Introducing “12 Months of TCSAR.” During these 12 days of holidays, we’ll recap each month of 2023, providing highlights from one of the most significant years ever in TCSAR’s 30-year history. Suffice to say that a lot went down—and up—over the last year, and we could not have done it without you and our incredible partners.
January 2023
On January 1, the new year started with a call from a concerned citizen reporting a possible SOS signal near Darby Canyon…but which actually turned out to be lights on a snowmobile riding in the darkness. The rest of the month had the team mostly responding to skiers and snowboarders who were fanning out to take advantage of a very deep January. In total, the team received nine calls, including:
❄️ Four incidents for skiers/snowboarders in the JHMR backcountry, handled with help from the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol;
❄️ Lost skiers in the Grand Targhee backcountry, handled with assistance from GT Ski Patrol;
🚁 Huge skier-triggered avalanche on Taylor Mountain with luckily no burials (pictured right);
🚁 Avalanche on the west side of Albright Peak in Grand Teton National Park, requiring an interagency helicopter rescue (video).
📌 Slide 3 shows the locations of all January calls in Teton County.
Will the rescue pace ramp up in February? And what will the map reveal? Stay tuned tomorrow to find out. You can help support our volunteers by clicking the button below.
February 2023
This is 12 Months of TCSAR. Day 2 means we’re recapping February 2023.
February is historically one of the snowiest months of the year for Jackson Hole, and therefore, one of the busiest months for local rescuers. This year was no exception. In 2023, TCSAR received 20 calls for service during February. Four of those days included four heli rescues in a row.
Eleven calls were for skiers and snowboarders, including two on the same day for an avalanche in the Snow King backcountry and, hours later, in the so-called Taco Bell Couloir that flushed into Flat Creek in town. Nine calls were for snowmobilers, mostly on Togwotee Pass.
We share these incidents to highlight the dedication of our local first responders and as a reminder to all of us to build extra margins of safety into our backcountry systems, especially during storm cycles when powder fever runs high 📌
February 2023 was B-U-S-Y for TCSAR.
March 2023
By March 2023, a rescue pattern emerged, with calls for help clustered around three of our most popular winter recreation areas: Teton Pass, JHMR backcountry, and Togwotee Pass.
And yet, TCSAR also received three calls for helicopter assists outside the county, including one from way out in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to help an injured logger. The team could not accept that mission due to distance and weather, but it goes to show how in demand rescue helicopters are.
Other locales included a heli search (and eventual find) for a lost snowmobiler in Bonneville County, Idaho, and a heli rescue for a snowmobiler who’d fallen through a cornice in the Salt River Range outside of Afton, Wyoming📌
Neighbors helping neighbors is the Wyoming way. We also know that we can't do what we do without our many partners, from inside and outside our county🙏
April 2023
After several consecutive months of higher than average call volumes, April 2023 offered a moment of respite for TCSAR volunteers. Was it the weather, deep snowpack, everyone riding bikes in Moab?
The one call was due to a lost skier in the Grand Targhee backcountry, an incident that was resolved by ski patrol.
We know that accidents happen, no matter your experience level. We can also confidently say that Jackson Hole is becoming a place where backcountry safety is a top priority. Thank you for doing your part!
May 2023
So May came around and…crickets. All good in the neighborhood. Just one call for an injured hiker in Game Creek.
Most of the action in May came from TCSAR Foundation’s all-out blitz to complete Mission Critical—a $7.25 million fundraising campaign to purchase a year-round rescue helicopter for Teton County. The campaign crossed the finish line on May 24 with a celebration and short-haul demo at the base of Snow King. The clouds parted and all the hard work came to fruition
Throughout Mission Critical, the community Stepped Up in so many ways that we can never say thank you enough.
June 2023
The arrival of summer—at least on the calendar, not so much with the weather—meant it was back to business on the rescue front. And of course, high-angle rigging training over a busted old bike, a potential foreshadowing of the season to come.
June saw six rescue calls, including an injured mountain biker on the Parallel Trail, lost hikers on Table Mountain, and a commercial raft that hit the Wilson Bridge and dumped all of its passengers into the river. Numerous agencies responded to the Snake but all the rafters were able to swim to shore. Another interagency effort occurred on June 14, when a woman became lost and disoriented during a cold, wet, foggy hike in the mountains above Afton. Star Valley SAR responded but could not reach the woman, who was stuck in some cliffy terrain. Our friends at SVSAR called TCSAR for a helicopter assist, and the Jackson team was able to fly down and pluck the woman off the cliff face and bring her out safely.
It was another example of two SAR teams working together to help someone out of a jam in big beautiful Wyoming.
July 2023
July was busy, with 17 calls for service and the unveiling of TCSAR’s first new logo in 30 years. The new logo is intended to be clean, modest and instantly recognizable, with the silhouette of the Tetons as the anchor. A red sky represents “Rescue Ready,” and helps tie in the colors and heritage of the previous logo that represented the team for three decades.
Meanwhile, the rescue calls came mostly in twos to keep the volunteers on their toes.
There were two on July 8. Two on the 16th. Two on the 18th. And two on the 29th. Rescue Ready indeed.
August 2023
Day 8 of 12 Months of TCSAR means we’re looking at August.
Thirteen calls for service came in during this month in the following categories: four hikers/backpackers; three horse accidents; three mountain bikers; two heli requests from outside the county that were transferred to GTNP; and one missing person.
Work was also being done at the TCSAR hangar to prepare for a very special delivery later in the fall.
September 2023
In September, TCSAR responded to eight calls for service. And while today's volunteers were taking care of business, we also looked at yesterday's volunteers to commemorate the team's 30 years of service to our community.
Founded in 1993, TCSAR was built on the values of hard work, respect, and professionalism. Though things might look a little different today (i.e. fewer mustaches), the commitment to those values remains. It's vital to remember that we all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.
September’s calls included the following: missing hikers in Teton Canyon; lost hikers in Phillips Canyon; an injured climber in Teton Canyon; two injured climbers in Curtis Canyon; a distressed hiker on Table Mountain; overdue hunters in the Gros Ventre; a missing hunter at Lost Lake; and a horse accident at Turpin Meadows, which was handled by GTNP, the Moran fire station, and Air Idaho.
October 2023
October had two calls for service, one of which was helicopter and ground support for Lincoln County SAR to help find a lost hunter in the Wyoming Range. The 69-year-old man had already spent one night out on his own unintentionally. Multiple SAR teams spent an entire day searching for the hunter. He was eventually located, unhurt but cold, at another hunting camp, where he’d walked 18 miles through the snow.
The search marked the first operational mission for TCSAR’s new H125 helicopter, which touched down in Jackson on October 14, completing a years-long dream, and hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of work, to bring a year-round SAR helicopter to Teton County
November 2023
As we reflect on this past year, we want to take a moment to recognize that these numbers and pins on a map are way more than just numbers and pins on a map; they are people with loved ones, families, and friends. Every accident is unique and warrants special care for those affected. You never know when you or a loved one might be that one number or pin. That’s why TCSAR approaches each accident from a place of humility and understanding.
In November, TCSAR got a call to help an injured speed flyer on Snow King Mountain, a mission that resulted in a helicopter short-haul right above town. The other call was from Grand Targhee Ski Patrol about a possible avalanche in the out-of-bounds area known as Steve Baugh. Patrollers investigated but found no sign of a burial.
December 2023
December has seen three calls so far: a helicopter short-haul for an injured skier on Mount Glory, and a possible helicopter assist to find some missing ice climbers in northeast Yellowstone National Park. As the team was gearing up to head out the door, the missing climbers were located and the team stood down.
The third call came in right before Christmas from someone identifying himself as S. Claus. He was having trouble with his sleigh and needed a ride to visit local school children. As the fog lifted on December 22, TCSAR was able to help Mr. Claus fly in on their brand new rescue ship to greet some very happy kids. The mission helped TCSAR volunteers get extra training around the helicopter and express their gratitude to the community for all the support during this extraordinary year.
From all of us at TCSAR, best wishes for a happy and safe holiday season.
