Not quite a month after Grand Teton National Park rangers urged skiers and snowboarders to be wary of avalanche conditions when they look into the park from boundary ropes of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, four skiers ducked under the rope and headed down, with two becoming lost and requiring a nighttime rescue.

The four had planned to make their last run of the day through Granite Canyon in the park, but two of the skiers soon became separated from their friends.

Grand Teton National Park/Pixabay.

At approximately 4:30 p.m. this past Thursday, Teton Interagency Dispatch received a call from the ski resortt regarding the two skiers who were lost in Granite Canyon. According to the initial investigation, two male and two female skiers rode the Teton Chairlift for a final downhill run for the day. The group exited the ski area boundary by going under the boundary rope and entered an area closed due to hazardous conditions. As they skied down, two of the individuals got lost and the other two were able to ski back to the resort boundary.  

The lost skiers had cell phone access and contacted a friend who in turn notified ski patrol and then park dispatch. A Teton County search-and-rescue helicopter conducted an aerial reconnaissance, using location information communicated by the lost individuals. Due to sunset and diminished light, it was challenging to confirm the location. 

At approximately 8:30 p.m. the resort transported three rangers to location near the top of the Teton Chairlift, allowing the rangers to initiate a ground search by skiing into Granite Canyon. Rangers had GPS coordinates provided by the lost individuals via cell phone. The area is in a high avalanche and hazard area, including steep terrain, numerous trees and cliffs, and the rangers utilized safety practices that involved ropes and belay systems as they moved down the canyon. 

The rangers were able to verbally communicate with the lost individuals and at approximately 11 p.m. they located the lost pair in the Spock Chutes area. The individuals were not injured, and the entire group then climbed back up the mountain to the ski area boundary. They reached the resort by 2:45 a.m.

The incident is under investigation by the Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and Bridger-Teton National Forest.  

Just last month a snowboarder entered Granite Canyon, triggered an avalanche, and was swept 750 feet downhill. While he wasn't buried by the slide, he did incur a leg injury when he collided with a rock. After his rescue, park rangers urged backcountry users to recreate responsibly.

While major snow events and the promise of fresh powder may tempt backcountry skiers and snowboarders, they said, these events also bring elevated avalanche danger. Careful terrain selection, proper equipment, and training are essential for any backcountry excursion, but on some days backcountry travel in avalanche terrain is simply not advised. 

In the wake of that rescue, Grand Teton Chief Ranger Michael Nash said skiers and snowboarders were taking their lives in their hands by going outside the ski resort boundaries during times of high avalanche danger.

“We saw about two dozen fresh tracks in Granite Canyon that day,” said the chief range after Geoffrey McAndrews, 48, of Jackson, Wyoming, was rescued on February 7. “Multiple people were taking a lot of risk by venturing out during high avalanche danger.”

Nash also said those who tempt fate can't always count on being rescued.

“Rescues are not guaranteed and should not be taken for granted. We work to mitigate as many hazards as we can to achieve an acceptable level of personal risk to our rangers so they can help people in need," he said.