It was a pretty intense day for the Jenny Lake Climbing Rangers yesterday. After recovering a the body of a fallen climber during the morning hours, rangers were then called to assist three separate parties stuck above 13,200’ on the Grand Teton (13,770’) as a major thunderstorm left 17 climbers injured or missing due to lightning strikes. At least 6-7 seven lightning strikes are reported to have occurred in the area of the upper mountain during the storm.
A lightning bolt strikes Victor, ID on Wednesday.
Photo by Cindy Lamont, courtesy MountainWeather.com.
One team of eight and another party of five climbers were pinned down during the explosive storm on the Owen-Spaulding Route, while another team of four climbers were caught on the Exum Ridge of the Grand Teton when lightning and heavy rain erupted from the dark clouds around 11am in the morning on Wednesday. Rangers were successful in pulling 16 of them off the mountain, but one climber is still reported to be missing and believed to have fallen from the Grand Teton in the location of the Belly Roll on the Owen Spaulding route.
The Owen Spaulding Route on the Grand Teton.
Rescue efforts started at about 2pm as the Grand Teton slowly emerged from the clouds, but were paused in mid-stride around 5pm due to another storm cell entering the area. After it moved through, a final push was made to recover the remaining climbers off the mountain. Two helicopters, 18 rescuers and many other support staff assisted in the rescue. For more information, please visit the Jackson Hole News and Guide.
With the ominous blacks clouds approaching the Jackson valley yesterday morning, I debated just riding my motorcycle to work, never mind climbing the Grand Teton. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for those climbers during the storm as thunder and lightning rocked and shook buildings in Moose. Those climbers, at least the 16 rescued, are very lucky to be alive.
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Someone may want to consider Miss Lamonts photo talents for what this photo shows us…spectacular…incredible…down right good stuff
Props to the climbing rangers - once again going out in difficult (if not unsafe) conditions to put it on the line to assist others. A very noble calling. Here’s hoping the missing climber comes out alright.
Lamont’s photo similar to one caught in centennial wyoming off of a web cam a couple years ago. Was this one a web cam? If so, one has to wonder if the electric charge from the strike trips the picture.
From your shoutmix on the right of this page and the jhnews articles, I gather that someone died on the middle yesterday as well. Is that correct? Do you know any details on that?
gmon…i don’t think it was a webcam.
fluffy…i’m certain there was a body recovery the morning before all this happened. i’m uncertain if it was on the middle teton or not. note the initial report in this article.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=6232
it was this women. rip
http://www.annarbor.com/news/university-of-michigan-student-dies-after-falling-on-a-hike-near-jackson-hole-wyoming/
17th climber, from iowa, found dead this morning. he was tied-in to a rope and on belay when lightning threw him from the mountain. rip.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=6250
And why were they on the mtn to begin with? And it appears, heading up at the time of strike? Sad way to learn a lesson. If guides were pulling up clients, really poor choice. Easy to say from armchair, but seems like no one put safety first.
The deaths of two people who were so young is tragic. My condolences to both of their families.
I would be interested to hear what happened to the young man on the grand - whether there was a flaw in his protection or the lightning severed the rope, or some other cause.
Folks, is there a list of climbers who were rescued? Looking to make sure 2 friends of mine who were looking to climb the grand wednesday are safe…
rahul…there are a few names in this article…but not a complete list.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=6261
if they were planning on camping…then they would have needed a permit…so i guess you could call the rangers. did you try calling your friends?
Guided parties were up and off the mountain by the time the storm hit. Big shout out to Exum Guide Dan Corn who was first on the scene with J.L.R Jack McConnell, climbing the O.S. and sorting out the carnage for the short haul effort to come. Those guys spent the better part of the afternoon with other Jenny Lake Rangers moving everyone to safety, all the while staying in harm’s way as other cells rolled through. Chapeau, boys!
yeah, no reply, but that could quite simply mean they didnt take their cell phone. Thanks for the article, theyre not listed in there (theyre Jersey guys)! I’ll definitely call tomorrow…
They’re safe..I’d suggested they do the Owen-Spaulding the previous day as acclamatization for the Exum, they did that, and were sensible enough to hike out the next day with the approaching storm clouds! Phew! Thanks…
The lightning shot was just a "lucky" shot out my bedroom window. I have a Nikon D90 with a fast process and figured if I shot enough photos, maybe one would catch lightning. I took about 450 photos (one after another) and got one shot of lightning - this is it!
Thanks for the good words.