A backcountry rescue operation was conducted near Grand Teton, Wyoming, after two brothers encountered a bear in the Thorofare Valley, one of the most remote wilderness areas in the Lower 48. The two men, both in their 30s, were stranded 20 miles from the nearest road, disoriented, and out of food.
According to Anthony Stevens, Teton County Search and Rescue chief advisor, the men were “kind of disheveled and dehydrated” when they stumbled into a wilderness camp. They were obviously scared by the encounter and worried about not having any food.
The Thorofare Valley is considered the furthest point from any road in the contiguous United States, making it a challenging location for rescue operations. The closest road is approximately 20 miles away, and the valley sits about three miles from Yellowstone National Park’s southern border.
The two men walked into the remote Hawk’s Rest Wilderness Camp in Teton Wilderness, where personnel contacted TCSAR for assistance. The men reported coming into contact with a bear, although it’s unclear whether the bear attacked.
During the encounter, the men deployed one of their two cans of bear spray, and one of them tore his rain pants. However, neither man showed signs of bear-related injuries, according to Stevens.
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The encounter is one of several bear-related incidents in the region this summer, including an August 10 black bear incident near Teton Pass and a May grizzly encounter near Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park that left two men in serious condition.
Stevens noted that the men were lucky to find help, given their remote location. Camp staff provided the men with food and water and directed them to a nearby ranger cabin to wait for rescuers.
Rescuers initially feared “a full-blown bear mauling,” but once TCSAR determined the men were safe and not in immediate danger, they opted to wait until the following day to send a helicopter to avoid flying into remote terrain at night.
Responders eventually flew the men to the TCSAR headquarters in Wyoming, where neither required additional medical attention.
The rescue operation involved a helicopter flight to retrieve the men from the remote location. The TCSAR team worked to ensure the men’s safety and provide them with the necessary assistance.
