25th Annual Avy Night Helps Support TCSAR and BTAC

The 25th Annual Skinny Skis Avy Night takes place this Thursday, December 5, at the Center for the Arts. One of our community's best winter gatherings, Avy Night runs from 5:30-9 p.m. Attendance is free with a suggested donation at the door supporting Teton County Search & Rescue. We will have some tables set up in the upstairs lobby to help answer your questions, sell some TCSAR merch, and help you find your way into the venue for the show.

During the event, TCSAR Foundation’s Maddie Johnson will be presenting about some cool events and programming you can expect this winter from Backcountry Zero.

Presented by the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center Foundation and Skinny Skis, the event is a must-attend for local winter enthusiasts.

Featuring a panel of first-person avalanche accounts, a keynote presentation by Jamie Weeks, and a stacked raffle, Avy Night is your chance to celebrate our community’s incredible backcountry culture, refresh your decision-making skills, & maybe even win some great new swag.

GTNP and TCSAR Partner for Avalanche Rescue in the Tetons

MOOSE, Wyo.— On Sunday afternoon, February 4, Grand Teton National Park rangers requested helicopter assistance from Teton County Search & Rescue (TCSAR) to respond to an injured skier on Prospectors Mountain inside the park. The skier, a 29-year-old local woman, along with four men were near the top of the Banana Couloir at 10,800 feet when they triggered and were caught by an avalanche. Three in the group were able to self-arrest, while one of the men was carried 500 feet and the woman was carried by the snow slide approximately 1,500 vertical feet. Neither skier was fully buried, however, the woman sustained serious injuries.

The upper reaches of the Banana Couloir in GTNP. Photo: TCSAR

TCSAR prepared the helicopter with three rescue volunteers and a pilot. The crew flew up into the Banana, a prominent couloir on the east face of Prospectors Mountain. The volunteers were able to short-haul the injured skier off the mountain and fly her to a waiting National Park Service ambulance at Windy Point Turnout. The rest of the party were able to ski out on their own. 

An avalanche on February 4, 2024, caught and carried five skiers, one of whom was swept 1,500 vertical feet down the mountain. Photo: TCSAR

Short-haul is a rescue method where a patient and rescuer are secured to a fix rope that is connected to the belly of the helicopter for a short flight out of the backcountry. It is often used in steep terrain where landing the helicopter is not an option. 

With new snow falling on the Tetons, backcountry users are being reminded to read the daily avalanche forecast at the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center. TCSAR and Grand Teton were appreciative of the collaborative effort to bring this incident to a close.

Register Now for the 9th Annual WYSAW: Oct. 20-21, 2023

We are excited to announce that registration for the 9th Annual Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop (WYSAW) is now open. Presented by Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation, Backcountry Zero, Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center, and Central Wyoming College, WYSAW is a two-day event helping backcountry users get their brains tuned up for a safe winter ahead.

The dates for this year's WYSAW are October 20-21, at the Center for the Arts in downtown Jackson. 

To see the entire speaker lineup and to register online, visit our WYSAW page.