Managing Mental Health in the Mountains

As the importance of mental health continues to be addressed and recognized as a safety issue for backcountry users, TCSAR Foundation was proud to organize a recent workshop detailing the ins and outs of stress trauma and psychological first aid.

On March 5, 2024, local TIPS therapists Lewis Smirl and Ryan Burke led 50 first responders, mental health practitioners, mountain guides, and community members passionate about psychological first aid through a workshop on ‘Managing Mental Health in the Mountains.’

Ryan Burke is a local therapist who works with the Teton Interagency Peer Support group, commonly known as TIPs. Photo: Taylor Fasolo

After a brief deep dive into the neuroscience of stress exposure, Lewis and Ryan facilitated an open conversation about the interface of mountain town culture and trauma. Participant questions underlined the prevalence of ‘stress injuries’ in Jackson and the stigma that can exist surrounding peer and professional support.

Therapist Lewis Smirl engages with the audience on March 5 at the Black Diamond store in downtown Jackson. Photo: Taylor Fasolo

Thank you to Black Diamond for hosting, Yeah Buddy for providing pizza, and Lewis, Ryan, and everyone who attended for making this night so meaningful. Mental health is incident prevention and we appreciate your commitment to normalizing these conversations.

If you need stress injury support, check out Responder Alliance, Mountain Muskox, Redside Foundation, Soar4Life, and the Community Counseling Center of JH. And don’t forget all Teton County first responders get FREE access to therapy thanks to the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole’s Teton Interagency Peer Support (TIPS) program.

TCSAR Foundation will continue to make this issue a priority in our educational programming. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to be alerted when new classes are scheduled. You can find all of our programming on the events page at Backcountry Zero.

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 Completes Two Rescues, Involving Multiple Agencies, on February 22

On Thursday, February 22, Teton County Search & Rescue responded to two calls that involved multiple agencies across the county: The first was for an injured snowboarder in the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort backcountry, and the second for an injured snowmobiler in the Togwotee Pass area.

The TCSAR helicopter comes in for a landing during a rescue on Togwotee Pass, on February 22, 2024. Photo: TCSAR

The initial call came in at 11:49 a.m. and concerned a 46-year-old female snowboarder who was injured to the south of JHMR. The woman had crashed on her snowboard between the two bootpacks that lead to an area known as Four Pines. JHMR Ski Patrol responded and provided initial patient care. Once on scene, patrol requested helicopter assistance from TCSAR, which flew to the accident site and landed near the patient. The team loaded her internally into the ship and flew back to the TCSAR hangar where she was transferred to a waiting ambulance with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

TCSAR’s second call of the day occurred at 1:54 p.m. A 19-year-old male sustained injuries after crashing his snowmobile into a tree on the K Trail, which is east of Mount Leidy. TCSAR again fired up the ship and flew to Windy Point in Grand Teton National Park to pick up two rangers who would assist in the rescue. Also on board were the pilot and one TCSAR volunteer. With inclement weather moving in and out of the area, TCSAR dispatched additional teams on snowmobiles in case the heli had to be grounded. Additionally, a USFS ranger dispatched on a snowmobile toward the accident.

The ship found a weather window and landed near the injured snowmobiler at approximately 3:20 p.m. Rescuers then loaded the patient into the helicopter for transport to a landing zone (LZ) and GTNP ambulance at the USFS Blackrock Ranger Station.

On busy days like this, it’s important to recognize and give thanks to the multiple partnering agencies across Teton County who help the team respond to rescues, as well as the families and partners of TCSAR volunteers who scramble to hold down the fort while their loved ones go into the field. We appreciate you.