When skier Benton Hodges heard trees snapping and saw a huge powder cloud below him from an avalanche on Albright Peak in Grand Teton National Park, he thought he’d be in a life-or-death struggle to recover his buried friend. Instead, friend Charlie Pirc was saved when he struck a tree, preventing him from being buried in the 2,000-foot-long avalanche but leaving him with severe injuries high on the mountainside. In this episode, Benton, Charlie, and friends Evan Flach and Seth Frey talk about why they came forward to openly discuss this harrowing incident, while Teton County Search & Rescue volunteer Dr. AJ Wheeler offers insights to how rescuers were able to bring Charlie safely out of the backcountry.


Interviews and writing by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. Interviews were conducted in the studios of KHOL 89.1 FM.


Theme song by Anne and Pete Sibley, with additional music provided by Ben Winship.


The Fine Line is produced by Backcountry Zero and is sponsored by Roadhouse Brewing Co. and by Stio.

48. Nowhere to Hide: Avalanche on Albright Peak

On July 13, 2022, three friends went out for a mountain bike ride on a trail they'd done too many times to count: the classic Ferrins-West Game-Cache Creek loop just outside of Jackson, Wyo. But the ride gets cut short when one of the riders has a violent crash, leaving him with severe injuries and a complicated rescue. In this episode of The Fine Line, the incident demonstrates how even the most experienced riders sometimes have accidents, even in their own backyard, and the hoops that TCSAR and other agencies must jump through to get someone out of the backcountry safely.

Interviews and writing by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. The interviews were conducted in the studios of KHOL 89.1 FM.

The theme song is by Anne and Pete Sibley, with additional music provided by Ben Winship.

The Fine Line is produced by Backcountry Zero, and sponsored by Stio and by Roadhouse Brewing Co.

49. Pedal Strike: Short-haul Behind Snow King

How far back is far enough from the edge of a cornice? 10 feet, 20 feet, 30? 

On March 5, 2023, Jordan Bluse found out the hard way. He was riding his snowmobile with a group of friends in the Salt River Mountain Range outside of Afton, Wyoming, when a large cornice sheared off below him. He and his snowmobile fell through the cornice and tumbled down 1,200 vertical feet over multiple cliff bands. 

In this episode—our 50th—we’ll hear about Jordan's miraculous survival, while Teton County Search and Rescue’s Ian Johnston explains how a SAR assist plays out in this very remote corner of Wyoming. Thanks to the Star Valley Search & Rescue for the invaluable partnership in helping to bring this rescue to a positive outcome.

Interviews and writing by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. Interviews were conducted in the studios of KHOL 89.1 FM in downtown Jackson, Wyoming.

Theme song by Anne and Pete Sibley, with additional music provided by Ben Winship. The Fine Line is produced by Backcountry Zero and sponsored by Stio and Roadhouse Brewing Co.

50. Cornice Fall: Heli Rescue in the Salt River Range

Two bikepackers embark on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, a 2,700-mile journey that traverses the Rockies from the Mexico border all the way to Canada. During their trip, a seemingly little decision comes back to haunt them in a big way, right as their route enters one of the most remote parts of Teton County, Wyoming.


This episode not only reveals the challenges of preparing for such an undertaking, but takes on the headwinds of long-distance cycling and how, during our times of greatest need, we can rely on the kindness of complete strangers.


For more information on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Bikepacking.com is the authoritative voice on the subject.


Interviews and writing by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. The interviews were conducted in the studios of KHOL 89.1 FM.


Thank you to Maggie Slepian and Matt Maar for sharing their story, and to Mike Baum and TCSAR volunteer Ed Fries for lending their perspective to this slow burn of an epic journey.


The Fine Line theme song is by Anne and Pete Sibley, with additional music provided by Ben Winship. Original artwork by Jen Reddy Ink.

This episode of The Fine Line is presented by Stio, with additional support from Arc'teryx and KHOL.

54. Big Little Decisions: The Long, Weary Road to Mosquito Lake

Teton County Search & Rescue volunteer Carol Viau, one of the longest tenured members on the team, shares this memorable story from her very first rescue. It was October 26, 2000, a time before cell phones were ubiquitous, and when most callouts for TCSAR required good old-fashioned boots on the ground.

"A Whistle in the Dark" reveals how and why someone is drawn to be a first responder, how intuition and basic skills can be invaluable during a cold, dark search, and how gentle conversations with a person in need can help us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Produced by Backcountry Zero, The Fine Line is presented by Stio, with additional support from Roadhouse Brewing Co. and KHOL 89.1 FM in Jackson.

This episode was produced by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. The story was recorded in the studios of KHOL 89.1 FM.

The Fine Line theme song is by Anne and Pete Sibley, with additional music provided by Ben Winship. Original artwork by Jen Reddy Ink.

55. A Whistle in the Dark

Season 8 of The Fine Line rolls onward with a story about a mountain bike crash with potentially serious consequences on a trail near Teton Pass, Wyoming. The episode dives into the effectiveness of the BackcountrySOS app, and how Teton County Search & Rescue volunteers responded with delicate treatment of potentially life-altering injuries.

Thanks to Rick Gordon and Dr. Tobin Dennis for sharing their experiences so the rest of us can learn—right as mountain bike season ramps up across the Mountain West. To hear another episode about misadventures on this same log bridge, check out "Night Rescue in Phillips Canyon" from Season 5.

Season 8 of The Fine Line is presented by Stio, with support from Arc’teryx and KHOL. The original cover art is by Jen Reddy. The Fine Line’s theme song is by Anne & Pete Sibley, with additional music produced by Ben Winship. The Fine Line is produced and hosted by Matt Hansen, with editing and sound by Melinda Binks.

Learn more about The Fine Line at BackcountryZero.com.

56. A Bridge Too Far: The Phillip's Log Strikes Again

Mount Glory is well known among backcountry skiers and snowboarders. But as a summer hiking trail?

Not quite the same draw. 

And yet, for Lou and Kathy Fatkin, it made for the ideal location when they set out for a hike up the steep, dusty trail on July 16, 2023. Their story about the consequences of that day, despite the hardship, lends inspiration for experiencing some of our country's most treasured landscapes.

TCSAR volunteer Anna DiSanto joins in the conversation about the team’s response: a good old-fashioned boots on the ground gruntfest during one of the hottest days of the year.

Interview by Matt Hansen. Editing and sound by Melinda Binks. This story was recorded in the studios of KHOL 89.1 FM.

The Fine Line theme song is by Anne and Pete Sibley, with additional music provided by Ben Winship. Original artwork by Jen Reddy Ink.

This episode of The Fine Line is presented by www.stio.com, with additional support from https://roadhousebrewery.com and https://891khol.org.

58. Glory Days: Don't Let Them Pass You By

The Fine Line podcast tells real stories of adventure, risk and rescue in the backcountry of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Fine Line is produced by Backcountry Zero, a project from the Teton County Search & Rescue Foundation that uses storytelling to elevate backcountry preparedness.

New tracks tagged #tcsar