Teton County Search and Rescue

05/29/2026

Use code BACON20 to get a sizzling discount on our NEW "Saving your Bacon" t-shirt and "Pig Candy" from our friends at . Proceeds support TCSAR volunteers! Just hit the link in the comments 🥓🥓🥓🐷🐷🐷

05/26/2026

Just before 1 p.m. on Monday, May 25, Teton County Search & Rescue received an emergency alert for two backpackers in distress on the Teton Crest Trail. Two males, ages 20 and 22, in a group of four from out of state were reportedly vomiting and having difficulty walking through the snow. Their location placed them south of Hurricane Pass in Alaska Basin.

A TCSAR volunteer was able to connect with the group via cell phone. The group said at that time they would try to hike out, but called back about an hour later saying that the two hikers could not continue.

TCSAR responded with a team in the helicopter, and placed a ground team on standby in the event of inclement weather. The helicopter landed near the hikers and the team loaded the two men internally for the flight back to SAR HQ in Jackson, completing the mission in 4 hours, 1 minute.

This incident serves as a good reminder that the Tetons are still holding quite a bit of snow above 9,500 feet, which can make traveling on foot difficult and dangerous. Hikers should be prepared to use ice axes and crampons, and be acclimatized for high alpine adventures.

📸 The TCSAR ship during a training exercise, not from the incident described.

05/18/2026

This free event addresses the difficult but important issue of how we process grief and loss after a backcountry accident. Doors open at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, May 20, at the Black Diamond store in Jackson.

If you have been impacted by loss or trauma in the mountains, or know someone who has, please join TCSAR at Black Diamond on Wednesday, May 20, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

05/14/2026

Teton County Search & Rescue is one of several agencies working to fight the fire at Sagebrush Flats up Spread Creek. Fighting fire is something our heli team has been working toward and has even trained to prepare for such missions.

Our team continues to be rescue ready if and when a backcountry emergency occurs, and is honored to work alongside our Teton Interagency Fire partners to serve our community.

For updates on the fire, please follow U.S. Forest Service-Bridger-Teton National Forest.

05/10/2026

This winter was a heavy one for our local, regional, and global backcountry communities.

At Teton County Search & Rescue, we are acutely aware of how deeply our community hurts after a backcountry fatality. And while we are not in the business of making that grief disappear, we are here to start the conversation about what community resources, clinical tools, and stories of survival might help.

If you have been directly impacted by loss or trauma in the mountains, please join us at Black Diamond on Wednesday, May 20 for this special conversation that hopes to help you in some small way along your healing journey.

Panelists include TCSAR Board member Sara Adamson, TCSAR volunteer Brook Yeomans, and TCSAR volunteer Doug Van Houten, with clinician Lynnette Gaertner, LCSW, as moderator.

The panel will share personal perspectives, practical resources, and pathways for support in the wake of tragedy.

All are welcome whether you are navigating your own experience or showing up for others. Professional, trauma-informed clinicians will be present in the case you need someone to talk to during the event. 

Learn more and register at the link in our bio.

And big thanks to for bringing this event to life, and for supporting the conversation!

05/08/2026

Got river plans this weekend?

As the weather warms and water comes up, please remember the following:

🛟 Always wear your PFD. Including and *especially* on the so-called ‘scenic stretches,’ where debris shifts and moves without warning. Don't let the lack of whitewater lull you into complacency.
⏳ The cold water WILL take your breath away, and it won’t take long for hypothermia to set in.
🚣 Swift water and alcohol don’t mix.
👋 If you need help, there's no shame in calling 911. An early call helps our team formulate a plan to come to your aid.

Be safe and have fun!

04/24/2026

Another April weekend, another spring storm that dropped up to 20 inches of new snow in the Tetons.

This season, TCSAR volunteers responded to three avalanche rescue calls. Two of those calls occurred in just the past few weeks.

Meaning: Please read the avalanche advisory , communicate with your partners, be aware of changing conditions, and think about the consequences of a poor decision.

Have fun out there, and remember that most important thing is coming home at the end of the day.

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04/20/2026

Teton County Search & Rescue responded to two emergency calls over the weekend, showing again the range of skills our volunteers deploy during this seasonal transition.

At 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, a local male snowboarder suffered a severe leg injury while descending a line on the Great White Hump, located north of Teton Pass. It was the second time this month that a skier or snowboarder had been injured after getting caught in an avalanche in this same zone.

In response, TCSAR assembled a short-haul team in the helicopter. The team made contact with the patient about 54 minutes after the initial 911 call. Our team credits the patient’s group for providing interim care before the volunteers were on scene.

TCSAR then short-hauled the patient to a waiting ambulance on Teton Pass, completing the mission in 2 hours, 36 minutes.

This incident is another reminder for skiers and snowboarders to be extra cautious during this transitional period in the Tetons, when snow conditions may change rapidly from hour to hour, day to day.

The second rescue call of the weekend came at 4:53 p.m. on Sunday, April 19. This incident concerned two hikers who had been attempting to walk from Cache Creek to the Game Creek Divide and then return via the Skyline trail.

After ascending the Game Creek Divide, the party called 911 to say they were too exhausted to continue. The hikers were advised to begin walking back to the Cache/Game junction where a team of volunteers would meet them.

Two TCSAR volunteers dispatched in a side-by-side vehicle up Cache. When they could not locate the party at the Cache/Game junction, the volunteers hiked about 1.5 miles up the trail, where they found the tired hikers. The volunteers gave them food and water and assisted them back down the trail to the vehicle. From there, the team transported them to their vehicle at the Cache Creek trailhead.

04/06/2026

At 12:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, Teton County Search & Rescue received an emergency alert for an avalanched skier near the White Hump area by Philips Bench on Teton Pass. The skier, a local 27-year-old female, sustained a lower leg injury after being caught and carried by a significant slide above a consequential cliffband. Her partners were able to locate her quickly and begin patient care while waiting for emergency resources to arrive.

TCSAR dispatched a short-haul team to approach the scene via helicopter and a backup ground team to approach via snowmobile. The short haul team successfully reached the patient for evaluation and packaging and transported her out of the backcountry quickly and safely with the support of Fire/EMS once on the ground. 

About 4 hours later, at 4:50 p.m., TCSAR received another call for a local 55-year-old man who sustained a severe laceration following rock fall (or ‘flake breaking’) while lead climbing at Hoback Shield, just South of Jackson. Tip Top Search & Rescue asked for TCSAR’s support due to proximity. Two TCSAR volunteers were dispatched to the scene to support patient care. Two wheeled litter teams were stood down after the volunteers on scene were able to successfully move the patient to the road for self-transport to the hospital.

Saturday was a great reminder of the threats that come with springtime adventures in the Tetons: incidents can happen on skis, snowmobiles, bikes, boats, and rock walls. As such, TCSAR volunteers are ready to respond to it all thanks to their rigorous training and ‘rescue ready’ equipment.

Please continue to use caution wherever you choose to adventure, be it in avalanche terrain or just beyond the trail.

Thanks to both of these patient groups for calling 911 as soon as they could, and being prepared with the right gear, knowledge, and partners to manage injuries before more advanced care could arrive.

03/25/2026

Teton County Search & Rescue is ready for lift off at this weekend! Please join us at on Saturday for what we know will be an incredible show. Drop by our big red TCSAR tent, right next to , to learn about our SAR volunteers and scoop up some limited-edition goodies ❄🕺💃❄

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