Like many big ski lines in Grand Teton National Park, the Sliver Couloir was infrequently skied only about 20 years ago. Now, it might see several people in a single day. Fueled by the potent combination of social media and digital mapping, the expense of resort skiing, and the ease of modern equipment, backcountry skiing has reached a fever pitch across the West and the Tetons.
This increase in skiers means intergroup communication is yet another element people must plan for and accommodate as they head into unforgiving terrain.
Collin Binko ascends the Sliver Couloir in Grand Teton National Park on January 22, 2022. Photo: Courtesy of Michael Martin
The consequences of not communicating became abundantly clear on January 22, 2022, when skiers Collin Binko and Michael Martin encountered a lone snowboarder at the base of the Sliver. All three had eyes on the same prize, but neither party talked to the other. The day ended with the snowboarder descending upon the two skiers, with Martin being overcome by sluffing snow and tumbling several hundred feet to the bottom. He luckily survived, but required a helicopter evac by Grand Teton National Park rangers and Teton County Search & Rescue.
The accident exposed the growing risk of skier-on-skier conflicts in the Tetons, and how critical it is for people to talk to one another in the backcountry, especially in high traffic, high consequence zones like the Sliver.
The next episode of The Fine Line podcast explores this issue head on, with Martin and Binko giving a first-hand account of what happened in the Sliver. We also hear from alpinist and licensed therapist Ryan Burke about coming onto the scene and the dangerous role ego plays in the mountains. Jessica Baker, an AMGA-certified ski guide who has more than two decades of experience in the Tetons, walks us through what communication looks and sounds like in the mountains, and why it’s so critical for everyone’s safety.
The episode airs first at 2 p.m. on Thursday, February 24, on KHOL 89.1 FM, before being available for download on your preferred podcast platform.
The Fine Line is produced by Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation as part of the Backcountry Zero project. The goal of this episode is to offer it up as a learning experience so that similar accidents can be avoided in the future. Thank you to Martin and Binko for sharing their important story, and to Baker and Burke for their valuable insight.
Thanks to Roadhouse Brewing for sponsoring The Fine Line.