TCSAR Completes Two Rescues, Involving Multiple Agencies, on February 22

On Thursday, February 22, Teton County Search & Rescue responded to two calls that involved multiple agencies across the county: The first was for an injured snowboarder in the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort backcountry, and the second for an injured snowmobiler in the Togwotee Pass area.

The TCSAR helicopter comes in for a landing during a rescue on Togwotee Pass, on February 22, 2024. Photo: TCSAR

The initial call came in at 11:49 a.m. and concerned a 46-year-old female snowboarder who was injured to the south of JHMR. The woman had crashed on her snowboard between the two bootpacks that lead to an area known as Four Pines. JHMR Ski Patrol responded and provided initial patient care. Once on scene, patrol requested helicopter assistance from TCSAR, which flew to the accident site and landed near the patient. The team loaded her internally into the ship and flew back to the TCSAR hangar where she was transferred to a waiting ambulance with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

TCSAR’s second call of the day occurred at 1:54 p.m. A 19-year-old male sustained injuries after crashing his snowmobile into a tree on the K Trail, which is east of Mount Leidy. TCSAR again fired up the ship and flew to Windy Point in Grand Teton National Park to pick up two rangers who would assist in the rescue. Also on board were the pilot and one TCSAR volunteer. With inclement weather moving in and out of the area, TCSAR dispatched additional teams on snowmobiles in case the heli had to be grounded. Additionally, a USFS ranger dispatched on a snowmobile toward the accident.

The ship found a weather window and landed near the injured snowmobiler at approximately 3:20 p.m. Rescuers then loaded the patient into the helicopter for transport to a landing zone (LZ) and GTNP ambulance at the USFS Blackrock Ranger Station.

On busy days like this, it’s important to recognize and give thanks to the multiple partnering agencies across Teton County who help the team respond to rescues, as well as the families and partners of TCSAR volunteers who scramble to hold down the fort while their loved ones go into the field. We appreciate you.

TCSAR Celebrates Winter Trails Day on February 24

Teton County Search & Rescue, along with numerous other community nonprofits and organizations, invites you to celebrate Winter Trails Day on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. We’ll be posted up on Teton Pass from 9 am to noon to offer tips and feedback on backcountry safety, with hot cocoa and other goodies.

Hoback Sports will be on hand to provide free backcountry demos, while Teton Backcounty Alliance will provide a free shuttle from Stilson Lot, Old Pass Road, and Coal Creek. The shuttle will pick up and drop people off at Stilson Lot, Old Pass Road, top of Teton Pass, and Coal Creek from 8:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Check www.tetonbackcountryalliance.org/shuttle for a specific shuttle schedule.

Elsewhere, Friends of Pathways will be stationed at Cache Creek with free fat bike demos from Wheel Wranglers and Teton Mountain Bike Tours. It’s a great opportunity to try out a new bike or try fat biking for the first time.

Want to skate ski or classic Nordic ski? Skinny Skis and JD High Country Outfitters will have their Nordic demo fleets available for free! PAWS and JH Nordic will also be there to answer questions about responsible recreation on our public lands.

At each location Friends of Pathways will have free hot cocoa, cookies, and plenty of information on our winter trails. Bring your friends and family, and come ski and bike with us and your community during Winter Trails Day.

This event is made possible in part thanks to the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board.

TCSAR and Grand Targhee Ski Patrol Rescue Skier after Cornice Fall

Just past 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21, Teton County Search & Rescue was dispatched regarding an injured skier in the Grand Targhee backcountry.

The skier, a 27-year-old male from Washington, sustained injuries after falling off a cornice in an out-of-bounds area accessed off Mary’s Nipple from Grand Targhee Ski Resort. The skier was on a ridgeline when the cornice broke beneath him, causing him to fall approximately 100 feet into the basin below.

Photo by TCSAR. Cornice failure can be seen just left of center on the ridgeline.

Coordinating with Grand Targhee Ski Patrol, TCSAR dispatched a team of volunteers in the SAR helicopter to the site of the accident. Ski patrol reached the patient first, provided initial care, and packaged him for helicopter transport. TCSAR then short-hauled the man—a method in which rescuers and patient are long-lined beneath the helicopter—to a waiting ambulance at the base of Targhee.

TCSAR appreciates the well-coordinated response from Grand Targhee Ski Patrol, and would like to remind backcountry users to be extremely cautious of cornices while approaching or traversing ridgelines.