bigfuntours.com

The High Risks of Snowmobiling in the North

Laura Mooney
Arts Editor | ote-arts@unbc.ca

he mountains in Northern British

Columbia are undoubtedly a sight
to behold. Looming in the distance they
look nearly untouchable to the average
Northerner, but to us they have become
a beautiful backdrop and a part of our
Northern lives. There are brave groups of
people to whom the mountains become
more than just scenery, they become a
playground filled with twists and turns,
where the bravest are commended for their
acts, but do not always leave unscathed.
Over the years, snowmobiling, or sledding,
has become a winter staple for many of
those who live in snowy climates with
many of them having ridden sleds for their
entire lives. As of recently, the increase
in injuries and deaths related to sledding
in the mountains has become more
prominent, and has caused many seasoned
riders to question whether it is even
worth it anymore to venture up into the
dangerous peaks.

In most recent news, Chris McCoy, a
resident of Sylvan Lake was killed near
Revelstoke, BC in an avalanche after trying
to help a fellow rider who had become
stuck in the snow. This has been the second
report of a death due to sledding just this
year, with the previous death occurring
near Valemount in January. While the

men were all properly equipped and had
avalanche beacons, the conditions were
poor due to recent snowfall, and had

even been updated as being high risk
areas by the Canadian Avalanche Center
not long before the men's arrival. Each
incident alone was incredibly tragic, but
the common thread between each death is
that each man who was killed was quoted
as “living for sledding” because of their
passion for the sport. This passion that the
men felt is no doubt understandable, but
is it really worth a day of riding when your
life is put in jeopardy? Especially when the
day turns to tragedy and lives are lost?

Snowmobiling in high-risk areas has only
been an issue within the past ten years or

so. With a massive rise in the popularity
of the sport, that alone would mean the
chances of fatalities occurring would be
more likely. However, that is not the only
cause. Over the years, huge developments
with sledding gear, such as the avalanche
beacon, and more powerful sleds than ever,
have led to a rise in risk-taking amongst
riders. Essentially, since they believe their
machine is powerful enough to pull the
rider out of sticky situations, they choose
to take part in high-risk activities, such
as going into banned areas and high risk
zones. According to information released
by the Canadian Avalanche Center (CAC),
in Northern British Columbia, within

the last five years alone, there have been
over 50 deaths relating to sledding in the
mountains. Seeing as a sledding season
typically runs from November to March,
that means that in a five month span
there are approximately ten deaths that
occur each year, mostly due to high-risk
behaviour.

Thankfully, the CAC has made it their top

priority to ensure the safety of riders all
over Canada. In an article in the Calgary
Sun, CAC member Mary Clayton claimed,
“We're getting somewhere in building a
culture of avalanche awareness...we're
building a knowledge base among the
people that go in the backcountry, but also
their loved ones.” Although the CAC claims
the numbers of high-risk sledding deaths
are declining, the question still remains,
why do riders continue to choose these
areas to ride in when they are being made
well aware of the potential risks?

It is an unfortunate circumstance when
it takes a number of deaths to change the
way a person thinks, but hopefully if one
positive can come from men like Chris
McCoy's death, it is that it will change
the minds of many people who regularly
snowmobile in high risk, mountain areas,
believing that nothing could go wrong. All
it takes is a bit of discretion and the right
equipment, in order for countless lives to
be saved.