KC Bess

TCSAR Recognizes Volunteers For Outstanding Service

Jackson, Wyo. — Teton County Search & Rescue recently recognized numerous volunteers for reaching significant milestones in their commitment to the team and the betterment of our community.

Each summer, the organization honors those volunteers who have reached 10 years of service or more, in five-year increments. The volunteers who reach these milestones receive a limited-edition belt buckle at the team’s summer picnic. This year, Teton County Commissioners also recognized the volunteers with a certificate of service.

Volunteers Chris Stiehl and Carol Viau were recently recognized for their 25-year commitment to Teton County Search & Rescue. Photo: Matt Hansen

This year, volunteers Chris Stiehl and Carol Viau were recognized for their 25 years of service on TCSAR. Having joined the team in 2000, the two are among the most tenured volunteers in the organization. Only Tim Ciocarlan (1993), Mike Moyer (1993), Mike Estes (1993), and Jenn Sparks (1998) have been on the team longer.

Ten Years and Counting

The volunteers who have reached the 15-year mark include: Ryan Combs, Ethan Lobdell, Cody Lockhart, and Galen Parke.

Reaching the 10-year anniversary include volunteers: KC Bess, Phillip Fox, Chase Lockhart, Ryan Mertaugh, Keegan Pfeil, Scott Shervin, Anthony Stevens, Doug Van Houten, and Don Watkins. 

Of the 36 volunteers on TCSAR, 27 have served for more than 10 years. Every year, TCSAR volunteers collectively donate more than 10,000 hours of service back to the community in the form of rescues, trainings, and backcountry safety education. All rescues performed by TCSAR are free of charge.

Please join us in thanking all of these volunteers for their exceptional commitment to our community.

Video: Gummy Bears...or Potato Chips?

Some decisions are really hard. Especially at the TCSAR hangar, where the team has an assortment of snacks and goodies to keep them Rescue Ready. There is also equipment for every kind of call out. But which one are you gonna use?

As we enter the final stretch of Old Bill’s Giving Season, watch this video to find out, and please consider making a donation to TCSAR Foundation through OldBills.org. We’ll make sure to keep the volunteers’ pockets full with whatever they need to be successful.

"Chivers Ridge: So Close, but So Far" reveals Dynamic Rescue on Teton Pass

Just one ridge to the south from the top of Teton Pass, Chivers Ridge is known as an entry level backcountry ski run for its ease of access, as well as a quick hit that can be easily lapped by doing car shuttles from the trailhead at the bottom of the pass.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous. There are numerous steep drop-offs on either side, and Chivers also contains manmade infrastructure such as power lines and cables that you may not always expect to find on a backcountry run.

Matt Bambach receives patient care from friend Jules Bell. The two give their unique perspectives on an accident on Chivers Ridge in the next episode of The Fine Line. Courtesy photo.

On January 23, 2022, Matt Bambach, a 29-year-old skier, found this out the hard way. That morning, he gathered on the pass with a bunch of friends to celebrate his roommate’s birthday. It was supposed to be a fun day of party skiing. But on their very first run, it all came crashing down when he sustained a life-threatening injury about halfway down Chivers Ridge. Despite how close he was to the road, it presented some very real challenges for his companions as well as the response from Teton County Search and Rescue.

Left to Right: KC Bess, Matt Bambach, and Anthony Stevens.

This incident is the focus of the next episode of The Fine Line, our podcast about adventure, risk and rescue in the Jackson Hole backcountry. In “Chivers Ridge: So Close, but So Far,” Bambach recounts his freak accident and the subsequent response from TCSAR volunteers Anthony Stevens and KC Bess. The volunteers also offer an in-depth look at TCSAR’s short-haul operations to help accentuate the importance of the current Heli-Yes! campaign. Meanwhile, Jules Bell explains how she was suddenly put into the position of keeping Bambach from bleeding to death while maintaining composure to dial for help.

The episode also presents an opportunity to learn some cool history about early skiing on Teton Pass.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Co. for the generous sponsorship of The Fine Line.