The past year has been a record-breaking year for all snowmobile manufacturers across North America. With many brand-new riders entering the sport we figured it would be a great time to shed light on some common terminology used in articles, social media posts and verbal dialogue

1. Avalanche gear is too expensive – If you can afford to snowmobile you can afford avalanche gear. Your avalanche gear will not only can save your life but will help you save the lives of others should they be involved in an avalanche. Think about that for a moment. What if you were riding with your children, your spouse, your best friend and they were buried. Wouldn’t you want to have every available tool to save their lives?

Each time Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers are called out for a rescue there is stress on the system, people and medical staff required to respond. During times of a pandemic it is imperative that we ride responsibly to try to reduce the number of callouts required by these volunteers who come to help should a snowmobiler become, lost, injured or involved in an avalanche. Here are a few ways we can up our safety game in the backcountry.

Our snowmobile clubs have had to adapt their operations this season for the safety of their community, staff, volunteers and riders due to COVID-19. We are also asking our riders to help us by following and sharing a few key messages this season.

Trees are a pretty important part of our human existence. With much talk about carbon footprints and such, trees have become one of life’s most valuable resources. Trees are vital. As the biggest plants on the planet they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilize the soil and lend food and habitat to wildlife. They also provide us with the materials needed for tools and shelter. Although cerebrally we understand trees are incredibly important, many a snowmobiler has a love/hate relationship with trees they encounter while riding. Here are a few reasons why.

Along with summerizing your snowmobile for storage, it is a good idea to prepare your equipment and gear as well. This can save you from future headaches and keep your gear in pristine condition. Here are some suggestions:

Often, we are contacted at the BCSF by riders looking for trail information or where to stage. What we rarely get contacted for is to recommend a guide for their group. We believe that the best way to experience unfamiliar terrain is to attend an organized club event or to hire a professional guide. This is because mountain riding in BC almost always occurs in the open backcountry and not on a clearly marked trail. This makes it easy for a group to get lost in unfamiliar terrain or to expose themselves to risks they may not be aware of. It really brings to light the importance of hiring a professional guide when riding new areas and some of those reasons to hire a guide may surprise you!

As we reflect upon technology advancements, especially over the past decade, it is awe inspiring to see how far we have come. Get the gear, get the training, get the forecast....then you are good to go, right? Wrong, for no matter the technology advancements there is still the human factor to consider.