The other day I tried to attend a community search and rescue presentation put on by the Jenny Lake Ranger's (Brian's crew). I caught some of it, but eventually had to give up after realizing that it was very much not a kid-friendly event (think slide show presentation in a totally silent auditorium with the person in front of you filming the whole thing and flinching with every "ha-po!" your daughter says).
Still, it was really neat to see some of the history behind the Search and Rescue program here and how it evolved into using short-haul operations. Short-haul is where the ranger is inserted on scene by clipping into a 50ft rope beneath a helicopter. In the Tetons, there tends to be a shortage of safe landing zones for helicopters, and with short haul, the helicopter can remain in flight the whole time and lower the ranger pretty much anywhere in the range-- cliff edge, steep canyon, snowy slope etc. Pretty cool. And Brian loves it.
the view of the chopper while clipping in
Brian is on the right in this photo-- getting ready to clip the caribeaner in his right had to the the ring in his left and then take off.
I'm sure Brian is doing something important here. He looks very serious.
I don't have a photo of B actually under the helicopter, but here are a few others from his crew.
Sometimes patients are flown off the mountain by themselves in what is called a "screamer suit"-- looking at this picture I don't have guess where it got it's name.
This training site is in the Gros Ventre mountains on the east side of Grand Teton.
*all photos by Peter Stalker
5 comments:
That is awesome - for so many reasons. It looks surprisingly safe given what a shockingly scary experience it could be for the untrained. Keep up the good work, Brian :)
Brian you look like a Jedi knight in training. Maybe he's actually levitating the chopper... ? Do they offer tandem tourist rides? I think Heather and I would enjoy a tour of the Tetons this way.
In the third to last photo: isn't Brian telling the strings to hold their note in crescendo?
Haha, "Gros Ventre"? That means fat belly. Those pics are LEGIT. Seriously.
Miles was totally into the helicopter. Looks like quite the adventure and I'm sure there have been several stranded folks that have never seen anything better than good ole' Brian hanging down coming to the rescue! Glad to see ya'll are doing well. We miss you guys and would love to come hang out at some point...
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