles from their starting point at Atherton. The men were uninjured but getting tired. They had one shovel but no avalanche safety gear. The men were driving trail sleds that were not designed to handle deep snow. TCSAR volunteers helped the men get their sleds unstuck and back up a hill to more manageable terrain. The volunteers then led the men and all snowmobiles back to Atherton Creek, where a TCSAR team member shuttled the men to Jackson and helped them find a place to stay for the night.

The volunteers returned to the TCSAR hangar, debriefed, and readied the equipment for the next mission, completing the call in 5 hours, 42 minutes.