Meet our Wild Med Instructors, Safety Standby crew and 24/7 Medical Directors
Owner | Lead Instructor | Operator
Anthony was born and raised in Wyoming, growing up adventuring in the mountains and working on the family ranch. He is a life-long resident of Jackson Hole. As a child, the Tetons and the Absaroka mountains were his playgrounds, which gave Anthony a passion for remote locations. After attending college in Arizona, he decided to return to Wyoming and devote his life's work to the outdoors. Realizing his commitment to experiential wilderness education, he begin his path by becoming a field instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School in 2010. This, then gave him the opportunity to hone his craft and skills while teaching and leading groups in rugged, wild areas around the globe.
In addition to being an owner/operator of Wounded Bear Medicine and a lead medical instructor for Wilderness Medical Associates International, Anthony also is a:
Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT)
National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT)
Wyoming State EMT
Training Advisor for Teton County Search and Rescue
Teton County SAR check spotter and short-haul specialist
Tactical Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-T)
United States Park Police Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operational Medical Support (CONTOMS) instructor
Field instructor for NOLS
Former senior medical instructor for the Jackson Hole Outdoor Leadership Institute
Former SOLO medical instructor
American Heart Association BLS CPR instructor
American Red Cross BLS CPR instructor
Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training subject matter instructor
Active Shooter instructor
TCSAR PART Team (Predator Attack Response Team)
Teton County Search and Rescue Leadership board
When not educating and working to keeping the adventurous safe, his passions include consuming vast amounts of coffee, trail running, mountain biking, backcountry skiing and anything else that keeps him in motion. Anthony and his amazing wife Erika, enjoy passing on their enthusiasm for all things outdoors to their three kids.
Anthony Stevens
Owner | Instructor | Operator
Growing up in the red rock country of Southern Utah, KC transitioned from scrambling on rocks as a kid to sport and trad climbing throughout the western United States as a young adult. Climbing lead him to the Teton and Wind River Ranges and opened the door to river running and professional guiding.
KC has been working as a guide for the past 22 years and has been a risk and operations manager for 15 of those years. KC has explored and run expeditions on rivers throughout the United States, Canada, Costa Rica and New Zealand. He serves as a member of the Teton County Search and Rescue Team, giving him valuable skills and experience as a technical rescuer. All these activities and experiences provided him the opportunity to begin teaching technical rescue and to start Black Fox Rescue Institute and Wounded Bear Medicine. KC is also a:
Wilderness EMT
WMA instructor
Instructor trainer for Rescue3 International: Swiftwater, Technical Rope, & Ice
Sierra Rescue International River Rescue Instructor Trainer.
Class V ACA Swiftwater instructor
International Rafting Federation Assessor
Teton County SAR Short Haul specialist
TCSAR PART team
TCSAR Leadership board
20+ year River Guide
He has embedded with camera operators, sound technicians, producers, and cast members in remote locations in the US and Internationally.
In his free time, KC enjoys trail running, backpacking, climbing, and rafting. He and his incredible wife love to travel and spend time in the outdoors with their two kids, families, and friends.
KC Bess
Medical Director
Dr. Wheeler is a practicing EMS and Emergency Medicine physician in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Currently AJ is a member of Teton County Search and Rescue, he serves as both a rescuer and as a medical advisor on the operational leadership board. In addition he also oversees TCSAR’s short-haul rescue team and is one of the teams short-haul specialists. Dr. Wheeler also serves with Dr. Smith as Medical Directors and EMS Physicians for:
Grand Teton National Park
Teton County Search & Rescue
Bridger Teton National Forest
Jackson Hole Fire/EMS
As a life long runner AJ is a strong trail runner. This makes him a strong rescuer and provides him a connection with the outdoors . He and his wife have passed their passion for running (and good endurance running genes) onto their children.
AJ Wheeler, M.D.
Will Smith, M.D., Paramedic, FAEMS
Medical Director
Dr. Smith is an EMS and Emergency Medicine physician practicing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Washington School of Medicine, as well as the Medical Director for the US National Park Service.
Locally, he serves as:
Co-Medical Director and EMS Physician for Grand Teton National Park
Teton County Search & Rescue
Bridger Teton National Forest
Jackson Hole Fire/EMS
Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps.
COL W. Smith has practiced medicine around the globe on 6 continents in remote and austere conditions from the 'Baghdad ER' to Easter Island. As a physician with military combat experience, a pre-hospital EMS Paramedic, and having technical Search and Rescue skills and experience, Will is a sought after presenter and speaker at Wilderness and EMS conferences/seminars around the world. Dr. Smith has also been appointed to several national committees (American Heart Association), authored numerous book chapters and consensus guidelines on Wilderness and Rescue Medicine, serves as a Subject Matter Expert for DARPA, and is the Medical Director for Wilderness Medical Associates International.
Will founded and runs Wilderness and Emergency Medicine Consulting (WEMC), LLC based in Jackson Hole Wyoming.
Senior Field Medic
Ryan Mertaugh, "Mertaugh", hails from the wilds of northern Michigan. After spending his youth chasing faster water and taller rocks to climb, Mertaugh made his way to Wyoming when he was 19 and has been here ever since.
With a background in adventure, Mertaugh has been a professional guide since 2007. His guiding career has ranged from whitewater rafting and safety kayaking to fly fishing and backcountry snowmobiling. Currently he is working on making his way through the American Mountain Guides Association's ski guiding program so that he will be able to guide big mountain ski descents in his home range of the Tetons.
As a professional rescuer for Teton County Search and Rescue, Mertaugh is educated in Technical Rope Rescue, has his Pro 1 Avalanche Certification, an AMGA Alpine Skills Course Certification, is an AMGA Apprentice Alpine Guide, is a Wilderness First Responder and an instructor for Swift Water Rescue for Black Fox Rescue Institute. He is also the current captain of the Predator Attack Response Team for Teton County.
When Mertaugh is not guiding, he's enjoying all things that encompass a well-rounded mountain lifestyle. From big ice climbing objectives in the winter to casual ski outings, he loves it all. Trail running, rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, hunting and most of all family; he makes it a priority to keep it all a part of his life.
Ryan Mertaugh
Field Medic
Chase is a 4th generation rancher in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. As such, he embodies the best of both the old and new west mentality. Able to quickly change hats (literally) from cowboy, to mountain climber, to short-haul rescuer, to downhill skier; Chase can keep up with the best.
As an EMT and a member of Teton County Search and Rescue, Chase is an active and strong rescuer. He has had the opportunity to work on international productions and is able to lead backcountry crews and cast safely back out of remote locations.
When Chase isn’t roping cows, rescuing, or playing in the mountains or on the waves, he is chilling on the ranch with his chickens and his Australian cattle dog.
Chase Lockhart
Field Medic | Instructor aspirant
Molly has been an outdoor guide and educator, in one niche or another, since 2002.
She grew up in southern Illinois, falling in love with the outdoors in the local woods and river bottoms, and learning to backpack and climb in the Shawnee National Forest.
A degree in Therapeutic Recreation led her to Park City, Utah, where she worked for 6 years as an instructor in an adaptive outdoor sports program for people with all disabilities. Saying yes to all kinds of random opportunities since has offered the chance to work as a wilderness therapist, a leadership instructor, a river guide, a snowmobile guide, a backpacking guide, and, most recently, a safety medic, in locations that include the Rocky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Plateau, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, New Zealand, and Baja Mexico.
Molly has been a Wilderness First Responder since 2005, and also holds a Swiftwater Rescue Certification from Sierra Rescue International.
When she is not working, her favorite activities are long-distance backpacking, climbing, canyoneering, cooking, photography, writing, and reading.
Molly Shubert
Field Medic
Ben grew up in the Wasatch front in Utah where he spent his teenage years climbing and playing in the iconic and 1990’s mecca of climbing, American Fork Canyon. Sport climbing and hiking in the mountains led Ben to turn to mountaineering, which led him to the Teton Range, here in Wyoming. Attempting his first Grand Teton summit in 1998, at the age of 18, he heard the musing sounds of the Sirens and hasn’t been able to let go of the Tetons ever since. Ben started guiding whitewater raft tours on the Snake River out of Jackson Hole and spent 10 summers living in Jackson in his camper trailer with his lovely wife and four children. When Ben wasn’t guiding on the Snake, he was a high school Chemistry, Geology, and Astronomy teacher in St. George, Utah.
Ben is on the Washington County Search and Rescue team in Southern Utah. He is currently the Swiftwater Team Commander, but he also specializes in High Angle and Mountain rescue. Ben became a certified Wilderness First Responder in 2011 and has kept current with his WFR over the last 11 years.
When Ben isn’t working with decorative concrete (his real job) he enjoys trail running, mountain biking, ice climbing, rock climbing, kayaking, canyoneering, and hiking—all with his wife of over 20 years. He also loves to drag his three daughters (19, 16, 12) and son (8) along with him on his adventures.
Ben Callahan
Senior Field Medic
From the Wasatch Front, San Juan’s and Andes to the steep, and spine terrain of Alaska, snowboard guide Chris Coulter chases winter at freeride meccas. Coulter’s calculated riding style and big-line resume have earned him respect from his peers.
As the first boarder to stomp the Rocker’s Gap in Utah, it landed Coulter on the cover of Snowboarder Magazine in 2006. He has segments in a decade of snowboard films, from Promo Copy, to Futureproof, before shifting focus to aesthetic lines, avalanche education and guiding.
A snowboarder for more than two and half decades, Coulter discovered split-boarding in 2007, allowing him to push deeper into the Wasatch, shred couloirs in the Andes, and ride spines in Alaska. Coulter has shredded first descents in AK, including Rizzo, and the first snowboard line down Bellringer in the Chilkat Range.
A member of the Jones Snowboards and Eddie Bauer Guide teams, “The Condor” has taught avalanche education for the Utah Avalanche Center and earns his living as a guide for Sled Chile and Silverton Mountain. Coulter has a Pro 1 Avalanche certification and is a OEC medical certification. He is a snowboard patroller and licensed blaster at Silverton Mountain. In his downtime, he resides in Utah to climb on classic rock routes, do yoga, martial arts and ride dirt bikes.
Chris Coulter
Field Medic
Hayden grew up in Tacoma, WA, and received her Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications / Graphic Design from Washington State University. She currently lives in Ketchum, ID where she works as a ski patroller in the winter and as an assistant camera operator for a remote film company.
When she’s not working either of these two gigs, she gets to run around in the woods with incredible production and camera teams as a Safety Medic.
She first got into medicine when she joined Ski Patrol for Sun Valley, and he was lucky enough to certify as an EMT through the Ketchum Fire Department where she is currently affiliated with EMS. She also has an Avalanche Level One certification and an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) certification.
Hayden moved to Ketchum, Idaho straight out of college, intending to spend just one winter. But as many who currently live in ski towns will attest, one winter is never enough, and four years later she is still in Ketchum. Hayden is drawn to ski towns because of the access to outdoor activity and adventures that lie around every corner.
A passion of hers, aside from playing outside, is film and photography. She grew up immersed in ski film and ski culture, and one day she hopes to create a film project of her own.
Hayden Gilmour
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