Same Trail, Different Day: TCSAR Responds to Parallel Trail For Injured Mountain Biker

For the second time in four days, Teton County Search & Rescue was called out to help an injured mountain biker on the Parallel Trail on Teton Pass. This time, on Tuesday, May 27, the patient was a 39-year-old local male who washed out on his bike while navigating a berm turn after a jump. The patient sustained a severe lower leg injury in the process. He called 911 at about 4:37 p.m., which initiated an emergency response.

TCSAR volunteers help an injured mountain biker on the Parallel Trail on May 27, 2025: Photo courtesy: Patrick Cunningham

TCSAR volunteers responded to the Old Pass Road and a truck pull-out above the trail on Hwy. 22. Volunteers arrived on foot and provided treatment in the field to alleviate pain and discomfort. The team then packaged the patient in the wheeled litter and transported him down the trail to a waiting ambulance from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

Thanks for being such a great patient! Photo courtesy: Patrick Cunningham

TCSAR Gets Called For First Mountain Bike Rescue of the Summer

On Friday, May 23, a 16-year-old local male sustained injuries when he crashed his mountain bike on the Parallel Trail. Parallel is a downhill-specific bike trail with several jumps, some of which have mandatory gaps.

TCSAR transports an injured mountain biker to the base of the Old Pass Road on May 23, 2025. Photo: TCSAR

At approximately 1 p.m., an emergency call was placed to 911, and dispatch paged Teton County Search & Rescue. Volunteers drove a truck to the Old Pass Road, while other volunteers responded to a brake-check pullout above the trail on Hwy 22. 

Approaching the scene on foot, volunteers reached the patient at about 1:30 p.m. They assessed his injuries and packaged him in the wheeled litter. The team then transported the patient in the wheeled litter for about a half mile down Parallel to a waiting ambulance at the Old Pass Road trailhead. Thanks to the help from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS for the coordinated response to this incident.

This is the first mountain bike rescue of the summer season for Teton County Search & Rescue.

Injured Speed Flyer Prompts Response From TCSAR

Just after 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, a 26-year-old local male became injured after crashing during a speed-wing flight south of Jackson.

Unlike a typical paraglider, a speed wing is a small, lightweight flying setup that is intended to be flown at high speeds in close proximity to the ground or other features. In this case, it appeared that the man had crash landed near the bottom of the mountain near Horsethief Canyon.

The wheeled litter is a key piece of equipment for TCSAR during the warmer months in Jackson Hole. In this case, the team used it to transport an injured speed flyer out of the backcountry near Horsethief Canyon on May 7, 2025. Photo: TCSAR

An emergency call was placed, prompting a response from Teton County Search & Rescue. A team of volunteers drove to the base of Horsethief and accessed the patient by foot, about a 10-minute jaunt from the parking lot. The team assessed the man’s condition, placed him in the wheeled litter, and transported him out of the backcountry. A family member then drove the patient to higher medical care.