Back in February, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort closed their backcountry gates heading into Grand Teton National Park due to extreme avalanche danger. Four skiers chose to ignore these closers and ventured out of the gates. Two of the skiers became lost and had to be rescued.

On the night of February 28 rescuers headed out into the very dangerous conditions in search of the missing skiers. According to the National Park Service, the group of skiers exited the ski area by ducking a boundary rope. As they skied down, two of the skiers got lost and the other two skiers were able to ski back to the Resort boundary.

“According to a news release from the National Park Service, two citations were issued to 24-year-old Andrew Richards of Jackson, 28-year-old Ruth Schwietert of Jackson, 32-year-old Natalie Burns of Breckenridge, Colorado, and 25-year-old Joseph Higgins of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Each was cited for violating an emergency boundary closure and disorderly conduct with creation of a hazardous condition. Each citation requires a mandatory federal court appearance and carries a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and six months in jail.” – apnews.com

All four must appear before a federal magistrate in Jackson.