When the emergency call came in to TCSAR on February 6, 2022, the report said that the patient had crashed on his snowmobile and could not feel his arms or legs.

In this episode, TCSAR volunteers Dr. AJ Wheeler and Ryan Combs explain how the team responds to such severe injuries in a remote location. And we hear directly from the snowmobiler about how the crash happened—and how he's doing now.

Thanks to Roadhouse Brewing Co. for their generous support of The Fine Line and backcountry safety in Jackson Hole.

Interview and writing by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks.

Just one ridge to the south from the top of Teton Pass, Wyo., Chivers Ridge is known as a popular backcountry ski run for its ease of access. But it also features steep drop-offs on either side, as well as manmade infrastructure such as power lines and cables that you may not always expect to find on a backcountry run.

On January 23, 2022, Matt Bambach, a 29-year-old skier, found this out the hard way. That morning, he gathered on the pass with a bunch of friends to celebrate his roommate’s birthday. It was supposed to be a fun day of party skiing. But on their very first run, it all came crashing down when he sustained a life-threatening injury about halfway down Chivers Ridge. Despite how close he was to the road, it presented some very real challenges for his companions as well as the response from Teton County Search and Rescue.

In this episode, Bambach recounts his freak accident and the response from TCSAR volunteers Anthony Stevens and KC Bess. The volunteers offer an in-depth look at TCSAR’s short-haul operations, while Jules Bell explains how she was suddenly put into the position of keeping Bambach from bleeding to death while maintaining composure to dial for help.

If you would like to help support TCSAR’s emergency helicopter program, you can do so at www.TetonCountySAR.org. Until May 13, all donations are generously matched and go directly to helping TCSAR volunteers save lives in the backcountry.

Interviews and writing by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. Thanks to Angus Thuermer for pointing us in the right direction regarding the history of Chivers Ridge.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Co. for the generous sponsorship of The Fine Line. We are also grateful to KHOL 89.1 FM for the use of their studio.

While many Jackson Hole locals flocked to the Tetons for a day of powder skiing on February 15, 2020, Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers loaded up their heavy packs for routine training on Snow King Mountain.

But the training session quickly turned into a life-or-death emergency when longtime TCSAR volunteer Robb Sgroi came down with a rare and severe form of anaphylaxis.

Most people associate anaphylaxis with bee stings, which of course is not possible in Jackson Hole in the middle of February. Anaphylaxis can also be brought on by food allergies that kick someone’s immune response into overdrive and may therefore shut down vital organs. But that’s not what happened here, either.

So how did Sgroi—a tall, lean husband and father—end up itchy, on the ground, and spiraling into unconsciousness? This episode explores the mysterious reasons for his condition, how the team was able to diagnose it in the field, and ultimately save his life.

Interviews by Matt Hansen. Editing by Melinda Binks.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Co. for sponsoring The Fine Line and supporting backcountry safety in Jackson Hole.

The consequences of not communicating in the mountains became abundantly clear on January 22, 2022, when skiers Collin Binko and Michael Martin encountered a lone snowboarder at the base of the Sliver Couloir in Grand Teton National Park. All three had eyes on the same prize, but neither party talked to the other. What happened next has been a frequent topic of conversation in the backcountry community, and a growing concern for many heading into the high alpine.

Leading off Season 6 of The Fine Line, this episode explores this issue head on, with Martin and Binko giving their account of the day. We also hear from alpinist and licensed therapist Ryan Burke about coming onto the scene and the dangerous role ego plays in the mountains. Jessica Baker, an AMGA-certified ski guide who has more than two decades of experience in the Tetons, walks us through the importance of situational awareness and why communication is so crucial for everyone’s safety.

This episode does not seek to expose villains or heroes, but rather to shed light on an important lesson everyone can learn from.

Interviews by Matt Hansen. Editing by Melinda Binks.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Co. for the generous sponsorship of The Fine Line, and to KHOL 89.1 FM for the use of their studio.

Most of us are pretty good at talking about our physical injuries. A broken wrist on a bike ride. A blown ACL while skiing. When it comes to stress injuries and mental health, however, it’s easy to want to pretend that everything is fine—no doctor necessary.

But we have come to understand that experiencing a traumatic event, as well as the cumulative effect of stress over the years, can have a serious impact on one’s mental health.

In this episode, Laura McGladrey and Nick Armitage discuss stress injuries and psychological first aid for first responders. They also explain the Stress Continuum, and how the 3-3-3 approach is a useful tool for helping others build resilience after experiencing a traumatic event.

Even if you are not a first responder, you'll find this conversation relevant and relatable on many different levels. It touches on life in mountain towns (guess what, it's not always powder days and scenic vistas), stress depletion, and how each of us can be more intentional with our ‘green choices.’ And let's be honest: we could all use more help dealing with stress these days.

ResponderAlliance.com is an excellent resource for additional information, and can help teams establish programs to build resilience. Teton Interagency Peer Support (TIPS) provides mental health services for first responders and their families in Teton County, and can provide guidance for teams around the country establish similar programs. MentalHealthJH.com is another great resource for Jackson Hole residents.

Interview by Matt Hansen. Editing by Melinda Binks.

Thanks to Roadhouse Brewing Co. for their support of this podcast and backcountry safety in Jackson Hole.

People and horses have a long shared history in Jackson Hole. But not everyone rides off into the sunset. Example: On September 12, 2020, Teton County Search & Rescue was alerted to two women, sisters from Texas, who had been seriously injured after falling from their horses at the same time in the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

In this episode, the two women share their experience with a finely tuned sense of humor, while TCSAR volunteers Keegan Pfeil and Lizzie Watson discuss the team's response up what might be the most rugged road in Teton County.

Interview by Matt Hansen. Editing by Melinda Binks.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Company for sponsoring The Fine Line and supporting backcountry safety in Jackson Hole.

In Part 2 of "The Ray Shriver Story," Mike Moyer discusses how he survived the tragic helicopter crash that killed his TCSAR teammate, Ray Shriver. Carol Viau, another TCSAR volunteer, talks about how she was first on the scene, while Tim Ciocarlan goes into detail about how the team recovered from this terrible incident. Shriver's two sons, Zach and Matt, remind us why this story matters and why it's important to them to help keep their dad's memory alive.

Interviews by Matt Hansen and Rebecca Huntington. Edited by Rebecca Huntington.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Company for sponsoring The Fine Line and their support of backcountry safety in Jackson Hole.

On February 15, 2012, Teton County Search and Rescue received an emergency call to help an injured snowmobiler in the Togwotee area, about 60 miles northeast of Jackson, Wyoming. The response started like many others, with the team gathering at the hangar to decide on a plan. Given the remote nature of the accident, they decided to send the helicopter pilot with two SAR volunteers, Mike Moyer and Ray Shriver. The routine call would turn out to be anything but, as tragedy unfolded beneath the blue Wyoming sky, forcing the volunteers to search for their own, with Shriver, a founding TCSAR member, paying the ultimate price.

In this two-part series, TCSAR volunteers and Shriver’s two sons remember him as an influential, if hard-nosed, team member and father, and explain how they were able to emerge from the wreckage and move forward.

Thank you to Roadhouse Brewing Company for sponsoring The Fine Line and their support of backcountry safety in Jackson Hole.

How does a young person gain access to the backcountry? How do they do it safely? What happens when their Instagram feed is taken over by high flying stunts instead of avalanche awareness? How do they navigate not just the unforgiving wilderness, but life during the pandemic? What should parents and leaders in snow safety know about how kids approach avalanche terrain?

To get a better understanding of what young people think about going into the backcountry, we invited three Jackson Hole teenagers into the conversation. Thanks to Soraya Ziem, Ryan Millham, and Zack Little for the discussion.

Show Notes

The most important thing anyone can do before they go into the backcountry is get a formal avalanche education. Our guests achieved this through different youth programs offered in Jackson Hole.

BackcountryZero.com/winter has a full list of resources on where you can get an avalanche education.

The Jackson Hole Ski Club Backcountry Program is in its second year. Info: https://jhskiclub.org/backcountry

Jackson Hole High School Mountaineering Club has introduced hundreds of kids to backcountry safety over the years. You can find a great video about the Mountaineering Club on their Facebook page. Info: https://www.tcsd.org/Athletics/Sport/41

Coombs Outdoors offers children from low-income households the opportunity to access skiing and other outdoor activities all year long. Info: https://www.coombsoutdoors.org

Volunteer survey-takers, like Ryan Millham, have recorded data about backcountry habits from more than 3,000 people since 2016. Find out more about this program in the 5-year Backcountry Zero Review, published in December 2020. The review also includes information about the popular What’s In Your Pack classes.

Subscribe to the TCSAR Foundation newsletter so you can be notified of when these classes are offered. They always fill up fast. Info: http://www.tetoncountysar.org/rescue-reports

Interview by Matt Hansen. Editing by Melinda Binks.

It’s human nature for all of us to want to prove ourselves. But in backcountry skiing, where margins for error in avalanche terrain can be razor thin, this can be a dangerous path—for experts, beginners, and everyone in between. Concluding this two-part series of The Fine Line, Anna Meteyer confronts these and other complexities from April 1, 2020, when her friend and touring partner Trace Carrillo died in an avalanche on Teton Pass, Wyo. Meanwhile, TCSAR volunteer Jennifer Sparks talks about how psychological first aid has become a priority for first responders in Teton County.

Thank you to Anna Meteyer for sharing her story, and to Trace Carrillo's family and friends for supporting backcountry safety in his name through a scholarship fund at the University of Utah.

Show Notes

Please remember: It’s okay to not be okay. And it's perfectly fine to ask for help.

To learn more about mental health support offered by Teton Interagency Peer Support group, or TIPS, go to https://www.tetontips.com/.

If you or someone you know is suffering from stress trauma, mental illness or just needs someone to talk to, go to https://www.mentalhealthjh.com. Available to all Teton County, Wyo., residents.

For information on the Trace Carrillo scholarship fund providing Level 1 avalanche courses to students at the University of Utah, go to https://ustarter.utah.edu/o/university-of-utah-39/i/ustarter/s/trace-carrillo-dreamachieve.

Photo: Will Smith/TCSAR