Thank You to Grand Teton Rescue Teams

On Wednesday July 21st a powerful storm moved through Grand Teton National Park. The storm brought wind, rain, and a lot of lightning. It came early in the day, around 11:30 am, and caught many climbers on the Grand Teton off guard. 17 people were stranded on the Grand Teton for a number of hours while rescue teams worked courageously to help them off the mountain. Among those 17 climbers were two Signal Mountain Lodge employees Steve and Henry, climbing with two of Steve's family members. They were struck by lightning multiple times during the storm and were unable to climb down due to injuries. Fortunately, the very adept and brave rescue teams of rangers, guides, pilots and medics were able to evacuate them from the mountain safely and get them to the proper care, and for that the Signal community owes them an enormous thank you. We are grateful to have Steve and Henry back at Signal with us.

Staff Olympics

Signal Mountain Lodge hosted it's fourth annual Staff Olympics during the last week of June this summer. The events lasted five days and ranged from sporty challenges such as the canoe relay to brain busters like the chess tournament. A few events were held each day and culminated in an outdoor BBQ that went on during the celebrated events of the volleyball tournament and the talent show on Friday in our staff housing area.

Signal Mountain Lodge staff was divided into 7 teams of grouped departments. Each team had an impressive showing for each event and the standings were close throughout the five days. In the end the front of the house restaurant staff grouped with the bar under the team name of "Button Up" were crowned as champions. They will have their team name engraved on SML's most highly regarded and pined for prize, The Most Prestigous Trophy, where it will live on in fame(or infamy).

The SML Staff Olympics are just another reason why working and living at Signal are so much fun, a big thank you goes to all who participated!

Staff Spotlight: Mark Schweizer, Float Guide Manager

Mark Schweizer is one of those very lucky people in the world who looks forward to work each day. Mark is the Float Guide Manager at Signal Mountain Lodge, he takes up to three float trips a day down beautiful stretches of the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park. Mark says his favorite part of each work day is“when I push off from the bank of the river and the current pulls us away.”


Mark hasn’t always lived out west, he grew up in the Chicago area of Illinois, but when he was 10 years old his folks took him on a trip to the Grand Canyon and he started dreaming of living on this side of the country among the mountains. After high school he moved to Flagstaff, AZ to attend school at Northern Arizona University. He graduated with a double major in History and Philosophy and quickly took an outside job at Sylvan Lake State Park in Colorado as a Park Ranger.


Not too long after making the move to Colorado, the opportunity arose to become a river guide in Glen Canyon Arizona, Mark couldn’t pass it up. While guiding in Glen Canyon he met a fellow who had worked in Grand Teton National Park and loved it and Mark became quite interested. At the end of the season he applied to a few lodges in Grand Teton and Signal was lucky enough to snatch him up.


Mark has now been taking Signal Mountain Lodge guests down the Snake River for 6 seasons and he still has a passion for it. Mark explains, “My favorite part of guiding is that the job I do is an activity I would do on my spare time, actually one of my favorite hobbies.” He says this season has been great so far, “The sun has come out and the wildflowers are spectacular. The wildlife has been good: moose, elk, pronghorn, eagles, and pelicans.” Taking a float trip with Mark is a treat. His knowledge goes well beyond the river and one is bound to get a brain-full of Grand Teton geology, biology, history and more.



Swans on the Snake River.