On Mar 14, 8:42 am, "Wayne" top posted:
Yes, I remember reading this story.....LAST YEAR....

Well as long as the topic is (apparently) misc. backcountry
news ...did you read this one?

Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Snowboarder Rescued From Backcountry

Rangers, county SAR personnel and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort ski
patrol staff rescued a backcountry snowboarder late on the afternoon
of February 28th after he became stranded on a cliff in Granite
Canyon. Timothy Cator, 27, from the United Kingdom but currently
living in Norway, entered the park's backcountry from the resort with
three companions, intending to snowboard out-of-bounds from the
resort. Cator became stranded on a cliff in the Northwest Passage area
and was unable to climb back up or continue boarding down. Cator was
in voice contact with his companions, who descended into Endless
Couloir, and their conversation caught the attention of an off-duty
ski patroller who was in the vicinity at the time. The ski patrolman
used his cell phone to call for assistance. Three Jackson Hole
Mountain Resort ski patrollers picked up a rope and technical gear at
their rescue cache before skiing to the Northwest Passage area. One
patrolman was lowered down to Cator's position, placed a climbing
harness on him, then lowered Cator over the short cliff to a point
where he could safely traverse back into Endless Couloir. The rope was
then tied off and the patrolman rappelled off the same point. The
traverse out of Granite Canyon back to Teton Village is relatively
flat with a few uphill sections. Exiting the canyon with a tired
snowboarder in unconsolidated snow - and the increased exposure time
spent crossing run out zones of several avalanche paths - prompted the
decision to use the Teton County contract helicopter to expedite the
final stage of Cator's rescue. Additional factors taken into
consideration for using a helicopter evacuation included the lateness
of the day, approaching weather, and considerable avalanche danger.
Rangers were able to use the same helicopter landing zone in Granite
Canyon that had been packed down for the rescue of an avalanche victim
on the previous Sunday. Cator and his companions were unaware of
avalanche conditions in Granite Canyon, were not carrying any
avalanche gear with them, and were unfamiliar with the area and the
complex avalanche terrain in which they intended to snowboard. They
were also unprepared for the relatively flat trail that skiers
traverse to return to Teton Village as they exit the Granite Canyon
area.

R

Everyone likes to see helo's fly.