"Chivers Ridge: So Close, but So Far" reveals Dynamic Rescue on Teton Pass

Just one ridge to the south from the top of Teton Pass, Chivers Ridge is known as an entry level backcountry ski run for its ease of access, as well as a quick hit that can be easily lapped by doing car shuttles from the trailhead at the bottom of the pass.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous. There are numerous steep drop-offs on either side, and Chivers also contains manmade infrastructure such as power lines and cables that you may not always expect to find on a backcountry run.

Matt Bambach receives patient care from friend Jules Bell. The two give their unique perspectives on an accident on Chivers Ridge in the next episode of The Fine Line. Courtesy photo.

On January 23, 2022, Matt Bambach, a 29-year-old skier, found this out the hard way. That morning, he gathered on the pass with a bunch of friends to celebrate his roommate’s birthday. It was supposed to be a fun day of party skiing. But on their very first run, it all came crashing down when he sustained a life-threatening injury about halfway down Chivers Ridge. Despite how close he was to the road, it presented some very real challenges for his companions as well as the response from Teton County Search and Rescue.

Left to Right: KC Bess, Matt Bambach, and Anthony Stevens.

This incident is the focus of the next episode of The Fine Line, our podcast about adventure, risk and rescue in the Jackson Hole backcountry. In “Chivers Ridge: So Close, but So Far,” Bambach recounts his freak accident and the subsequent response from TCSAR volunteers Anthony Stevens and KC Bess. The volunteers also offer an in-depth look at TCSAR’s short-haul operations to help accentuate the importance of the current Heli-Yes! campaign. Meanwhile, Jules Bell explains how she was suddenly put into the position of keeping Bambach from bleeding to death while maintaining composure to dial for help.

The episode also presents an opportunity to learn some cool history about early skiing on Teton Pass.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Co. for the generous sponsorship of The Fine Line.

This Ship Saves Lives: Please Help Support TCSAR's Emergency Rescue Helicopter

““The level of care was top notch. They kept me warm, as I’d been laying in the snow for an hour and a half. I wasn’t out of it, I didn’t lose consciousness but I wasn’t all there either. Everyone was so nice and so thoughtful, and kept me informed with everything they were doing as they were doing it. Believe it or not, for such a horrible experience, my rescue out of there was a good experience.””

— Eva Murphy, rescued by TCSAR

On April 13, TCSAR Foundation will be launching its annual Heli-Yes! campaign to help ensure Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers are trained to the highest possible standards so that our community continues to have reliable emergency helicopter service.

Over the next four weeks, the Foundation will be challenging the community to raise money for TCSAR’s emergency helicopter program. An anonymous local donor has generously offered a match gift of up to $35,000. This means that every dollar that gets donated will be matched, effectively doubling each contribution until we meet our challenge. With the Teton County Sheriff’s Office budgeting for eight months of TCSAR’s helicopter service, the Heli-Yes! campaign ensures that volunteers have the training and personal flight equipment they need to execute life-saving missions.

As the Jackson Hole backcountry continues to see record numbers of visitors, the helicopter enables TCSAR volunteers to quickly and efficiently respond to life-threatening injuries. But it takes great commitment and training for the volunteers to keep themselves and their patients safe, all while providing professional medical care in the field.

This winter alone, TCSAR used the helicopter 20 times—the second winter in a row that the team has seen such high frequency with the ship—with at least 10 of those missions being life or death scenarios.

Kevin Flueger, a 33-year-old Jackson resident, was one of those rescued this winter after breaking his leg while skiing in the backcountry south of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

“Without the helicopter, that could’ve shaped up to be one of the worst days of my life,” Flueger says. “But it was so smooth and so quick that I was at the ambulance within an hour of breaking my leg. It took something that was scary and potentially deadly, and became something that was not that bad of an experience.”

Eva Murphy, a 68-year-old ER nurse from Memphis, Tenn., echoed that sentiment. She suffered potentially life-threatening injuries, including a broken femur, after crashing on her snowmobile in the Granite Creek drainage in January. The TCSAR helicopter team was able to land near her and transport her quickly out of the backcountry. 

“The level of care was top notch,” Murphy says of TCSAR. “They kept me warm, as I’d been laying in the snow for an hour and a half. I wasn’t out of it, I didn’t lose consciousness but I wasn’t all there either. Everyone was so nice and so thoughtful, and kept me informed with everything they were doing as they were doing it. Believe it or not, for such a horrible experience, my rescue out of there was a good experience.”

By donating to Heli-Yes! you are investing in TCSAR volunteers' ability to continue to take on complex missions and reunite loved ones with their families and friends.

Thank you for helping our heli fly.

For more on Heli-Yes! and to contribute, please visit TetonCountySAR.org/heli-yes.

Rad Spencer Scholarship Fund to Provide Annual Award for Search & Rescue, EMT and Water Rescue Training

Community Foundation of Jackson Hole Honors the Compassionate Spirit of Young Skier

Jackson, Wyo. (March 16, 2022) — Rad Spencer was a positive influence on countless lives, both in Wyoming and Georgia where he grew up. On February 13, 2022, Spencer died in a skiing accident in Grand Teton National Park. His larger-than-life spirit remains and will continue to make an impact in the local community of Jackson Hole through the Rad Spencer Scholarship Fund. The Fund was established this week by the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. The purpose of the Fund is to honor the life and legacy of Spencer who made a big impact on Jackson Hole and the surrounding area in his short 27 years. The Fund will provide an annual scholarship in Search and Rescue, EMT and Water Rescue training to the Jackson area nominee who best embodies the life and remarkable spirit of Rad Spencer.

“The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole is pleased to create this Fund honoring Rad Spencer’s life,” said Erin Lusins, the Foundation’s CFO. “We look forward to partnering with Rad’s family and friends to support our community and its members – while honoring an individual who made a lasting impression on so many who live in Jackson.” 

The Fund’s creators have established a Scholarship Board made up of seven of Rad’s closest friends and contemporaries who have agreed to seek out, receive and review nominations on behalf of candidates each year for the Rad Spencer Scholarship. After interviews and discussion, an annual winner will be announced. 

The Rad Spencer Scholarship Board consists of the following members:
Spain Short  (Co-Chair)  
George Ehlers (Co-Chair)
Ryan Watson
Harrison Woodward
Chapman Wilkinson
Margaret Donell
Richmond Watson

“It has been a really difficult month for us. We are glad to be part of an effort to create a lasting legacy for Rad,” commented Spain Short. 

George Ehlers added, “It was very meaningful that fourteen of the close friends of Rad’s mother and father got together and volunteered to donate the first $100,000 in funds towards this effort. The Scholarship Board that has been assembled sincerely thanks them for their generosity and we are hopeful and confident that many more people who were close to Rad will see lasting value in the effort and contribute as well.”

If you would like to donate to the Fund, checks should be made out to the Rad Spencer Scholarship and mailed to the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, P.O. Box 574, Jackson, WY, 83001. 

The Fund also is now setup so that it can receive credit card donations directly from donors. To make a credit card donation, donors can go to the website, https://www.cfjacksonhole.org/, and select the ”DONATE” button on the top right. Once at the shopping cart, simply search for “Rad Spencer” and the Fund will appear.

Or simply click the button below.

Follow the steps through to complete the donation and once completed, the donor will receive a confirmation email which also serves as their tax receipt. All donations are tax deductible and donors will receive a tax receipt from the Foundation if they mail in a check. Grants from the Rad Spencer Scholarship Fund will be made to qualified nonprofits for their training of the scholarship winner each year and will not be used for any other purposes.

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CONTACT
Spain Short
SShort@TributaryIdaho.com
George Ehlers
GMEhlers19@gmail.com
Rad Spencer Scholarship Board