middle teton feb 2010

middle teton feb 2010The Middle Teton from the West.  photo:  David MacAlpin mountaincaster.com

On July 3rd, 2011 a 33 year old Wisconsin man tumbled 800 feet down while attempting to telemark ski down the 12,804-foot Middle Teton in Wyoming. He is currently in the hospital in critical condition.

The man’s name is Ryan Redmond and he was descending the Ellingswood Couloir on the Middle Teton’s southern face. The Middle Teton is 12,804 feet tall and Ryan’s fall began at approximately 11,500 feet.  From 11,500, he fell about 800 vertical feet before stopping at 10,700 feet.  Snow conditions were firm at the time of the fall making skiing difficult and stopping a fall even more so.

Authorities stated “he was unable to self-arrest on the firm snow.” –newsgather.com

A 200 foot long-line and litter were used from a helicopter to extract Ryan from the mountain.

It’s pretty amazing that he survived the fall. Ryan is in critical condition in Eastern Idaho Medical Center in Idaho Falls.  His exact injuries are unknown at this time.

The Middle Teton and friends have been in an all time skiing state this spring and early summer. For the past few weeks, multiple ascents and descents have been going down on the Grand Teton, Middle Teton, South Teton and more.  Speed ascent/descents have been set on the Grant Teton this year.

“The skiing traffic on the Grand Teton this year has been unprecedented, with multiple descents every day for the past three weeks,” says longtime Jackson local and TetonAt.com founder Steve Romeo. – powdermag.com

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