There are a million and one ways for people to get into trouble in the backcountry. And it is unfair to assume that everyone is being reckless. Sometimes, they just get their foot stuck.

In this episode of The Fine Line, Teton County Search & Rescue volunteer Doug Van Houten takes us back to an incident from 2018 when the SAR team had to pull out all the stops in order to help a Nordic skier get out of a jam, literally.

Interview by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. This story was recorded in the studios of KHOL 89.1 FM.

The Fine Line theme song is by Anne and Pete Sibley, with additional music written and produced by Ben Winship. The original cover art is by Jen Reddy.

This episode of The Fine Line is presented by Stio, with additional support from Arc’teryx and KHOL.