BackcountrySOS

The Fine Line Podcast Presents: A Very Close Call in Phillips Canyon

Jackson, Wyo. — Season 8 of The Fine Line podcast rolls onward with a story about a mountain bike crash with potentially serious consequences on a favorite local trail. The episode dives into the effectiveness of the BackcountrySOS app, and how Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers responded with delicate treatment of potentially life-altering injuries in the field.

“A Bridge Too Far: The Phillip’s Log Strikes Again” airs today, May 23, at 2 p.m. on KHOL 89.1 FM, and afterward on your favorite podcast platform.


Thanks to Rick Gordon and Dr. Tobin Dennis for sharing their experiences so the rest of us can learn—right as mountain bike season ramps up across the Mountain West.

Produced by Backcountry Zero, Season 8 of The Fine Line is presented by Stio, with support from Arc’teryx and KHOL. Original art by Jen Reddy Ink. The Fine Line’s theme song is by Anne & Pete Sibley, with additional music produced by Ben Winship. The Fine Line is produced and hosted by Matt Hansen, with editing and sound by Melinda Binks.

Learn more about The Fine Line atBackcountryZero.com.

"Be 307 Aware" Boosts Backcountry Communication Across Wyoming

Being able to communicate in the backcountry is a key pillar of safety, especially during an emergency. Thanks to a statewide effort, that is now much easier in Teton County and across Wyoming. Backcountry users equipped with two-way radios are now able to communicate directly with first responders during emergencies by using channel 307 anywhere in the state.

Using your radio, simply program channel 307 into the device. Though Search & Rescue teams do not actively monitor the channel, they will use the channel during incident callouts to try to connect with those who need help. In places without cellular service, communicating via 307 on a radio has the potential to be a critical lifeline.

Known as “Be 307 Aware,” the new program is a collaboration between the Wyoming State Search and Rescue (SAR) Council, the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security and the Wyoming All Hazards Association.

Two of the most common consumer radios are the Motorola TalkAbout and the Backcountry Access BC Link 2.0. Each as their place and benefits, but the BCA radios are designed for more rigorous activity in the backcountry, such as ski touring, mountaineering and snowmobiling.

Backcountry users who don’t own radios are encouraged to download the BackcountrySOS, a free smartphone app developed by TCSAR Foundation that enables anyone having an emergency to provide their status and precise location to Search & Rescue personnel. The app requires no setup or login. Unlike two-way radios, however, BackcountrySOS does not allow back and forth communication with emergency responders, and the app does require a small amount of cell service.

The Wyoming State SAR Council offers the following steps to increase your chances of being rescued:

  • Buy an FRS/GMRS capable radio or 'walkie talkie' and program the 307 channel into the radio. Program to UHF 462.6125 Privacy Code 85.4 or Channel 3 and Privacy code 07 (307).

  • If, or when, you become stranded, if searchers are looking for you they can attempt to contact you on this channel. It is not a 911 type channel.

  • Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan on coming back. Ask local authorities if a check-in form is available.

  • Pack appropriate gear and supplies. A lot more info on this can be found at BackcountryZero.com.

  • Check the weather and avalanche forecast.

TCSAR and Backcountry Safety Featured in Jackson Hole Magazine

If you live in or visit Jackson Hole, chances are you spend a lot of time outdoors. Which means that sooner or later, you’ll have to confront some of the inherent risks of recreating in the backcountry. Helping educate people to make choices to mitigate that risk and empowering them to know what to do should something go wrong are big priorities at TCSAR and the Foundation.

So we are pleased to see the issue of backcountry safety get so much ink in Jackson Hole magazine’s 2021 summer issue. The feature includes interviews with TCSAR Medical Advisor AJ Wheeler about his advice on how to prevent injuries as well as how to treat them; a spotlight on the BackcountrySOS app; and a lengthy interview with Hannah Bruch, a mountain biker who was injured and subsequently rescued up Phillips Canyon last September. (You can hear Hannah’s story on episode 32 of The Fine Line podcast.)

Check out the story be clicking the button below. You can find numerous safety resources at our educational site Backcountry Zero, and please consider attending one of our summer workshops about backcountry safety.