Jackson, Wyo. — Every spring in Jackson, it’s not uncommon to see a scattered flock of friends and neighbors walking around on crutches. It’s understandable. During the downtime between the powder frenzy of winter and the chaos of summer, we get those physical injuries sorted.
If only we were similarly aware of our stress injuries, and had the grace to open the doors for those same friends and neighbors—and ourselves—who need a proverbial crutch for mental health. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, we as a community need to continue to recognize how critical this issue is.
Treating our brains with the same amount of care and compassion we give to our physical injuries is not just good for general wellness, we also know it can keep you and your partners safe in the backcountry.
As a climber, Josie McKee has numerous speed records and first ascents to her resume. But her relationship to climbing has included significant stress trauma and injuries, fear, and mental health struggles. She shares her experience on May 8 at the Black Diamond store in Jackson. Photo: Josie McKee
“Teton County Search & Rescue recognizes that mental health is equally as important as physical health when going into the backcountry,” says TCSAR volunteer Ryan Combs. “Peer support, access to therapists, education, and promoting self-awareness are all part of the tool kit used by the team to maintain mental health when rescuing. The same principles apply to individuals recreating in the backcountry.”
To highlight the importance of mental health, we could not be more excited to host guest speaker Josie McKee at the Black Diamond store in downtown Jackson on the evening of May 8. A member of Lander Search & Rescue and the Director of Operations and Communications at the Responder Alliance, McKee brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about how backcountry enthusiasts can recognize stress injuries and how to treat them in healthy, positive ways.
This event is FREE thanks to support from Teton County Public Health, Black Diamond, and Yeah Buddy Pizza. As part of TCSAR Foundation’s Backcountry Zero outreach and education programming, McKee’s talk marks the third in a series focusing on managing mental health in the mountains.
Photo: Courtesy of Josie McKee
McKee has decades of experience climbing mountains, guiding, working in Search & Rescue, and teaching wilderness medicine. Her own journey with stress and trauma began in Yosemite National Park, working on the Yosemite Search & Rescue team and constantly pushing her own limits in climbing. This combination led her to understand the impact of stress exposure and the value of resilience training.
Please register for this event, as space is limited to the first 60 who sign up.
Be safe out there, and remember to be kind to yourself.
Media contact: Maddie Johnson, TCSAR Foundation PSAR Manager, maddie@tetoncountysar.org