I've ridden backcountry powder enough to give it the respect it deserves. That stuff is often deep and can suck you right in without a moment's warning. And I now know that I really should go riding with buddies, even if it's a "quick trail rip", as even something as safe as that can turn into a late-night rescue operation.
But the one piece of backcountry terror that still strikes at my heart and head is encountering an avalanche. It's something I've never experienced, nor hope to ever witness firsthand. Yet, like falling off a motorcycle or getting hit by a car while riding, I know at some point it'll likely occur.
It happens every year to countless snowmobile riders. And it'll likely occur a lot this year, as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other public lands stewards have either been furloughed, riffed, or outright fired who managed for avalanches throughout the West. I hope it won't be bad, but I fear it will be.
Likely seeing those factors play out, Avalanche Alliance, which is part of American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, will begin hosting free safety seminars at five dealerships this winter in North Dakota, though I hope they'll extend that throughout the West. Cause it's needed. Badly.
As mentioned, the bulk of the free seminars will be in North Dakota, though one will also be in South Dakota as well. And they'll be hosted at Wheels Inc, in Fargo, Finley Motorsports, in Finley, Stutsman Off Road in Jamestown, Action Polaris in Mandan, Octane Outdoors in Williston, ND, and Liberty Powersports at SnoFest in South Dakota.
Each of the sessions will be hosted by Jeff Hambelton, who's the motorized program manager at the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. But the basic idea is to give riders the knowledge and understanding of how to identify the warning signs ahead of an avalanche, as well as what folks need to understand about avalanche forecasts, identifying possible dangers, and avalanche-type terrain, i.e. whether a ridge looks prime to rip off from the main snow line.
Basically, you'll get a crash course (pun intended) in avalanche safety to better equip you when you head out into the backcountry this year. Speaking to our friends at Powersport Business, Hambelton said, "Snowmobilers are some of the most passionate and capable backcountry users out there. These sessions are about helping riders make informed choices—so they can keep riding hard and come home safe.”
My hope, however, is that Hambelton's group sees the dire need for more of these seminars throughout the West, especially in the Rocky Mountain states, which have a higher prevalence of avalanches each year. Expanding these talks would go a long way in ensuring that snowmobile riders come home safe to their families and friends. But good on them for even doing this, as I mentioned, this year could be a truly unsafe one given what's going on with the federal government.
