Snowmobilers top the list of those who get caught and perish in avalanches in North America. Understanding the basics of avalanche safety is important for those wanting to snowmobile in avalanche country. It is strongly recommended that you take an avalanche-training course with a field session to learn what to look for.
Avalanches that involve people do not randomly occur. Over 90 percent of the time, the victims or someone in their group triggers the snow slide. This means that avalanches could generally be avoided if snowmobilers would learn to follow avalanche safety procedures. The following information is a general introduction to avalanche safety. For additional information, visit www.fsavalanche.org.