TCSAR Picks Up Distressed Backpackers from Teton Crest Trail

Just before 1 p.m. on Monday, May 25, Teton County Search & Rescue received an emergency alert for two backpackers in distress on the Teton Crest Trail. Two males, ages 20 and 22, in a group of four from out of state were reportedly vomiting and having difficulty walking through the snow. Their location placed them south of Hurricane Pass in Alaska Basin.

On May 25, Teton County Search & Rescue picked up two backpackers from the Teton Crest Trail after they were unable to continue on their own. Photo: TCSAR

A TCSAR volunteer was able to connect with the group via cell phone. The group said at that time they would try to hike out, but called back about an hour later saying that the two hikers could not continue. 

TCSAR responded with a team in the helicopter, and placed a ground team on standby in the event of inclement weather. The helicopter landed near the hikers and the team loaded them internally for the flight back to SAR HQ in Jackson. The entire mission took 4 hours, 1 minute.

This incident serves as a good reminder that the Tetons are still holding quite a bit of snow above 9,500 feet, which can make traveling on foot difficult and hazardous. Hikers should be prepared to use ice axes and crampons, and be acclimatized for high alpine adventures.

A Conversation about Grief and Loss: Join Us May 20

This winter was heavy, as our local, regional, and global backcountry communities suffered profound loss. As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we are here to say that you are not alone in trying to navigate and process grief after a particularly troubling winter.

Teton County Search & Rescue is acutely aware of how deeply our community hurts after a backcountry fatality. And while we are not in the business of making that grief disappear, we are here to start the conversation about what community resources, clinical tools, and stories of survival might help.

With support from Teton County Public Health and Teton Interagency Peer Support (TIPS), TCSAR invites you to attend a very special conversation about mental health at the Black Diamond store on Wednesday, May 20.

Panelists include TCSAR Board member Sara Adamson, TCSAR volunteer Brook Yeomans, and TCSAR volunteer Doug Van Houten. Clinician Lynnette Gaertner, LCSW, will serve as moderator.

The panel will share personal perspectives, practical resources, and pathways for support in the wake of tragedy.

All are welcome, whether you are navigating your own experience or showing up for others. Professional, trauma-informed clinicians will be present in the case you need someone to talk to during the event. Please register, as space is limited.

TCSAR Picks Up Two Rescues On April 18-19

Jackson, Wyo. — Teton County Search & Rescue responded to two emergency calls over the weekend, showing again the range of skills our volunteers deploy during this seasonal transition.

At 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, a local male snowboarder suffered a severe leg injury while descending a line on the Great White Hump, located north of Teton Pass. 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.

In response, TCSAR assembled a short-haul team in the helicopter. The team made contact with the patient about 54 minutes after the initial 911 call. Our team credits the patient’s group for providing interim care before the volunteers were on scene. That care included: Keeping the patient warm with extra clothes and a space blanket; securing the patient in a safe location; cutting out a flat platform to help the responding volunteers load/secure/treat/extract the patient during a heli operation.

TCSAR then short-hauled the patient to a waiting ambulance on Teton Pass, completing the mission in 2 hours, 36 minutes.

The Great White Hump has been the location of two short-haul rescues in April 2026, both involving avalanches. Photo: TCSAR

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 second rescue call of the weekend came at 4:53 p.m. on Sunday, April 19. This incident concerned two hikers who had been attempting to walk from Cache Creek to the Game Creek Divide and then return via the Skyline trail.

After ascending the Game Creek Divide, the party called 911 to say they were too exhausted to continue. The hikers were advised to begin walking back to the Cache/Game junction where a team of volunteers would meet them.

Two TCSAR volunteers dispatched in a side-by-side vehicle up Cache. When they could not locate the party at the Cache/Game junction, the volunteers hiked about 1.5 miles up the trail, where they found the tired hikers. The volunteers gave them food and water and assisted them back down the trail to the vehicle. From there, the team transported them to their vehicle at the Cache Creek trailhead.