JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Teton County Search and Rescue volunteers scrambled Sunday afternoon to assist a hiker who had gotten lost while trying to hike from Cache Creek to Granite Creek along the Highline route.
At about 1pm on Sunday, a TCSAR team was able to make brief contact with the hiker over the phone, though his exact location was difficult to determine.
A hasty ground team was sent up the Little Granite drainage to begin hiking in on foot. The hiker ended up following a different drainage down Horse Creek, eventually popping out on Henry’s Road near the Snake River. A volunteer met him at the road and gave him a lift back to town, while the remaining teams in the field returned to the hangar.
This area of the Gros Ventre has a history of helping hikers lose their way. The trails are rarely maintained, if at all, and following the correct path can be tricky, SAR says. In 2015, three sisters became lost in the same area for six days.
Search and Rescue recommended people download the free BackcountrySOS app to their smartphone.
“All you need is a tiny bit of cellular service to let emergency dispatch know your precise location,” TCSAR stated.
