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.

TCSAR Operates Interagency Avalanche Rescue with Grand Teton National Park Rangers

Grand Teton National Park has issued the following press release regarding an interagency rescue on Albright Peak on Monday, January 16. TCSAR appreciates the partnership with the Park in conducting this operations.

Rangers respond to injured man involved in avalanche

Winter recreationists should take safety precautions

MOOSE, WY — Teton Interagency Dispatch Center (TIDC) received an emergency call at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 16 notifying them that a snowboarder was injured off the west side of Albright Peak in Grand Teton National Park. The snowboarder, a local Idaho man, was caught in an avalanche and swept into Death Canyon.  

This video shows the slide path of the avalanche on the west face of Albright Peak in Grand Teton National Park. Courtesy of GTNP.

A member of the injured man’s party called 911 and was able to provide location information to the park’s search and rescue staff. Staff gathered medical and extraction equipment and jointly responded with Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) staff and helicopter.    

The crown of the avalanche on the west face of Albright Peak. Photo: Courtesy of Grand Teton National Park

The rescue crew located the injured man and after initial assessment, it was determined that the patient could walk a short distance to the helicopter. The patient and two uninjured members of his party were flown to a landing zone near the Teton Park Road where they met a waiting ambulance. The helicopter then returned for the remaining two rescuers and the fourth member of the party, still on Albright Peak. After further assessment in the ambulance, the patient refused additional medical care and self-transported to St. John’s Hospital with his companions.

Upon observation at the avalanche site, it was determined that the skier was carried approximately 600 feet, striking multiple objects before coming to rest against a tree. The avalanche ran a total of 2,400 feet from beginning to end, was about 300 feet wide and varied from one to five feet deep.

Quick response and a close working relationship with TCSAR made it possible to deploy interagency resources directly and save time in the field.  

The avalanche hazard rating for the Teton forecast zone at the time of the avalanche was moderate and skiers and riders should always exercise caution when entering high consequence avalanche terrain.  

Anyone planning to recreate in the backcountry should visit the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center at jhavalanche.org to obtain an avalanche forecast. Anyone recreating in avalanche terrain should utilize safe travel practices whether on skis, a snowboard, or a snowmobile.