Mike Estes is Named as the new TCSAR Coordinator

The new SAR Coordinator is no stranger to organizing, solving problems, and putting smiles on people's faces. Mike Estes, who is part of TCSAR's original 1993 Class of Volunteers, has been hired to be the SAR Coordinator for the Teton County Sheriff's Office. In his role, Estes acts as the official liaison between the Sheriff's Office and TCSAR.

The Foundation is excited to see Estes in his new role, starting on March 29, and we can't wait to welcome him to his new office at the TCSAR hangar. Estes comes to the SAR Coordinator position after working for the county for more than two decades, most recently as coordinator for the heavily used stretch of Snake River between the Wilson and South Park boat ramps.

As Estes takes on his new role, the Foundation, team, and Sheriff’s office would like to thank Jess King for her seven years of fantastic work progressing TCSAR and our partnerships. King decided to take some time to travel and be closer to family. Her last day was March 1. We would also like to thank Anthony Stevens for serving as the interim Coordinator for the past month. Stevens is handing the Coordinator reins to Estes but isn’t going anywhere; he will remain a volunteer and our Training Advisor. 

This transition presented an opportunity for the team to evaluate the roles of the TCSAR Coordinator and Board of Advisors in leading our team of volunteers. The conclusion of that evaluation were some changes to the TCSAR Coordinator role that are important to share.

• Estes’ primary role is to support the TCSAR Board of Advisors in ensuring the team is rescue ready at all times. He will lead record keeping and organization, ensure gear maintenance, and facilitate training. He is an employee of the Sheriff, but takes the majority of his direction from Chief Advisor Cody Lockhart and the Board of Advisors.

• On missions, Estes will no longer be in command or in the field. He will continue to provide mission support as needed. Moving forward, please direct questions or concerns about the details of specific operations to Lockhart.

• The TCSAR Board of Advisors now supervises the volunteers, not the SAR Coordinator. Please direct any questions or concerns about a specific team member to the Membership Advisor, who is currently KC Bess. 

• Otherwise, Estes will coordinate communications between TCSAR and various partners. When in doubt, call Estes first with your question, request, or concern. He will handle what he can, and distribute the rest to the appropriate Advisor or team member. Our goal is to get you what you need faster. 

To reach SAR Coordinator Mike Estes:
(307) 732-8337, mestes@tetonsheriff.org 

New Episode from The Fine Line: Youth in the Backcountry

In the next episode of The Fine Line, three local teenagers discuss their experiences in the backcountry: their influences and aspirations, lessons they've learned about safety, and how they've gotten through the challenges of the past year.

Clockwise from top: Zack Little, Sorayah Ziem, and Ryan Millham.

This next episode goes live on March 25. Here's a snippet of their conversation.

"When I tell my classmates and friends that I'm going out in the park for seven hours and I'm going to go skin up a mountain, they're like, 'Dude, have you lost your mind?' And I'm like, possibly...But I have to say, skiing down is really magical." —Sorayah Ziem, 13

"The fact that I am starting to be able to go to school and the fact that I am able to go into the backcountry when I feel like I need a break from college (applications), homework, teachers, drama, all that, Covid has really shown how fortunate I am to be where I am." —Ryan Millham, 17

"When I transition from skiing with a person that's more experienced than I am on Saturday to skiing with a friend who's maybe less experienced than I am on Sunday, my mindset has to change. And I think a big part of that is building trust with partners over time. That's what's kinda crazy about social media these days is I've noticed people acting like they know somebody purely off of their interactions on social media." —Zack Little, 19

Thanks to Sorayah, Ryan, and Zack for this excellent conversation, and helping the rest of us understand how we can better reach young people about backcountry safety.

Subscribe to The Fine Line on Spotify, Apple, and SoundCloud, and tune in every Thursday at 2 p.m. to hear it on KHOL 89.1 FM.

By the Numbers: TCSAR's Busy Winter

TCSAR’s helicopter has been used more this winter than ever before. This photo, by volunteer Keegan Pfeil, was taken during a short-haul training session in the Tetons in January 2021.

Nearly everyday for two weeks straight in February, TCSAR was getting calls from people who needed help in the backcountry. That 14-day stretch included a nine-hour mission to rescue two stuck snowmobilers in the middle of the night; three avalanche deaths; two callouts to help snowmobilers with life-threatening injuries; and a helicopter assist in Park County, Wyo., to rescue eight stranded snowmobilers on Beartooth Pass. That was the second heli assist in Park County this winter, with the helicopter also responding to incidents in neighboring Lincoln and Fremont counties.

By the Numbers:

28: times the team was called all last winter.

38: times the team has been called just since January 1.

4: number of helicopter missions last winter.

15: number of helicopter missions this winter.

This all occurred, of course, while the pandemic continued to prevent the team from doing full group trainings. That the volunteers responded with such professionalism demonstrates each team member's commitment and resolve to help those in need.

With the team now fully vaccinated, members have gone back to team training, a full year after such meetings were postponed or outright canceled. The simple act of getting together for a team dinner on March 10 offered a time for reflection, appreciation and gratitude.

Due to the pandemic, a full year went by before TCSAR was able to get together for a full team group training, at Snow King on March 13. Photo: Will Smith/TCSAR