Dr. Lyman B. Sperry: Early Trail Builder

In the heart of Glacier National Park is the 216-acre Sperry Glacier. It's named after Dr. Lyman B. Sperry of Oberlin College, who scouted for "scenic attractions" on behalf of the Great Northern Railway in an effort to expand tourism opportunities in the region. In June of 1895, while exploring the basin above Lake McDonald, Sperry saw and heard multiple avalanches roaring down the mountains that surround what is now known as Avalanche Lake, and agreed with those in his party, "that Avalanche Basin would be a most appropriate name for the place."

On a return trip later that summer, Sperry would discover the glacier that now bears his name. Here's a photo of the Sperry Party on Sperry Glacier:

Several years later, the college professor would oversee construction of a trail that led from the head of Lake McDonald to Sperry Glacier. Dr. Sperry's trail, constructed in 1902 and 1903 with the help of 15 students from the University of Minnesota, was likely the first organized trail-building effort in the future park. Sperry's motivation for building the trail came from the notion that by providing access to the most beautiful parts of Glacier's backcountry, more people would have the opportunity to see the wonders of the area, and thus increase the probability of preserving it as a national park.

Now known as the Gunsight Pass Trail, Dr. Sperry's original trail still leads to the glacier that bears his name, as well as the historic Sperry Chalet. At an elevation of more than 6550 feet, Sperry Chalet sits high atop a rock ledge that offers visitors commanding views of majestic mountain peaks, waterfalls and the Lake McDonald valley. Now listed as an Historic Landmark, the Sperry Chalet dining chalet was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1913, while the original dormitory was completed during the following year. For those visiting Sperry on a day hike, you may want to note that the dining room is open to the public from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day.

In my book on the history of hiking, I discuss trail development in Glacier in far more detail, including the crucial role the Great Northern Railway played during the early years of the park.

Here's a hiking party on Sperry Glacier in the 1920s:

Here's a photo from the Milwaukee Public Museum with the title, "Crevass in Sperry Glacier into which a lady fell 45 feet but was not serious hurt":

There's a description of a rescue of a woman who fell into a crevasse on Sperry Glacier that was published in Early Days in the Forest Service. The account, written by Frank F. Liebig, the ranger who made the rescue in 1907, doesn't really match the photo in many respects, so I'm not sure if the photo is from the same incident. On the other hand, I couldn't find any other incidents from this period. Either way, his description of the rescue he was involved with is pretty dramatic.



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Virtually no one went hiking before the 19th century. What occurred that inspired ordinary people to take a walk through the woods for pleasure? Ramble On: A History of Hiking explores the rich history of hiking, and how it evolved into one of the most popular pastimes in the world.

Injured Hiker Rescued from Blacktail Butte in Tetons

A slight misstep on a rocky trail up Blacktail Butte in Grand Teton National Park triggered a ground-based rescue of an injured hiker this past Saturday evening (August 10th). Claude Belliot, age 53, of New York State seriously injured her ankle on a steep section of the trail just before 6 p.m. while hiking near the butte's summit with a companion.

Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a re-routed 911 call from the Teton County Sherriff's Office about 6 p.m. on Saturday. A park ranger drove from the Jenny Lake ranger station, some 15 miles away, and hiked up the Blacktail Butte Trail to meet Belliot, assess her injury and make arrangements for a ground-based rescue via wheeled litter. Additional park staff were summoned to assist in the rescue, and employees from the park's vegetation management crew, staff from Teton Interagency Fire, and additional rangers from the Gros Ventre subdistrict helped transport Belliot using the wheeled litter.

Due to the steepness and loose rocky surface of the trail, it required seven people to navigate the wheeled litter over a distance of more than one mile and a decline of about one thousand vertical feet from a point near Blacktail Butte's summit, elevation 7,688 feet, to a waiting park ambulance at 6,600 feet on the southern end of Mormon Row Road. Belliot was placed in the park ambulance at 9 p.m. and transported to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson.

Park rangers generally choose to initiate a ground-based rescue whenever an injured person does not have life threatening injuries, and when weather conditions and time of day allow for this option to be effective. Quite often, a ground-based rescue requires numerous park personnel and significant time to execute. Though not as expedient as a helicopter evacuation, a ground-based rescue can be fairly technical in nature and equally difficult under various conditions.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Grand Teton Rangers Rescue Injured Off-Trail Hiker

Five rangers from Grand Teton National Park conducted one of the more physically taxing ground-based rescues in the last several years during the afternoon and evening of Monday, July 22nd.

A 61-year-old Colorado woman sustained an injury somewhere below the very steep talus slope that runs from Lake Taminah to the bottom of Shosoko Falls. Dispatch was notified of the injured hiker by cell phone around 5 p.m. The woman tried to continue her descent, but her injury made it too challenging for her to bear weight.

Avalanche Canyon has some of the most difficult terrain of any of the mountain canyons in the park. There are no maintained trails through the canyon, so hikers have to “bushwhack” their way through dense marsh and vegetation in the lower part of the canyon. Higher in the canyon, hikers must scramble up long sections of steep scree and boulder fields.

Due to the challenges of the terrain, rangers were unable to use standard rescue devices such as a wheeled litter to carry the woman out of Avalanche Canyon. Instead, rescuers traded off physically caring her on their backs for short segments, slowly making their way down the canyon. Once they reached the maintained trail near Taggart Lake, rangers placed her in a wheeled litter to carry her the last two miles to the trailhead.

Both of the Teton interagency contact helicopters were out of the valley on fire assignments and unavailable. If the incident had occurred earlier in the day or if the woman’s injuries had been life threatening, rangers would have likely sought assistance from a short-haul capable helicopter.

This was the park’s 17th major search and rescue operation this year.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

Backcountry Hiker Rescued from Webb Canyon in Northern Teton Range

Just before 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 18th, Grand Teton National Park rangers rescued a 27-year-old man who injured his foot while hiking in Webb Canyon located in the northern portion of the Teton Range. Michael Zinke of Solvang, California was with a large group of people who intended to traverse the Teton Range over the course of several days from Webb Canyon to the String Lake Trailhead.

At approximately 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17th, Zinke glissaded down a snowfield and had traveled approximately 50 feet when he struck a boulder with his foot in an attempt to stop. Zinke did not carry an ice axe and tried to self-arrest with one of his trekking poles, instead. Although the incident occurred mid-morning, Zinke and his party continued hiking their planned route until he could no longer apply pressure to his injured foot and the party was forced to stop.

At 7:25 Wednesday evening, Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call from a representative with the International Dispatch Center who reported that an individual activated a SPOT personal locator somewhere in Webb Canyon. All together, the International Dispatch Center received four "911" messages from that SPOT device over the next 11 hours.

Because SPOT locators do not allow for two-way communication, park rangers were not able to determine the nature of the emergency, and because of the late hour, rangers were not able to arrange for a reconnaissance flight before nightfall. Therefore, plans were made to summon a Teton Interagency contract helicopter for a flight at first light on Thursday morning to locate the caller and determine the emergency.

Rangers boarded the Teton Interagency contract helicopter early Thursday morning and flew to the area where the SPOT device had registered latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. At 8:05 a.m., rangers in the helicopter spotted the hiking party, and were able to land nearby to assess the situation and begin a rescue. Rangers provided emergency medical care to the injured Zinke and placed him in the ship for evacuation to a temporary landing zone established just south of Colter Bay. Zinke was then transferred to a park ambulance for transport to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming.

SPOT devices utilize satellites in order to communicate. The device allows hikers, climbers and other recreators a way to contact a central response coordination center in the event of an emergency, and when cell phones and other communication devices are ineffective. In Zinke's case, he utilized his SPOT device to send out a "911" signal which was sent to an International Dispatch Center that notified Teton Interagency Dispatch Center located at Grand Teton National Park's headquarters campus in Moose, Wyoming.

Rangers remind backcountry users to be prepared for emergencies and take personal responsibility for the welfare of each member of the party. Often in the event of an accident, hikers or climbers must depend first on themselves and their own party. Factors such as weather, darkness, or unexpected hazards may delay or even prevent an organized rescue response. Rangers also urge inexperienced hikers and climbers to obtain instruction and experience in proper ice axe technique (self-arrest and self-belay) before tackling routes that require potentially hazardous snowfield crossings.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

Rescue Conducted for Injured Climbers from Separate Accidents on the Grand Teton

Park rangers orchestrated the rescue and aerial evacuation of two injured climbers from the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton on Thursday, July 11th, in Grand Teton National Park. Each of the climbers was injured in separate, unrelated accidents while ascending the Grand Teton - one accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, July 10th, and the other on Thursday morning.

Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call for assistance on the first climber at 8:40 a.m., July 11th. Todd Hanna, age 39, of Austin, Texas injured an ankle on Wednesday, when a rock he grabbed pulled loose and he fell while on a guided climb of the Grand Traverse. After his fall, Hanna was able to scale the North Ridge, where he was met by other guides who then assisted him to the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton. Hanna spent the night at a base camp on the Lower Saddle, but his injury prevented his ability to hike out from the high elevation camp on Thursday morning.

Rangers summoned the Teton Interagency contract helicopter to conduct an evacuation of Hanna and three rangers were flown to the Lower Saddle to assist with the mission. While loading Hanna in the ship, rangers were approached by other climbers in the area who reported a second injured person.

While climbing with a companion, Hannah Marshburn, age 24, of Jackson, Wyoming took a fall at the Golden Staircase of the Exum Ridge on the Grand Teton and sustained a facial injury and possible head injury. Rangers responded to this new situation and provided emergency medical care to Marshburn before placing her, along with Hanna, in the Teton Interagency helicopter for a quick flight to the Lupine Meadows rescue cache.

The double rescue of injured climbers was completed by late morning. Both Hanna and Marshburn were transported via private vehicles to St. John's Medical Center for further care.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Grand Teton Rangers Handle Two Rescues & EMS Response On Same Day

NPS Digest is reporting that Grand Teton rangers handled back-to-back rescue missions last Thursday, one of which involved a fatality. At the same time, other rangers dealt with a cardiac arrest in Buffalo Valley.

Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call for help from a location on Mount Owen (12,928 feet) just before 2:30 p.m. Jeff Judkins, 38, of Lander, Wyoming, and his climbing partner were on an ascent of the Crescent Arête (11,200 feet) when a door-sized rock broke free as Judkins was pushing himself onto it. Judkins fell about 15 feet before hitting a sloping ledge below, then another five feet before his climbing protection caught him. Luckily, neither of the climbers was hit by the rock.

Two rangers were inserted via short-haul to a nearby ledge just before 5 p.m., and they prepared the two climbers for short-haul extrication from the accident site to Lupine Meadows. This rescue was completed at 5:15 p.m. The Crescent Arête is adjacent to the Northeast Snowfields route on Mount Owen, and is an uncommon climb due to its technical nature. It is rated a 5.7 on the Yosemite Decimal System. Fred Beckey and Yvon Chouinard made the first ascent of this climb in September of 1959.

Moments after the first mountain rescue was completed, Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received another call for help after a climber fell into a moat in the North Fork of Garnet Canyon. Gary Miller, 55, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, was descending from the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton after a successful summit of the peak earlier in the day when he slipped on snow and slid into an icy water moat near a rock band. Miller was on a climb being guided by one of the park’s authorized concessioners. Climbing guides successfully extricated Miller from the moat before rangers arrived at the site.

Six rangers were flown to a temporary landing zone near the moat location in Garnet Canyon. Rescuers raised Miller to a site where he could be flown in a rescue litter via short-haul to Lupine Meadows by a Teton Interagency contract helicopter. A ranger attended Miller below the helicopter on the flight to the park’s rescue cache. Once at the rescue cache they were met by a team of park medical providers led by Dr. Will Smith of St. John’s Medical Center, and an Air Idaho Life Flight ship waiting to provide transport to critical care in Idaho Falls. Miller was pronounced dead at 8:35 p.m. at the rescue cache and his body turned over to the Teton Country coroner.

Earlier in the day, Teton County requested assistance from rangers for a cardiac arrest underway in Buffalo Valley. A park ambulance and six rangers responded jointly with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS personnel to the incident location. The 56-year-old man was pronounced dead after nearly an hour of resuscitation efforts.


Jeff
Hiking Glacier National Park

Injured Climber Rescued After Fall near Black Rock Chimney on Grand Teton

At 11 a.m. on Monday, June 17th, Grand Teton National Park rangers responded to a report of a 57-year-old male with an injury who was climbing near the Black Rock Chimney on the Grand Teton. Jim Williams of Jackson, Wyoming was leading a client on a guided trip of the Grand Teton for an authorized park concessionaire when the snow that he was standing on collapsed, causing him to take a short fall. During that brief fall, Williams caught a crampon on the ice and sustained an injury.

Williams was able to get himself and his client through technical terrain from the Black Rock Chimney to just above the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton. This effort involved descending across rock, ice and snow and required multiple rappels. Rangers commend Williams for self-rescuing with his client to the extent that he did.

Park rangers met Williams and his client at 3:15 p.m. just above the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton. After assessing several factors relevant to a ground-based evacuation via rescue litter - including terrain conditions, distance to the trailhead, and the potential for injury to rescuers - a decision was made to fly Williams to the valley floor via helicopter. The aerial evacuation meant that fewer rescuers spent less time in precarious conditions.

Williams arrived at the Lupine Meadows rescue cache on the valley floor at 4:14 p.m. To conduct the aerial evacuation, rangers requested a ship from Yellowstone National Park because neither of the two Teton Interagency contract helicopters was available for the rescue operation. One ship is on fire assignment in Utah, and the other is not yet in contract service to Teton Interagency Fire.

After the Yellowstone ship landed at Lupine Meadows, Williams transported himself to medical care in Jackson, Wyoming.


Jeff
Hiking Glacier National Park

Ailing Climber Rescued from Teewinot Mountain

Just before 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 11, Grand Teton National Park rangers rescued a climber from Teewinot Mountain (elevation 12,325 feet) who was exhibiting acute physical distress. A 53-year-old climber, and resident of Rock Island, Illinois, became ill and incapable of completing a descent from Teewinot after he and two male companions successfully summited the Teton peak early Saturday afternoon.

The climbing party summited Teewinot Mountain about 2:15 p.m. on Saturday. They were making their way back down the mountain and had reached an elevation of about 9,700 feet near two features called the Worshipper and Idol when one of the members of the party began to exhibit a debilitating ailment. The climbers placed an emergency call for help around 6:20 p.m. That call was routed from the Teton County Sheriff's Office to Teton Interagency Dispatch Center, and park rangers were notified of the situation at 6:24 p.m.

Through cell phone conversations with the mountaineers, rangers determined that the ailing climber's condition may be serious. They summoned the assistance of a Teton Interagency contract helicopter to conduct an expedient rescue via short-haul before the 'pumpkin hour' and darkness set in. Although helicopters are often used to facilitate rescues in the Tetons, they are required to stop flying 30 minutes after official sunset: a time known as pumpkin hour. On Saturday, August 11, sunset was 8:31 p.m. and pumpkin hour was at 9:03 p.m. The helicopter was able to shut down operations at the Jackson Hole Airport Helibase at 8:57 p.m., within six minutes of the mandatory time.

Two rangers were inserted via short-haul to the climber's location on Teewinot. The Illinois climber was quickly assessed for his physical complaints, placed into an aerial evacuation suit, and connected to the short-haul line for transport from Teewinot. One ranger accompanied the climber during the short flight to the Jenny Lake Rescue Cache at Lupine Meadows (elevation 6,760 feet). The climber was then met by emergency medical technicians and a park ambulance and transported to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming for further treatment. Once the ailing climber was evacuated by helicopter, the second ranger escorted his two companions out of the backcountry and back to their vehicle.

Short-haul is a rescue technique where an individual is suspended below the helicopter on a 100 to 200 foot rope. This method allows a rescuer more direct access to an injured or ailing party, and it is often used in the Teton Range where conditions make it difficult to land a helicopter in the steep and rocky terrain. Patients are typically flown out via short-haul with a ranger attending to them below the helicopter, as was the case for this rescue.



Jeff
Glacier National Park Hiking

Injured Hiker Rescued from Hanging Canyon in Grand Tetons

And yet another rescue in Grand Teton National Park. Rangers had to rescue an injured hiker yesterday, after he slipped and tumbled 20 feet on rocky terrain and sustained facial and lower leg injuries. Paul Danes, 23, of Raleigh, North Carolina was scrambling alone and off trail near the mouth of Hanging Canyon at the time of his accident.

Other day hikers who were in the Hanging Canyon area heard cries for help and discovered Danes. They provided basic care for his injuries and placed a cell phone call for help at 12:45 p.m. that was received by Teton Interagency Dispatch Center.

Based upon the call and the relatively close location to the Jenny Lake westshore trail, rangers made preparations to evacuate Danes by a wheeled-litter handled by four rescuers. Upon reaching Danes by foot, rangers determined that a helicopter short-haul evacuation was the more prudent rescue technique. The decision was made because of a combination of Danes' injuries and the rough and rocky terrain over which the wheeled-litter would be hauled to complete an evacuation by ground.

A Teton Interagency contract helicopter was summoned at 3 p.m. and an aerial evacuation of the injured hiker was completed by 4:15 p.m. Danes was transported by park ambulance to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson for further medical treatment.

Danes is working as a seasonal concession employee in Yellowstone National Park for the summer.

This is now the 7th major search and rescue operation in Grand Teton National Park this summer.


Jeff
Glacier National Park Hiking

Injured Hiker Rescued in Grand Tetons

An injured hiker was rescued via helicopter from Waterfalls Canyon in Grand Teton National Park late in the afternoon on Saturday, August 04, 2012. Jessica Haines, 21, of Laguna Beach, California fell approximately 20 feet while ascending the canyon just above Columbine Cascades.

Haines was hiking with two companions in the canyon when they decided to separate while she hiked high off to the north side of the canyon to view geologic features before reuniting with her group at Wilderness Falls. Haines fell vertically in a rocky area before coming to rest on a ledge sustaining non-critical injuries. Due to her location and injuries, Haines was unable to continue down the canyon.

Haines radioed for help using a VHF radio typically carried on maritime vessels and water craft. A park ranger on a routine patrol of Jackson Lake heard the transmission and notified Teton Interagency Dispatch Center of the situation at 3:19 p.m. Park rangers in the north district of Grand Teton National Park initiated a rescue response but due to the technical nature of the terrain they requested additional rangers and a Teton Interagency contract helicopter to perform a short-haul evacuation of Haines.

Park rangers reached Haines at 6:30 p.m., provided emergency medical care, and prepared her for a short-haul flight in an aerial evacuation suit attended by a park ranger below the helicopter. Haines was short-hauled from the location to a landing zone on the west shore of Jackson Lake before being transported across the lake on a Grand Teton National Park patrol boat. She was met by a waiting park ambulance on the east shore and transported to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson for further care.

Short-haul is a rescue technique where an individual is suspended below the helicopter on a 100 to 200 foot rope. This method allows a rescuer more direct access to an injured party, and it is often used in the Teton Range where conditions make it difficult to land a helicopter in the steep and rocky terrain. Patients are typically flown out via short-haul with a ranger attending to them below the helicopter, as was the case for this rescue.

Waterfalls Canyon sits between Ranger Peak to the north and Eagles Rest Peak to the south. It is at the north end of Grand Teton National Park and directly west of Colter Bay Village. The canyon is accessed from the west shore of Jackson lake and does not have maintained trails.

Haines is working locally this summer. This was the sixth major search and rescue operation in the mountains of Grand Teton National Park this summer.


Jeff
Hiking Glacier National Park

Injured Man Rescued from the Grand Teton

Amid stormy weather and with low cloud cover, Grand Teton National Park rangers assisted by a Teton Interagency helicopter rescued a New York man from the Grand Teton yesterday evening. David Perlman, 28, of Brooklyn, New York was ascending the mountain between the Headwall and Lower Saddle around 6:00 p.m. when several rocks broke free striking him and causing a significant injury.

A member of Perlman's climbing party continued to the Lower Saddle for help. There, two park rangers on a routine backcountry patrol were notified of the incident and immediately initiated a rescue operation. Once on scene, rangers stabilized Perlman's injury and provided emergency medical care. With the help of other climbers in the area, rangers brought Perlman to the park's seasonal hut on the Lower Saddle where they waited for a helicopter to evacuate him from the mountain.

Pearlman was loaded inside the helicopter and flown to Lupine Meadows where he was met by a park ambulance and transported to St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming for further care. Perlman was on the first day of a two-day guided climb of the mountain when he was injured.

The use of a Teton Interagency helicopter is a great rescue tool that can allow quick, direct, and efficient access to an injured person. However, the use of a helicopter is not always guaranteed. During this rescue, a skilled pilot was able to reach the Lower Saddle through a break in the cloud cover around 12,000 feet, which made the flight possible.

Rangers always have contingency plans in mind in the event a flight is not possible due to weather (cloud cover, precipitation, and wind speed) or other factors like the location of an injured person or time of day. If a flight was not possible for Perlman's rescue, additional rangers would have hiked from the valley floor to the Lower Saddle to assist in caring for Perlman throughout the night.

A seasonal hut is erected for the summer months on the Grand Teton's Lower Saddle and serves as a high altitude base camp to assist park rangers on multi-day backcountry patrols and to facilitate rescue operations in the hub of Teton climbing and mountaineering.





Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Shattered: Rescue in the Grand Tetons

Ever wonder what it is like to be rescued off of a big mountain like the Grand Teton because you are too injured to get down on your own? Well, it goes a little something like this:

Shattered from getungrounded on Vimeo.

Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com