The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is replete with opportunities for adventure. There is no shortage of hikers, mountain bikers, climbers, mountaineers, hunters, and more out exploring the ecosystem at any given moment. With all that space, and so many people out in it, there is also no shortage of opportunities to get in a bit of trouble. 

So, what happens when you fall down a slope and break your leg miles from the trailhead? Or a friend of yours went out for a hike, but it’s hours after they were supposed to return and there’s no sign of them? Luckily, Greater Yellowstone is home to a number of amazing Search and Rescue Teams, such as Teton County Search and Rescue, whose highly trained members are equipped to respond to emergencies across an unpredictable and sometimes unforgiving landscape.

Search and rescue teams are made up of dedicated volunteers specializing in backcountry medicine, missing person behavior, swift water rescue, technical rope rescue, and so much more.

In Episode 11, we talk with Jenn Sparks, a member of the Teton County Search and Rescue team. Jenn has been a Search and Rescue volunteer since 1998, and she is also a board member of the Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation. The foundation supports the team and conducts mountain safety outreach and education in the greater Jackson Hole community. We’ll also hear about a few memorable moments from the field, discover what’s in Jenn’s pack, most importantly, learn what her favorite knot is.

Let’s jump in—albeit carefully—and learn more about the incredible work that goes into search and rescue operations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Voices of Greater Yellowstone was created by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to working with people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.

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Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
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