Get Ready for a Safe Winter at the Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop

• Two-day event highlights winter backcountry safety, and provides a free lunch, beer, vendors, and a huge raffle supporting TCSAR volunteers

Jackson, Wyo. — The 12th Annual Wyoming Snow & Avalanche Workshop is officially three weeks away. The two-day event focusing on backcountry safety begins with Pro Day at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, November 13, at the Center for the Arts. Rec Day, focused on all levels of backcountry users, begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, also at the Center.

Register ASAP to take full advantage of all six Rec Day Lunch ‘n Learn station options (they are filling fast!). And of course, spread the word to your favorite backcountry partners so that you feel safe with them, they feel safe with you, and you’ve got more juicy skills, topics, and questions to chat through on the skin track this winter.

Attending WYSAW is the best way to gather with folks from all corners of our awesome community before the winter starts to begin honing your backcountry safety systems.  At both Pro Day (Friday, Nov 13) and Rec Day (Saturday, Nov 14), you’ll learn lessons from leading experts in the field of snow and avalanche safety and have the chance to win some great raffle prizes in support of TCSAR volunteers. 

A sneak peek of some presenters and topics you don’t want to miss…

• Stepping Out with a Persistent Weak Layer: A Panel (Pro Day)

• Wind Slabs vs Storm Slabs w/ Nata De Leeuw (Rec Day)

• A Deep Dive Into Fracture Propagation + Mechanics w/ Dave Hamre (Rec Day Lunch ‘n Learn station) 

• SAR Response Assessment and Decision Making in Avalanche Terrain w/ Jen Reddy (Pro Day)

• Creating Inclusive Communication and Group Consensus w/ Julz Holder (Rec Day)

• Navigating The Terrain Between My Ears w/ Zahan Billimoria (Rec Day)

• Using the BTAC Big Sheet to Make Decisions w/ Eeva Latosuo and Alex Drinkard (Rec Day Lunch ‘n Learn station)

Click here to register and see the full list of phenomenal speakers on the WYSAW docket. We can't wait to see you at some or all of our programming!

WYSAW is made possible by these generous sponsors:

Mira Ahora: Videos from Spanish-language Avalanche Awareness Night

On January 28, 2025, a consortium of concerned residents in Jackson came together to present the valley’s first Spanish-language Avalanche Awareness Night at the Virginian Lodge. The event was recorded, with each presentation now available to watch via the TCSAR YouTube channel.

The goal of the event was to increase access to essential safety information for community members for whom Spanish is their preferred language. Based on local school demographics, an estimated 40 percent of county residents have a home language other than English, and the majority of those are Spanish-speakers.

With the outdoors such an important part of the Jackson Hole culture, it’s important that backcountry safety information is accessible to all.

"Language access is one of the important first steps in ensuring that everyone in our community has the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions in the backcountry,” said Piper Worthington, a language access advocate and event co-coordinator. “This event will be educational, but also a celebration of local people and organizations who have changed the ways we think about who is represented in the outdoor industry."

Below, TCSAR volunteer Ryan Mertaugh discusses how to mitigate your risk while traveling in avalanche terrain. This is just one of several presentations done entirely in Spanish.

Thanks to all of the presenters, the Virginian Lodge, Camino Conmingo, Coombs Outdoors, Exum, Jackson Hole Mountain Guides, the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, and TCSAR for making this event possible. All videos were recorded and edited by Garrett LeRoy.

TCSAR Stays Busy with Two Rescues in Three Days

Two rescues in three days has kept Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers busy. Following trends from the past 5-10 years, February is typically one of the busiest months of the year for TCSAR.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 8, TCSAR was notified of three snowboarders stranded out of bounds in the Grand Targhee backcountry. The group—one adult male, one 18-year-old female, and one 16-year-old male—was uninjured, but unable to return to the resort or find a safe descent through complex terrain. They were reportedly not carrying backcountry safety equipment.

Teton County Search & Rescue short-hauls a snowboarder from steep, complex terrain in Teton Canyon, Wyoming. Photo: TCSAR

Grand Targhee Ski Patrol made initial contact and requested helicopter assistance due to the steep terrain. The TCSAR pilot and short-haul team flew in, extricating two members first, then returning for the third snowboarder and a TCSAR volunteer. All were flown to the Teton Canyon Trailhead (pictured) before the team refueled in Driggs and returned to Jackson.

TCSAR appreciates the coordination and efforts from Grand Targhee Ski Patrol to help resolve this incident.

On Monday, February 10, at 10:15 a.m., two backcountry skiers on the south side of Teton Pass called 911 after encountering a male skier experiencing a medical issue.

At the time, a TCSAR short-haul team was about to begin routine training in Jackson. The pilot and three volunteers immediately diverted to the scene in Olympic Bowl. The helicopter dropped off two volunteers, who skied to the patient and initiated treatment. Given his condition, they called for a short-haul operation, lifting him to an ambulance near the top of Teton Pass. The time from the 911 call to ambulance transfer took just 40 minutes.

TCSAR commends the reporting skiers for assisting in the response and stresses the importance of calling 911 at the first sign of an emergency, even when details are unclear. After the incident, the two skiers continued their day, and the volunteers resumed their training.