Saftey

Your Sugarloafers Safety Team Leader
Tim Mert

BASIC RULES

Never Ride Alone Plan your route Tell someone where you are going Always have a spare belt Always have spare spark plugs Always have the basic tools Always have a survival kit Always have a map
USE YOUR HEAD, WEAR A HELMET
If you break down, stay with your sled!

Survival Gear List
Avalanche Beacon
Avalanche Probe
Emergency Space Blanket, tarp or tent
Shovel
Saw, knife
Snow Shoes
Flash light & extra batteries
Glowsticks
Mirror, signal flares
Water proof matches or lighter
Fire Starter
Rope, wire or duct tape
Plastic bag
Zip lock bags
Candles/ Candle lantern
Hand warmers
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Bar soap, wipes
GPS/ Compass/Map
Aluminum Foil
Small pot or metal drinking cup
Food items: Jerky, candy bars, chips, packaged soup, energy bars, water or Gatorade,etc.

First Aid Kit Supplies
1)  First Aid Care guide
2)  CPR Shield(s)
3)  Flashlight
4)  Sam Splint
5)  Hypo-Thermometer
6)  EMT Scissors
7)  Splinter Forceps
8)  Duct Tape
9)  Irrigation Syringe
10)  Wound Closure Strips
11)  Butterfly Strips
12)  Antibiotic Ointment
13)  Burn Ointment
14)  Antiseptic Wipes
15)  Latex style gloves 2 pairs
16)  Moleskin
17)  Gauze Pads- assortment of sizes
18)  Trauma Pads
19)  Emergency Space Blankets (2)
20)  Triangular Bandage
21)  Roller gauze
22)  Tylenol or similar medicine
23)  Glutose Paste for diabetics
24)  Pill Vials
25)  Safety Pins
26)  Waterproof Matches
Other items to carry when you are snowmobiling: Avalanche Probe and Beacon, shovel, extra drive belt & spark plugs, Tow rope, something to melt snow in and for heating up something to eat or drink.

Emergencies
Cold Weather Injuries
Frostbite, hypothermia and snowblindness are the most common snowmobiling injuries. Recognizing the early symptoms of these injuries and knowing how to treat them is important and can prevent undue permanent injury and possibly death. For our own and others protection, enroll in a certified first aid course.

Frostbite: The crystallization, either superficially or deeply, of the fluids and underlying soft tissues of the skin, is the most common cold weather injury. The nose, cheeks, ears, fingers and toes are the areas most commonly affected by frostbite. Often the victim is not aware of the frostbite until they are told by someone else. As frostbite develops, the symptoms follow this order.
 Minor frostbite may be treated by slowly warming the affected area. Do not rub the frostbitten area. Severe frostbite must be treated by a Physician.

Hypothermia: The state at which the body is losing heat faster that it can produce it, drains valuable energy from the body. As hypothermia develops, the symptoms follow this order.
 Hypothermia should be treated by a Physician as soon as possible. In the meantime, the victim should be covered with warm dry clothing and/or blankets. The best way to prevent hypothermia is to dress adequately and stay dry.

Snowblindness: Snowblindness is a condition snowmobilers may experience during medium-bright to intense sunshine days. The symptoms are the following.
 The recommended treatment is immediate removal to a totally dark area. Snowblindness can be prevented by wearing the proper-lensed goggles or properly colored face shield.

Emergency Situations
All snowmobilers are advised to be prepared for an emergency situation at all times. Informing someone of your intended journey and time expected to return is good insurance for your safety. If while riding a snowmobile on a trail, an accident is encountered or if the snowmobile breaks down and cannot be fixed, YOU are involved in an emergency situation! If confronted with an emergency situation, three things to remember are to stay calm, dry and warm. Panic and exhaustion can lead to needless chances that can result in injury or death. Plan actions and do not attempt to walk through extremely deep snow as it could take two to three days to cover the area traveled by a snowmobile in 20 or 30 minutes.

Suggested Extra Equipment
Space blanket, candy bars, water proof matches, flashlight, extra spark plugs, first aid kit, snow shoes, extra gloves, socks, extra drive belt, pocket knife, extra starter rope, tool kit, shovel, axe or saw, flares, metal cup or kettle, tarp or plastic sheet.

SURVIVAL
There are several steps which will make a survival situation easier. It is imperative to remember that the best tool of survival is your brain. Be sure to use this tool in a survival situation. The following steps will help save a life. POSSIBLY YOURS!
 Join a snowmobile club or help start one. Read, understand and follow the information in the Operator’s Manual and on all decals found on the snowmobile. Enroll in a certified snowmobile safety course and first aid class. Be a responsible snowmobiler. Enjoy snowmobiling and remember, SAFETY FIRST!!

Snowmobile Checklist for the Season
1)  Lubricate the suspension
2)  Lubricate clutch (certain makes & models only)
3)  Change chain case oil
4)  Check chain case tension & adjust
5)  Check drive belt and carry a spare
6)  Know how to change drive belt.
7)  Check spark plugs and carry spare set of plugs
8)  Check the Track for wear and cuts
9)  check skis and carbides for wear
10)  clean air filter
11)  check fuel filter
12)  Make sure all controls are operating properly.
If you are not sure on how to do these, then take it to your dealer and have it serviced. This will help to keep your snowmobile in a Safe operating condition.

Building a Snow Cave
There are many types of snow shelters. But one of the most common & easiest to construct is the snow cave. Almost any improvised tool can be used, even hands. But for a planned & comfortable cave, a shovel is the best tool to use. There are four main steps to follow in building a snow cave. Choosing a site, tunneling in, shaping the cave and adding finishing touches.

Choosing the site: When choosing a site for a snow cave one of the most important considerations is the snow depth. A depth of at least 4 or 5 feet is helpful to start. Choose a site free of any avalanche danger. Look for a drift near ridges or trees. Try to arrange the entrance to the cave so that it is on the leeward side of the slope. This will offer protection from the wind.

‘Preparing to dig: Before the actual dig begins make sure that you are wearing the proper clothing. This includes layers with a waterproof shell. Remember dry is warm!! Heavy digging can be done with a large scoop shovel. In an emergency situation where a shovel is not available, use whatever you can. Hands, a small cooking pot, a snowshoe, etc.

Tunneling in: In deep snow begin by digging a trench downward into the snow. As you dig place snow that is being removed from the trench onto the roof area of the cave. In these conditions make the trench as deep as you are tall. The next step is to begin tunneling in. At a point about knee level make the entrance. Make the tunnel slightly wider than your body. If the terrain and snow are adequate, tunnel at a slight upward angle. Ideally the cave end of the tunnel should be at least a foot above the entrance, this will help prevent warm air from escaping the shelter. If possible make the tunnel the length of your body. Moving snow at this point becomes a major task. Use the shovel in front of your body to dig in. As you move forward use your feet to move the snow into the tunnel and out of the entrance. Now you are ready to begin shaping the cave.

Shaping the cave: The minimum thickness of the cave walls should be 12 inches. The thicker the walls the more stable the structure and the better it will insulate. The ceilings and the walls of the shelter should be dome shaped and smooth and be large enough for you to sit upright. Try to eliminate any sharp edges on the wall and ceiling. Initial shaping is done with the shovel. Final shaping is best done with a gloved hand. This will prevent water dripping as the cave temperature rises.

Finishing Touches: An elevated sleeping platform is the most important feature you can add to your shelter. This allows you to be nearer the warm air in the upper part of the cave. Another feature is the ventilation hole which can be made with a stick, ski pole or other object. This hole should be about 2 inches in diameter. This helps to eliminate carbon monoxide if stoves or candles are used. Check the vent hole at regular intervals to prevent it from clogging. Leaving a stick in the hole is a good idea. The clear the hole just wiggle the stick. Make a shelf for a candle. One lighted candle can increase the temperature in a small cave by as much as 20 degrees or more. The entrance of the cave can be blocked with a snow block, back pack or other gear. On occasion during the construction of a snow cave a collapse can occur. One person should always remain outside in the event of a collapse while building the cave.

Emergency Snow Caves: In an emergency, snow caves can be created quickly by digging into a snow bank or drift. Eliminate the tunnel and dig a compartment so that it is large enough inside for you to sit upright. Place your pack in front of the entrance hole. Use evergreen bows to insulate yourself from the ground. Use your pack as an emergency bivy sack and light at least one candle. Be sure to make a vent hole if you use candles or stoves. If you think people will be out searching for you, make the site as visible as possible from the ground and air by placing clothing, sticks or stomping an unusual pattern in the snow.

Avalanche Safety & Snowmobiling
Avalanches that involve snowmobiles do not randomly happen. In most Avalanche incidents the victim or another party member triggers the slide. This tells us that these unfortunate happenings are preventable. If we choose to ride in Avalanche Terrain we are taking on inherent risks whether we realize it or not. Education is the most powerful tool that we can use to ride safer in Avalanche Terrain. Riding in Avalanche Terrain without the proper education, training & equipment is like playing Russian Roulette! “Do you feel lucky today”? Most of the Avalanches that occur out West happen during or immediately following precipitation or wind activity. The strength of our snowpack can be a double edged sword. Our snowpack’s strength comes from its well bonded dense snow. This cohesive dense snow makes for extremely dangerous hard slab Avalanches. Avalanches are also known as the “Great White Dragon”. Dragons tend to sleep more but when awakened the power that they unleash can lay a path of destruction unlike anything you have ever seen.

There are  four key factors that need to be considered when evaluating the Avalanche Hazard.
1)  Terrain
2)  Snowpack
3)  Weather
4)  Human

If the terrain is not steep enough (angle) for avalanches to occur then there is little to no risk. Slope angle is the most important element of Avalanche Terrain. Avalanches can occur on slopes with angles from 25 to 60 degrees, but most often occur from 35 to 45 degrees. Another important factor to consider is the consequences’ of being swept away by a slide. Being swept off a cliff or into a tree could prove to be fatal. In regards to the snowpack we need to ask ourselves the question “Could the snow slide”? The winter snowpack is made up of many layers of snow that represents the different precipitation events, temperature changes & wind events that have occurred throughout the winter.

Weather can affect the critical balance between strength and stress within the snowpack. Often the snowpack cannot handle the added stress of precipitation, extreme temperature changes or wind loading (drifting). The result can be a failure of the bonds between the layers within the snowpack causing an Avalanche to occur.

Without the human factor there is no risk. The key to riding in Avalanche Terrain is to know which slopes are safest and to be able to perform a rescue if necessary. One of the basic rules of riding in Avalanche Terrain is to expose only one rider to the risk at a time. If everybody is on the slope then who is left to do the rescue?

Riding in avalanche terrain without a transceiver, probe and shovel is like driving without your seatbelt. A transceiver is a radio beacon that can transmit and receive radio signals. In the case on an Avalanche burial it allows you the ability to find the buried person or persons. Remember that you also need to be trained on the proper use of your transceiver and know how to use it. Know is the time to practice not when an Avalanche occurs.

Here are some statistics to think about:
1)  63% of Snowmobile Avalanche accidents happen while highmarking. It is very common for these Avalanches to be triggered by a fellow snowmobiler that is attempting to help a stuck highmarker. DO NOT GO HELP A STUCK HIGHMARKER!!!
2)  Most Avalanche fatalities happen in Montana, Alaska, Colorado and Idaho. But they can happen anywhere there is snowmobiling.
3)  25% of Avalanche fatalities are due to traumatic injuries.
4)  You have a 90% chance of surviving if found and dug out within 15 minutes.
5)  After 30 minutes you only have a 40% chance of surviving.
6)  64% of survivors are rescued by their partners. YOU ARE THE RESCUE TEAM!!
7)  If a rescue team is brought in, there is only a 20% chance of surviving.
So, we need to educate ourselves, train with our equipment and use some common sense. Make sure you go prepared and ready to rescue your fellow riders. Do not take the attitude that this could never happen to me. Let’s all enjoy riding but be safe and return home to enjoy another day and season of riding.