NPS Digest is reporting that a 31-year-old backcountry skier was rescued from Granite Canyon in Grand Teton National Park in a multi-agency effort last Saturday. Josh Tatman of Jackson, Wyoming, sustained injuries after falling about 300 feet from the top of Endless Couloir just outside the boundary of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Tatman was skiing alone when he took what was described as a slow twisting fall. He called Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski patrol on his cell phone and reported that he was injured and needed help. Rangers were flown to a landing zone in Granite Canyon, where they waited for ski patrol members to lower Tatman to them. Tatman was initially lowered by patrollers skiing a rescue toboggan down, but due to snow conditions and the terrain had to set up a rope belay system and lowered him in six 300-foot segments into the canyon. He was then taken to St. John’s Medical Center for treatment.
Endless Couloir is on a north facing slope in Granite Canyon and runs almost 3,000 vertical feet on a roughly 40 degree slope. It is unusual for individuals to have cell phone service in that area of Granite Canyon. Tatman did have an avalanche beacon with him but it was in his backpack. Best practice is for individuals to wear avalanche beacons on their person in case they get caught in an avalanche when gear and outer layers of clothing can easily be torn off from the force of the avalanche.
The avalanche danger was listed as low below 9,000 feet and moderate for high elevations on Saturday by the Bridge-Teton Avalanche Center.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com
Showing posts with label Granite Canyon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Granite Canyon. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Severe winter storm leads to rescues in Grand Tetons
A severe winter storm on Saturday with snow and high winds (up to 50 mph on the valley floor and over 80 mph at higher elevations) created blizzard conditions and led to two major SAR operations in the Grand Tetons – one to evacuate and shelter stranded travelers and the other to rescue a lost snowboarder.
The storm also forced the closure of Highway 26/89/191 within the park on Saturday afternoon, stranding approximately 160 travelers between Moran Junction and Flagg Ranch near the south gate of Yellowstone. Due to whiteout conditions caused by high winds and blowing and drifting snow, Grand Teton snowplow operators were unable to keep open a 22-mile stretch of highway between the Jackson Hole Airport and Moran Junction, 30 miles north of Jackson.
Out of concern for traveler safety, rangers closed the main highway at 1:45 p.m. Marooned travelers were provided emergency shelter, food, and makeshift accommodations at Signal Mountain Lodge, Flagg Ranch, and the Moran Elementary School. Teton Interagency fire staff gathered emergency gear, cots, and sleeping bags from the Colter Bay fire cache and Moran Fire Station to provide some level of comfort to the stranded people. Rangers staffed highway barricades throughout the stormy night and rerouted motorists to the provisional shelters. Rangers at the Jackson Hole Airport Junction barricade advised travelers to return to Jackson, eight miles south, for overnight lodging.
The highway was reopened at 7 a.m. the next day, and two-way travel resumed without restriction.
In the midst of the intense blizzard and resulting highway closure, rangers also received word that a snowboarder was missing in the park. Sam Hoerr, 31, of Dunlap, Illinois, became separated from his companions. He sent a text message to them at 2:30 p.m. and explained that he had reached a creek and was going to follow it out. His companions notified Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s ski patrol.
Given the high avalanche danger and late hour of the day, a rescue effort was launched. High winds and poor visibility closed the upper mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. These same conditions also prevented use of a helicopter-assisted search for the lost snowboarder. The highway closure prevented rangers from responding from rescue facilities located at park headquarters in Moose. Rangers therefore requested help from Teton County Search and Rescue volunteers, and a unified command was established. Considerable avalanche danger made it unsafe to direct rescue personnel into Granite Canyon from the Mountain Resort’s out-of-bounds gate. Ultimately, thirteen rescuers accessed Granite Canyon from Teton Village and begin to ski into the canyon from the trailhead off the Moose-Wilson Road. Rescuers made contact with Hoerr via cell phone at 7:30 p.m., directed him to continue down canyon following the creek, reached him around 8 p.m., and provided him with a “split board” so that he could more easily travel out of the backcountry canyon on his own. He was then escorted out of Granite Canyon by rescuers.
Because Hoerr was unprepared to spend a night in the backcountry-and he crossed numerous avalanche-prone areas during stormy conditions that were wind loading slopes-this situation could have become life-threatening or worse. Hoerr and most of his companions did not carry avalanche equipment with them when they exited the out-of-bounds gate. Park rangers remind skiers and snowboarders to consider weather conditions and time of day before making a decision to enter backcountry areas. Rangers also strongly advise skiers and snowboarders to be prepared before embarking on a backcountry excursion by carrying appropriate avalanche gear and emergency equipment, and using good route-finding skills. It is essential for backcountry users to have basic knowledge of backcountry areas in which they plan to travel.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com
The storm also forced the closure of Highway 26/89/191 within the park on Saturday afternoon, stranding approximately 160 travelers between Moran Junction and Flagg Ranch near the south gate of Yellowstone. Due to whiteout conditions caused by high winds and blowing and drifting snow, Grand Teton snowplow operators were unable to keep open a 22-mile stretch of highway between the Jackson Hole Airport and Moran Junction, 30 miles north of Jackson.
Out of concern for traveler safety, rangers closed the main highway at 1:45 p.m. Marooned travelers were provided emergency shelter, food, and makeshift accommodations at Signal Mountain Lodge, Flagg Ranch, and the Moran Elementary School. Teton Interagency fire staff gathered emergency gear, cots, and sleeping bags from the Colter Bay fire cache and Moran Fire Station to provide some level of comfort to the stranded people. Rangers staffed highway barricades throughout the stormy night and rerouted motorists to the provisional shelters. Rangers at the Jackson Hole Airport Junction barricade advised travelers to return to Jackson, eight miles south, for overnight lodging.
The highway was reopened at 7 a.m. the next day, and two-way travel resumed without restriction.
In the midst of the intense blizzard and resulting highway closure, rangers also received word that a snowboarder was missing in the park. Sam Hoerr, 31, of Dunlap, Illinois, became separated from his companions. He sent a text message to them at 2:30 p.m. and explained that he had reached a creek and was going to follow it out. His companions notified Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s ski patrol.
Given the high avalanche danger and late hour of the day, a rescue effort was launched. High winds and poor visibility closed the upper mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. These same conditions also prevented use of a helicopter-assisted search for the lost snowboarder. The highway closure prevented rangers from responding from rescue facilities located at park headquarters in Moose. Rangers therefore requested help from Teton County Search and Rescue volunteers, and a unified command was established. Considerable avalanche danger made it unsafe to direct rescue personnel into Granite Canyon from the Mountain Resort’s out-of-bounds gate. Ultimately, thirteen rescuers accessed Granite Canyon from Teton Village and begin to ski into the canyon from the trailhead off the Moose-Wilson Road. Rescuers made contact with Hoerr via cell phone at 7:30 p.m., directed him to continue down canyon following the creek, reached him around 8 p.m., and provided him with a “split board” so that he could more easily travel out of the backcountry canyon on his own. He was then escorted out of Granite Canyon by rescuers.
Because Hoerr was unprepared to spend a night in the backcountry-and he crossed numerous avalanche-prone areas during stormy conditions that were wind loading slopes-this situation could have become life-threatening or worse. Hoerr and most of his companions did not carry avalanche equipment with them when they exited the out-of-bounds gate. Park rangers remind skiers and snowboarders to consider weather conditions and time of day before making a decision to enter backcountry areas. Rangers also strongly advise skiers and snowboarders to be prepared before embarking on a backcountry excursion by carrying appropriate avalanche gear and emergency equipment, and using good route-finding skills. It is essential for backcountry users to have basic knowledge of backcountry areas in which they plan to travel.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Lost Snowboarders Rescued in Grand Teton National Park
NPS Digest is reporting that rangers in Grand Teton National Park conducted their first backcountry search and rescue operation of the 2011/12 winter season on Monday night.
Joe Tauro, 55, and Mike Fasciolli, 36, both from New Jersey, left the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort just before 3 p.m. on Monday. Their plan was to go to the Rock Springs Bowl, but they went the wrong way and ended up in Granite Canyon inside the park instead.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Ski Patrol first received notification that they needed help around 7 p.m. Teton County Search and Rescue was notified, and members of that team were able to ping the GPS location of the pair from their cell phone and determine that they were in the park’s backcountry. The Teton Interagency Dispatch Center was notified of the out-of-bounds boarders at 7:30 p.m. Rangers were able to communicate directly with the duo via cell phone and determine that a search and rescue response was needed based on a medical condition of one of the two men, combined with their inadequate preparation for backcountry travel.
Rangers used a snowmobile to access the mouth of Granite Canyon and reached the pair around 10 p.m. at a location in the lower canyon. Although the snowboarders were not injured or in need of medical aid, they lacked winter backcountry experience and did not possess food, water, lights or the appropriate avalanche gear.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center reported the general avalanche hazard for February 13th to be “moderate” above the 9,000 foot level and “low” for low elevations (6,000-7,500 feet). Backcountry users were also cautioned to be prepared with appropriate emergency equipment and the knowledge and skill of how to use such gear before attempting a winter excursion.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com
Joe Tauro, 55, and Mike Fasciolli, 36, both from New Jersey, left the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort just before 3 p.m. on Monday. Their plan was to go to the Rock Springs Bowl, but they went the wrong way and ended up in Granite Canyon inside the park instead.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Ski Patrol first received notification that they needed help around 7 p.m. Teton County Search and Rescue was notified, and members of that team were able to ping the GPS location of the pair from their cell phone and determine that they were in the park’s backcountry. The Teton Interagency Dispatch Center was notified of the out-of-bounds boarders at 7:30 p.m. Rangers were able to communicate directly with the duo via cell phone and determine that a search and rescue response was needed based on a medical condition of one of the two men, combined with their inadequate preparation for backcountry travel.
Rangers used a snowmobile to access the mouth of Granite Canyon and reached the pair around 10 p.m. at a location in the lower canyon. Although the snowboarders were not injured or in need of medical aid, they lacked winter backcountry experience and did not possess food, water, lights or the appropriate avalanche gear.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest Avalanche Center reported the general avalanche hazard for February 13th to be “moderate” above the 9,000 foot level and “low” for low elevations (6,000-7,500 feet). Backcountry users were also cautioned to be prepared with appropriate emergency equipment and the knowledge and skill of how to use such gear before attempting a winter excursion.
Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com
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