Backcountry Ski Partners Able To Self Rescue After Friend Is Caught In Avalanche In Spoon Couloir On Disappointment Peak In Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park – On the afternoon of February 4, 2016 Rene Etter-Garrette, 32, Brian Close, 38, and Mike Bassette, 40, were skiing in Grand Teton National Park when Etter-Garrette triggered an avalanche in the Spoon Couloir on Disappointment Peak in Grand Teton National Park.
Etter-Garrette triggered a wind slab avalanche while ski cutting the Spoon Couloir. The avalanche released 30′ above him and carried him 1200′ down the couloir. The crown was about 40′ wide and 1′ deep. He stopped about 600′ above Ampitheater Lake. Etter-Garrette was buried in the slide with only his head and arm exposed. He injured his leg in the avalanche.
Basette and Close were able to ski down to Etter-Garrette’s location. They called for help, dug him out, and stabilized him – creating a splint with an avalanche shovel handle, an ice axe, and ski straps. They then transported Etter-Garrette down to Ampitheater Lake and awaited for helicopter rescue.
At approximately 3PM there was a break in the weather and two Park Rangers flew to the site via a Teton Country Search and Rescue helicopter. One ranger went with Etter-Garrette and the other ranger skied back to Taggart Lake trailhead with Close and Bessette.
Etter-Garrette went to St. John’s Medical Center for treatment of his leg injury.
This was a close call in big terrain. It’s fantastic to see a backcountry group that was able extricate, stabilize, and transport their friend to safety where a helicopter could continue their rescue efforts.
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Read more about the GTNP avalanche in the Spoon Couloir on Disappointment Peak:
- National Park Service Press Release
- Teton Gravity Research
- Jackson Hole News & Guide
- Billings Gazette
