Jackson man dies after Dec. 20 avalanche, intense rescue in Teton Pass couloir

JACKSON (WNE) — Nathaniel “Natty” Schneider, 31, of Jackson, died Friday at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls from injuries sustained in a Dec. 20 Teton Pass avalanche.

Schneider was buried in the slide while skiing with a partner in “The Claw,” a challenging backcountry area with steep, north-facing chutes and complex timbered terrain known for elevated avalanche hazard.

The slide released heavy, dense snow that fully buried Schneider and entangled him in trees, making excavation difficult, Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr said Tuesday. The sheriff detailed the rescue in a Tuesday interview with the News&Guide, calling the efforts of Schneider’s ski partner and rescuers “heroic.”

“We threw everything we could at this mission,” Carr said. “We gave him his best chance we could.”

Schneider was life-flighted from St. John’s Health to EIRMC on the day of the slide. He died on Dec. 26 from “multisystem trauma from injuries caused by an avalanche,” according to Bonneville County, Idaho, Coroner Shante Sanchez.

This story was published on Dec. 31, 2025.