Did you know that snowmobilers are the most at-risk backcountry user group for avalanche fatalities? With sled technology getting better, which allows easier access to steep slopes, absolutely no snowmobiler who ventures into the backcountry should go without avalanche safety training, along with the appropriate gear: beacons, shovels and probes. In an effort to raise awareness and encourage sledheads to get educated, KSL Outdoors dedicated a whole half-hour episode to the subject.
In the show, now online at KSL.com, we follow the Utah Avalanche Center during their training course led by Craig Gordon, to Thousand Peaks Ranch where they conduct lessons on terrain management, snow stability tests, rescue, and sled skills courses. Taken together, participants learn all the elements needed to stay safe when traveling in the backcountry and to stay on top of the snow, not under it. Here’s the show:
For more information about snowmobile avalanche safety, or to sign up for the Utah Avalanche Center’s February sled course, visit www.utahavalanchecenter.org