Coming Soon: Season 10 of The Fine Line Podcast

Jackson, Wyo. — The Fine Line podcast is returning for its 10th season, with the first of six episodes set for release on October 1.

Produced by the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation as part of the Backcountry Zero initiative, The Fine Line uses storytelling to help build awareness for backcountry safety while shedding light on the dedication of first responders. 

Subscribe Wherever You Get Your Podcasts, and Listen to the Season 10 Trailer

Each episode explores the perspectives of those who have experienced a backcountry emergency, as well as the first responders who came to their aid. The interaction between rescuer and rescuee is often the first time they’ve been able to debrief an incident together, revealing surprising insights that can help the audience learn key lessons about best practices in the backcountry.

“There is something special about rescuers and rescuees coming together to discuss a backcountry emergency,” said The Fine Line host and producer Matt Hansen. “These personal stories really help the rest of us understand the nuance of an emergency, and can lead to more empathy for the survivors and awareness to what we can do to prevent such accidents in the future.”

Patrick Cunningham discusses a mountain bike crash on Teton Pass with TCSAR volunteers Anthony Stevens and Dr. AJ Wheeler.

The Fine Line’s original host Rebecca Huntington reconnects with Jesse Stover over the podcast’s first episode, released in July 2016.

Left to right: Hunter Ianozzi with Jenny Lake Rangers Zack Little and Mik Shain. In September 2025, Little and Shain were part of the team that pulled off a complicated rescue of Ianozzi on the Grand Teton.

Season 10 of The Fine Line explores the devastating consequences of an avalanche, a dramatic rescue in a very tight spot on the Grand Teton, downhill mountain biking on Teton Pass, a look back at how The Fine Line got started, a life-saving rescue in the Wind River Range, and how the backcountry can heal us even after it threatens to take everything away.

The Fine Line is proud to feature the work of local artists, musicians, editors, and writers to give the podcast an authentic connection to the Jackson Hole community.

Sponsors for this special 10th anniversary include Roadhouse Brewing Co., Rocky Talkie, and Stio.

The Fine Line streams everywhere podcasts are available, and is broadcast at 2 p.m. every Thursday on KHOL 89.1 FM. Learn more at BackcountryZero.com.

TCSAR Gets Busy with Four Rescues in Two Days

Jackson, Wyo. — Teton County Search & Rescue responded to four calls in two days last week.

The first two rescues involved two backpackers from the same party, but at different times, on the Teton Crest Trail. Both men, in their 60s, were backpacking as part of a group.

TCSAR volunteers treat an injured paraglider near the summit of Mount Glory on September 12. It was one of three rescues that day. Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue

One man reported a calf injury, which resulted in TCSAR flying the helicopter to pick him up on the Fox Creek trail on Friday morning. Roughly 12 hours later, the same group called to say that another member of their party was in distress due to a previous medical issue. Due to the late hour, TCSAR informed the party that they would have to wait until the following morning for a response.

At first light on Saturday, Sept. 12, the pilot and two volunteers departed SAR HQ and found a spot to land near the patient. They loaded him internally for a flight back to Jackson, where a friend was waiting to pick him up.

TCSAR welcomes the opportunity to respond to emergencies, and stresses the need for people to be prepared before tackling multi-day adventures in the backcountry. Time of day, weather conditions, and mechanical issues may also affect how and when the team is able to respond. This isn't intended to shame or judge anyone—rather, it's meant to underscore the critical need for preparedness and to be self-aware of any personal limitations.

Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue

Shortly after that rescue wrapped up, at 9 a.m. on Saturday, TCSAR was called to respond to a paraglider who had crashed near the summit of Mount Glory. The patient, a 37-year-old male from Telluride, had suffered trauma to his lower legs.

TCSAR assembled a helicopter short-haul team, and the pilot found a landing zone near the patient. The volunteers disentangled the patient from his wing and loaded him into the helicopter for a short flight to a waiting ambulance near the summit of Teton Pass.

In the day's third rescue, a hunter required TCSAR assistance after slashing his leg while field dressing an elk in a remote section of the Teton Wilderness. The hunter, a 26-year-old local resident, had tried to self-rescue by riding his horse several miles after sustaining the injury. Eventually, the pain became too much and he called for help using a Garmin satellite device.

TCSAR responded with a helicopter team consisting of the pilot and three volunteers. The team located the patient and landed nearby. They loaded him into the ship and flew him to SAR HQ, where he was transferred to an ambulance with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

TCSAR Rescues Lost Hiker During Midnight Mission

On Thursday, August 27, Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers were called out for a midnight mission.

Just before 10 p.m. on Thursday, TCSAR received an emergency call from a family member concerned that their 19-year-old son was lost in the dark after trying to hike up Cream Puff Peak, a 9,639-foot mountain in the Hoback Canyon.

TCSAR volunteers ascend the trail of Cream Puff Peak in search of a lost hiker. Cream Puff Peak is known for a trail network that can at at times difficult to follow even in the daytime. Photo: Teton County Search & Rescue

The subject was visiting family who work in the area during the summer and had been hiking by himself when he lost the trail. The subject called his dad to say that he had been turned around and didn’t know which way to go, which prompted the family to notify emergency personnel. Eventually, the lost hiker’s phone died. He did not have a headlamp or food and had run out of water.

In response, TCSAR sent a team of five volunteers into the field. They began hiking up the trail from the Poison Creek trailhead at 12:30 a.m. The team shouted into the darkness and were able to make voice contact with the subject. However, as the team ascended the mountain the subject’s replies grew softer and intermittent. TCSAR then dispatched another two volunteers into the field at 1:45 a.m. This second team started at the same trailhead but approached off-trail up a ravine to the existing trail on a ridge.

The first team eventually found the subject, who was uninjured but cold, tired and hungry. The volunteers provided him with extra layers, food, and water before they began hiking down the trail together. They all made it back to the trailhead at 3:15 a.m., where the subject’s father picked him up for a ride home.

One takeaway from this incident is to keep a close eye on your cell phone battery life. If you see that your phone is about to die during an emergency, send a text to 911 so that first responders can get your location. That cellular ‘handshake’ will give SAR personnel your coordinates on a map, allowing them to find you even after your cell phone dies. And then, of course, stay in your same location until help arrives.