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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Tuesday, March 11, 2014 INCIDENTS Grand Teton NP Skier Seriously Injured In Avalanche A skier was caught in an avalanche and seriously injured in the park's backcountry on the afternoon of Sunday, March 9th. G.E., 43, from Wilson, Wyoming, was preparing to descend one of the Air Force Chutes within Granite Canyon with two companions at the time of the avalanche. G.E. was reportedly carried over a thousand feet by the slide. Neither of his companions was injured. The park learned of the incident just after 2 p.m. Rangers began coordinating a rescue operation with Teton County Search and Rescue personnel. Jackson Hole Ski Patrol made the initial response to the scene, stabilized G.E., and transported him 300 to 400 feet down to the bottom of the chutes. A Teton County Search and Rescue helicopter flew two rangers to the area; G.E. was placed inside the ship with an attending ranger and flown to the base of Teton Village and a waiting ambulance. This was the second backcountry ski run of the day for G.E. and his companions. All three are expert skiers with extensive knowledge of backcountry skiing and avalanche danger. The three skiers were well equipped for their expedition and were carrying all the appropriate safety gear, including avalanche beacons and probes. The Air Force Chutes are among the many popular backcountry ski areas accessible from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center listed the avalanche danger on March 9th at mid and high elevations as moderate in the morning and considerable in the afternoon. [Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer] OTHER NEWS The following stories are among those in today's webpage editions of InsideNPS (available to NPS employees only) and the Morning Report (available to all readers): Yosemite NP - Yosemite Cemetery, restored through a grant from the Yosemite Conservancy, was dedicated in a commemorative ceremony on Monday, March 3rd. Participating were representatives from both the park and from California State Parks. Office of Human Resources - The deadline for submissions in response to the December Servicewide call for award nominations has been extended to March 14th. All nominations for Departmental honor awards and for Service-level awards must be submitted by that date. Office of Communications - President Obama's budget request for 2015 includes $2.6 billion for the critical conservation, preservation, and recreation mission of the NPS. It boosts the Service's essential programs and operational needs by $38.5 million and adds $16.6 million for fixed cost increases. Pacific West Region - Cathy Gilbert, the cultural landscapes program manager for Pacific West Region, retired February on 28th following 30 years of service with the National Park Service. To see the full text of these stories, readers should go to one or the other of the following sites: NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index Non-NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/" http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/ The Morning Report is produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov). --- ### --- |