JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) was mobilized twice over the weekend, and the two missions reflected the changing seasons.
On Saturday afternoon, a local male snowboarder suffered a severe leg injury while heading down the Great White Hump, north of Teton Pass, TCSAR shared in a Monday social media post.
“It was the second time this month that a skier or snowboarder had been injured after getting caught in an avalanche in this same zone,” TCSAR posted, later adding, “This incident is another reminder for skiers and snowboarders to be extra cautious during this transitional period in the Tetons, when snow conditions may change rapidly from hour to hour, day to day.”
The helicopter team flew over to the snowboarder, making contact with him an estimated 54 minutes after the 911 call. The patient was short-hauled to a waiting ambulance on Teton Pass, and the whole mission was complete in 2 hours, 36 minutes.
Then, on Sunday just before 5 p.m., two hikers who had been attempting to travel from Cache Creek to the Game Creek Divide and return via the Skyline trail called 911 to say they were “too exhausted to continue” after ascending the Game Creek Divide, per the social media post. TCSAR advised the hikers to head back to the Cache/Game junction.
Two TCSAR volunteers took a side-by-side vehicle up Cache to meet the hikers at the junction, but the hikers were not yet present. The volunteers hiked about 1.5 miles up the trailer and rendezvoused with the hikers, who were given food and water and assisted back down to the side-by-side vehicle. The hikers were dropped back at their vehicle at the Cache Creek trailhead.
