Teton Adventures

Sponsored by Teton County Search and Rescue

• Location: Wyoming
• Travel Type: Driving
• Trip Time: 1 hour
• Language:

With its steep, rugged mountain peaks and wild, open lands, Jackson Hole has always attracted elite outdoor athletes from around the world. The Teton Adventures tour features nine of the Jackson Hole area’s most famous. These accomplished athletes and adventurers range from early mountaineers like Bill Briggs who was the first to lay ski tracks down the steep face of the Grand to other pioneering adventurers at the top of their game like Stephen Koch and Kit DesLauriers. These and more who have earned a place in Teton history, are featured on this first installment of the Teton Adventures tour. They relay their stories first hand, reliving their adventures with vivid and little-known, personal details.

Other historic mountaineering events commemorated in this tour include the tale of the first winter ascent of the Grand Teton as remembered by legendary mountaineer, environmentalist and founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School Paul Petzoldt. At the age of l6, Petzoldt made his first ascent of Wyoming’s Grand Teton in 1924, wearing cowboy boots.

There is imminent risk when venturing into the jagged, steep peaks of the mountains, and these athletes have lived to tell epic tales of survival including former climbing ranger Maurice Horn’s “night of the one-eyed devils” rescue on the unpredictable Otter Body route, encountering disillusionment and fatalities. Michelle Smith shares her story of her helicopter rescue after surviving a 30-foot ice fall in the Enclosure Couloir on the northwest side of the Grand and Jennifer Sparks remembers a rescue in the Wind Caves.

Storytellers on this tour include Bill Briggs, Kit DesLauriers, Maurice Horn, Stephen Koch, Mark Newcomb, Paul Petzoldt, Rick Reese, Michelle Smith, and Jennifer Sparks. Music on this tour was provided by the Chanman Roots Band. Tour introduction by Stephanie Thomas, the Executive Director of Teton County Search and Rescue. TCSAR keeps our adventurers safe in the mountains. Consider giving a donation to through to this important organization when you listen to the tour.