🛷 Stuff Every Snowmobiler Should Know: Training Guide

Clothing Layers

Use several light layers so you can add or remove warmth as conditions change. A couple of light layers can protect better than one thick layer.

Avoid cotton in every layer because cotton holds moisture, dries slowly, and can freeze. Choose polyester, silk, wool, fleece, or synthetic blends instead.

The outer shell should be windproof and waterproof to stop wind and wet snow from reaching the inner layers. Suitable ski apparel can work if it is weatherproof and lets you move freely.

Helmet, Eyes, Hands, and Boots

A helmet must fit snugly and the chin strap must be fastened to stay in place in a fall. A full-face helmet also blocks wind and cold from your face.

Replace a helmet after one significant impact even if it looks fine. Helmets also lose protective ability after many years.

After dark use clear lenses because tinted lenses reduce the little light that is available. Clear goggles or a clear visor protect your eyes without darkening the trail.

Snowmobile gloves must let your hands operate the throttle, brake, and switches freely. Carry an extra dry pair because wet gloves lose warmth quickly.

Boots should have a waterproof rubber lower and good lugs for traction on snow and ice. A high synthetic upper helps keep snow out.

Boots should not feel tight because tight boots can reduce blood flow and make feet cold faster. Dry boot interiors completely between trips.

Controls and Pre-Ride Checks

The throttle is on the right handlebar and should move freely and return to idle before you start. The brake lever is on the left handlebar and should work properly without bottoming against the grip.

The parking brake must be released before moving, and you should not apply the throttle while the parking brake is set. The handlebar kill switch quickly stops the engine and must be in the up position to start.

Before a ride, make sure the track and skis are free and not frozen down. Check the headlight and taillight. Check fuel and oil levels.

Point the snowmobile in a safe direction before starting, hold a handlebar, and test that the throttle returns quickly. If the electric start does not start, release the key immediately to avoid burning out the starter.

After a cold engine starts, let it idle and warm for a short time before loading it with work. Check the owner's manual for choke, starting, and warmup steps.

Trip Plans and Buddy System

Tell a trusted person your exact route and return time before leaving. That person needs the plan so they know when and where to get help if you are late.

If you ride alone, never change the route you shared because searchers need to know where to look. Safe Riders says never deviate from a solo trip plan.

Safe Riders strongly recommends the buddy system instead of riding alone. A companion can help with a breakdown, stuck sled, or changing conditions.

Before a solo ride, carry a complete emergency kit. The buddy system is still preferred because immediate help is not always available.

Trailer Loading and Towing Checks

Before driving a snowmobile onto a trailer, check that the trailer is secured to the hitch. Loading shifts weight sharply and a loose trailer can pop free.

Use ratcheting tie-down straps to secure the snowmobile, not rope or rubber cords that can fray or break. Secure both front and rear as the trailer design requires.

Load about 60 percent of the trailer load weight forward of the axle. This places appropriate weight on the trailer tongue and helps trailer stability.

After loading, check the trailer's brake, turn, and clearance lights. Other road users need to see braking, turning, and trailer width.

Check weight limits, tire pressure, and vehicle towing capacity before starting. The hitch ball and electrical connection must also match.

Riding Positions and Basic Controls

Sitting is usually the safest trail position because it keeps body weight low and helps with turns. Use lower speed and both hands on the handlebars when standing.

When standing, keep knees bent so they act like suspension over bumps. On a side hill, plant the uphill leg to lean into the hill and control the sled.

The right handlebar throttle controls forward movement. The left handlebar brake applies braking pressure to the track. Hard braking can lock the track on slick surfaces.

Before moving, release the parking brake. Do not apply throttle while the parking brake is set because the brake holds the machine while the drive tries to move it.

Group Riding and Passengers

Ride single file on trails to leave room for oncoming traffic. Do not ride side by side, which can occupy both halves of the route.

Safe Riders teaches a minimum following time of at least three seconds when counting after the sled ahead passes a fixed object. However, to allow enough room to stop for sudden turns or obstacles, maintain a safe distance equal to at least six seconds behind the sled ahead. Add even more space in snow dust, fog, storms, and darkness.

At night, increase following distance because darkness reduces how far ahead you can recognize hazards and stops. Clear lenses are essential after dark.

Carry a passenger only on a snowmobile designed for two. A passenger should keep feet flat on the running boards and never ride in front of the driver.

If you lose momentum in deep snow, release the throttle first instead of spinning the track, which can dig the sled deeper. Use a shovel to clear snow around and ahead to free a stuck sled.

Hand Signals and Trail Signs

The stop hand signal is the left arm raised overhead with palm flat. Use the left arm so the right hand stays on the throttle.

For a right turn with the left arm, bend the left elbow with hand up. A straight left arm signals a left turn. Make signals clear and deliberate.

A downward flapping motion of the left hand signals slowing or caution. A raised clenched fist means last sled in the group.

Learn common trail signs before interpreting marked snowmobile routes. Local trail systems may use additional signs.

Roads, Railroads, Speed, and Legal Rules

Before crossing a road, stop and stand so you can see and be seen. Cross only when the road is clear at marked and unmarked crossings.

At railroad tracks, stop, look, and listen, and cross only at a designated crossing. Never ride along railroad tracks. Railroad rights-of-way are generally private property.

Ungroomed road ditches can hide obstacles under snow, so slow down and pay close attention. A cleanly plowed road can cause overheating because some parts need loose snow for cooling and lubrication.

Never drink alcohol before snowmobiling. Alcohol impairs judgment, reaction time, and balance, and impairment starts with the first drink.

Ride at a speed that matches conditions and your ability, and reduce speed in poor visibility. Excessive speed is a leading cause of snowmobile crashes, and following too closely is careless.

Safe Riders provides basic safety lessons and quizzes but does not replace state or provincial requirements. Before taking a Safe Riders test, study the full safety program. In an Alaska state park, an operator under 14 must be supervised by a parent or adult 21 or older, and a ranger may ask for proof of age.

Hypothermia and Frostbite

Uncontrollable shivering is an early sign of hypothermia. Confusion, fumbling hands, slurred speech, and drowsiness are more warning signs.

Hypothermia can happen above 40 degrees Fahrenheit when a person is wet and chilled. A body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit is a medical emergency. Get emergency help and warm carefully.

If you must warm a hypothermic person, focus on the body center first. Use dry layers and safe warmth, and do not give drinks to an unconscious person.

Frostbitten skin feels numb and may look white, grayish yellow, or waxy. Do not rub or massage it, and do not use direct high heat.

To rewarm frostbitten skin, immerse it in warm water between 99 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit, not hot water. Do not thaw the area if there is a risk of refreezing. Avoid walking on frostbitten feet because that can increase tissue damage.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide has no dependable smell or color. It is produced whenever fuel burns, including in snowmobile engines and other small engines.

Early carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms include headache, nausea, and dizziness. Move to fresh air immediately and get medical help if you feel these near engines.

Use carbon monoxide detectors in enclosed winter shelters. Never ignore headaches near engines.

Stranded Survival and Shelter

If stranded with a broken snowmobile, stay with the machine and shelter in place. It is large, easy to spot, and provides shelter. Searchers look for it first.

Seek shelter from wind and weather first. A tree, rock shelf, trail shelter, or suitable building can protect you. Line a snow cave with available material to stay dry.

Ration food if rescue may be delayed because a rescue may take longer than expected. Treat injuries first in an emergency.

With cell service, call 911 first so dispatchers can start the proper response. Where service is absent, use airplane mode to save battery. Keep the phone warm in an inside pocket.

If you consider walking for help, do so only when you have location certainty. If you are not sure, stay put. Near nightfall, wait for daylight.

Lost, Wind, and Weather

When lost, start by recalling your last exact location, then reconstruct where you traveled. Trail markers, rivers, roads, and landforms can help.

Stronger wind increases heat loss from exposed skin, so cold feels more severe. Wind chill combines air temperature and wind speed.

Wind chill affects people and animals, but it cannot cool a snowmobile or other object below the actual air temperature.

Always carry a map and compass with a GPS in winter backcountry because batteries run down and devices can fail.

Avalanche Preparedness

Everyone in avalanche terrain must carry a beacon, probe, and shovel. A beacon finds the victim, a probe locates the exact position and depth, and a shovel allows rapid digging.

Check avalanche conditions before a trip at Avalanche.org or a local forecast center. Read the detailed report, not just the danger rating.

Leeward slopes collect dangerous wind loaded snow because wind blows snow off windward slopes and deposits it on leeward slopes. Fresh drifts and blowing snow are signs of recent wind loading.

Considerable avalanche danger means natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered slides are likely. Careful route finding and good decision making are required.

Avalanche Companion Rescue

Avalanche partners should practice realistic rescue scenarios so they can use their equipment under stress. Companion rescue means the group tries to recover the victim without outside help.

During a rescue, note the last seen point. It helps rescuers choose where to begin the transceiver search, which proceeds below that point.

After a beacon search, probing pinpoints the victim's exact location and burial depth. Then the shovel starts strategic digging.

Before entering avalanche debris, assess the danger of more avalanches. A rescuer cannot help if another slide catches them.

Red flags such as recent avalanches, collapses, shooting cracks, rapid warming, heavy precipitation, and wind loading indicate unstable conditions. Change plans rather than outsmart unstable snow.

Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue

Alaska Safe Riders describes snowmachine glacier travel as extremely dangerous because snow can hide crevasses and other hazards. A class can reduce risk but does not make it safe.

A rider choosing glacier travel should be accompanied by an experienced glacier rescuer. Route selection is a central part of managing glacier risk.

A person who falls into a crevasse needs help right away. Rescue groups carry the right gear and rehearse using it fast.

Alaska Safe Riders offers a six hour hands-on Basic Rider Certification class and an eight hour glacier travel and crevasse rescue course.

Riding on Ice

Slow down when riding on ice because ice gives less grip for starting, steering, and stopping. Bare ice can make fast stops impossible and spinouts common.

Remain seated on ice to keep a low center of gravity and aid control. Ice offers much less side grip than packed snow.

To slow on bare ice, coast gradually by letting off the throttle instead of heavy braking. Heavy braking can cause loss of control.

Existing snowmobile tracks do not prove lake ice is safe. Ice thickness and strength can vary over short distances and change with time. Running water makes thickness especially inconsistent.

If You Break Through

Carry commercial ice picks through jacket sleeves so you can reach them after falling through. Keep gloves on because they protect your hands while you work.

After breaking through, stay calm and extend your arms forward onto the ice. Work toward the direction you came from when possible.

Kick your feet like a seal to make your body more horizontal and drive it toward the surface. Ice may keep breaking, so persistence and calm matter.

Do not remove gloves or mitts after falling through. Keys or a knife can sometimes help grip the ice if picks are unavailable.

Once out on weak ice, crawl or roll instead of standing. Standing concentrates weight on weak ice, while crawling spreads it over a larger area.