Join TCSAR for a Mental Health Workshop on March 5

As the Jackson Hole community continues to address the importance of mental health, Teton County Search & Rescue will host a workshop on March 5 to help backcountry users obtain tools to recognize how this affects their well-being in the mountains.

“Managing Mental Health and Trauma in the Mountains” will be led by local therapists Lewis Smirl and Ryan Burke, and will take place from 6-8 p.m., on Tuesday, March 5, at the Black Diamond store located at 160 W. Pearl, in Jackson. 

Smirl and Burke will help participants understand new research about trauma, develop tools to support themselves and others through stress injuries, and engage in discussions that allow you to expand your network of people who are passionate about the intersection of mental health, emotional resilience and the role of vulnerability in mountain towns like Jackson. 

Registration is $20, with discount codes available in order to make this important class available to anyone who wants to attend. To receive a discount, please email TCSAR Foundation PSAR Coordinator Maddie Johnson (maddie@tetoncoutysar.org). Yeah Buddy pizza will be provided!

To learn more, please visit BackcountryZero.com.

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 Foundation completes Mission Critical, Invites Public to Celebration on May 24

Jackson, Wyo. — Two months after the launch of its public campaign, Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation is excited to announce that it has completed Mission Critical, successfully raising the necessary funds to bring a year-round rescue helicopter to Teton County, Wyo.

“With over 1,200 donations to the campaign, our community has stepped up to show the importance of bringing this critical asset to Teton County,” said TCSAR Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Thomas. “We are humbled and in awe by the efforts of everyone who made this happen.”

TCSAR Foundation opened its public campaign on March 18 knowing they needed to raise over $1.25 million—out of a total goal of $7.25 million—to finish out Mission Critical. The community stepped up to the challenge and accomplished the goal, ensuring the arrival of a year-round rescue helicopter to Teton County by this fall. 

To celebrate the end of Mission Critical and as a gesture of their sincere gratitude, TCSAR Foundation and TCSAR volunteers invite the entire community to a special helicopter demo at Phil Baux Park at the base of Snow King from 4:30-7 p.m. on May 24. At 5:15 p.m. sharp, TCSAR volunteers will conduct a short-haul operation, a method of rescue in which first responders use the helicopter to lift a patient harnessed to the end of a rope attached to the belly of the ship for a flight out of the backcountry. The Snow King demo will give viewers a rare chance to see the operation in action in the front-country. 

The event includes pizza from Pinky G’s, popcorn from JH Pop, tacos from La Fiera, beer from Roadhouse Brewing, beverages from local suppliers, and ice cream from St. John’s Episcopal Church. Food and beverages will be FREE while supplies last. This is an all-ages event and everyone is invited.