Congratulations! Announcing the WYSAW Raffle Winners

We are overjoyed by how many of you purchased raffle tickets at the 10th Annual Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop. The raffle raised more than $19,000 in support of TCSAR volunteers!

We have reached out to all the winners, and posting them here in all their glory.

To the Winners: PLEASE contact us immediately to claim your prize package. Send an email to andree@tetoncountysar.org or caryn@tetoncountysar.org. We will hold onto the prizes until November 8. Afterward, the prizes will be considered donations.

10th Annual WYSAW Raffle winners

#7 Megan Avery
#8 Sara McQueeney
#9 Kathleen McCarragher
#10 Leah Grange
#11 Toby Koekkoek
#12 Gabby Gutman

#1 Peter Long
#2 Donna Drake
#3 Lachlan Hardie
#4 Pete Ginsbury
#5 Frank Colizzo
#6 Robin Folweiler

#20 Kathleen Doffermyre
#21 Justin Waters
#22 Christina Cartier
#23 Sterling Murdock
#24 Luna Wang
#25 Nigel Dyson-Hudson

#13 Toby Leith 
#14 Jeannette Nagel
#15 Ryan Walters
#16 Adele Priestley
#17 Bill Ciccotti
#18 Cassie Hopkins
#19 Miles Schaefer

Thank You to All of Our WYSAW Sponsors & Raffle Donors!

Register for the 10th Annual Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop

Registration is now open for the 10th Annual Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop, to be held October 18-19, 2024, at the Center for the Arts in downtown Jackson. Wyoming’s only SAW, WYSAW is presented by the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation, the Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center, and Central Wyoming College.

Registration for the two-day event costs just $40. Plus, every attendee on Saturday, October 19, gets a free burrito from Pica’s, a beanie from Flylow, and free beer from Roadhouse and Snake River Brewing with proof of registration (ages 21 and up).

Friday, October 18, will be tailored for professionals in the field, and anyone looking to engage with presentations on advanced snow and behavioral science and theory. Doors open Friday at noon and the event runs to 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 19, is an all-day workshop, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., that will serve interests for all winter backcountry users, no matter their experience level. All participants get a free Pica's burrito and sweet swag bag.

Over a dozen raffle packages (each valued at $1,000+) will be drawn at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 19. Need not attend WYSAW to purchase tickets. All proceeds benefit Teton County Search & Rescue.

Thank you for doing your part to make backcountry safety a priority in Jackson Hole (and beyond). We hope too see you on the 18th or 19th!

Teton County Search & Rescue Provides Heli Assist in Grand County, Colorado

Jackson, Wyo. — On Thursday, Oct. 3, Teton County Search & Rescue, along with two Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers from Grand Teton National Park, assisted in the recovery of a deceased trail runner in the mountains of Grand County, Colorado. The body of the runner, who had fallen into extremely rugged terrain on Aug. 28, was in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, which is located about an hour’s drive west of the city of Boulder. 

After numerous failed attempts to retrieve the body, local and regional rescue teams began exploring options this week with TCSAR. The Jackson, Wyoming-based SAR team considered the request for a short-haul operation. Due to the flight distance to Colorado, the team would have to depart Jackson and spend the night in Colorado before attempting the rescue operation. TCSAR checked with their US Forest Service partners to ensure that the region would have a backup rescue helicopter in case of a local emergency. Determining that local SAR personnel would have backup heli support if necessary, a specialized team from TCSAR and GTNP departed Jackson at 3 p.m. on Oct. 2. 

TCSAR provided a helicopter assist in Grand County, Colorado, on October 3, 2024. It was the first time the Jackson, Wyoming, team had responded to an incident in Colorado. Photo: TCSAR

The Wyoming team flew to Rawlins, refueled, and then continued to Granby, where they met the local SAR team with the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.

On the morning of Oct. 3, the team choppered to the site on Arikaree Peak, a steep, rugged 13,146-foot mountain with numerous couloirs and loose rock. Once the Wyoming team located the body, they were able to short-haul themselves onto the scene. They recovered the body and provided transport to the Granby Airport via a long line connected to the helicopter. The helicopter returned to Arikaree and short-hauled the rescuers off the mountain.

Short-haul is a method of rescue in which rescuers can be inserted or extracted via a rope connected to the belly of the helicopter. It is often used in terrain that is too steep or rugged to land a ship. 

The team debriefed the mission with Grand County SAR, and departed for Jackson, with the ship safely landing at the TCSAR hangar at 3:45 p.m. on Oct. 3.

“This was a unique rescue for us for many reasons,” said TCSAR Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart. “This was the first time we have been called down to Colorado and there were a lot of individuals and agencies involved in the rescue effort. This was also a tough rescue for us to assist with, from both a technical level and the heavy nature of the job. We are grateful that we were able to help get this man off the mountain and home to his family.”

In a press release, Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin expressed, “My thanks to our partner agencies including Grand County Search and Rescue, Grand County Coroner’s Office, Colorado Search and Rescue, Boulder County, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Alpine Rescue Team, the Colorado Army National Guard, Med Evac, Teton County Search and Rescue, National Park Service, and the United States Forest Service for their diligence in safely recovering the decedent and returning him to his family while weighing the importance of rescuer and responder safety.”

TCSAR expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, and wishes to thank their partners with GTNP, Grand County Sheriff’s Office and SAR, and Colorado Search & Rescue for their assistance in bringing this operation to a successful close.