Let's just say it's a good thing avid snowmobiler and Survive Outside: Snowmobile (SOS) co-ordinator Doug Washer made sure we were prepared before he took me on my first-ever sledding adventure.
After touring around Brohm Ridge while holding on for dear life behind Washer, I thought I was ready to try being in the driver's seat.
"This is the throttle and this is the brake," he explained. "Just take it nice and slow and if you feel uneasy at all, just stop."
You know when you think you're going to be really good at something and then you realize you're completely wrong?
I was wrong. The machine just started going and I wasn't strong enough to turn uphill and then I was headed toward a tree and didn't grab the brake and boom - right into a tree.
Had I been alone, I don't know what I would have done. Maybe tried to walk the 10 kilometres back down to where the truck was parked, or slept under the tree hoping someone would find me. I would have been the prime example of an unprepared sledder.
Lucky for me, Washer is a massive snowmobiling safety advocate and always carries all the safety essentials for snowmobiling - and we needed them.
Twenty minutes of shovelling and "tree trimming" later, Washer managed to redirect the machine and move it out safely - a feat that could not have been accomplished without the necessary preparation.
"Learning how to ride and manage yourself in mountain riding environments is essential to enjoying what snowmobiling has to offer while ensuring you arrive home safely," said Washer.
The Survive Outside: Snowmobile program is a new program being developed under the AdventureSmart initiative, developed by the National Search and Rescue secretariat (NSS) and delivered by search-and-rescue groups such as the Squamish Emergency Program.
"While Search and Rescue are the ones who actually rescue outdoor enthusiasts when things go wrong, the AdventureSmart program is branded as the prevention and education side of outdoors," said Washer.
"Survive Outside: Snowmobile is designed to teach people to be prepared and to think - to provide an awareness of the risks associated with snowmobiling and to encourage people to share the responsibility for their safety.
"It's also to increase awareness of winter hazards so you can make informed decisions, mitigate risk to yourself and others while working and enjoying the outdoors."
Washer said encouraging safe participation in snowmobiling is key to enjoying the outdoors while decreasing the number and severity of search-and-rescue incidents, particularly for a sport that involves such treacherous hazards and has no regulations.
"There are a number of issues in the province but one of them is that at present, there's really no regulations around operating snowmobiles," he said.
Snowmobiles don't need to be registered if they're purchased used and drivers aren't required to take an operator's course to learn about avalanche terrain, safety issues or operating techniques.
"If you're going to operate a snowmobile in avalanche terrain, it would be good to know what you're doing out there," he said, adding that different regions in Canada deal with different terrain factors such as avalanche zones, crevasses and frozen lakes.
According to the Canadian Avalanche Centre, snowmobilers account for most backcountry recreation avalanche fatalities. Between 2008 and 2009, there were 26 avalanche deaths in Canada and 19 involved recreational snowmobilers.
The Survive Outside: Snowmobile program caters to youth groups snowmobile skills and safety strategies and techniques.
Washer said it's good to encourage snowmobile skills and safety strategies at a young age and AdventureSmart is committed to targeting youth across the country.
"It's good to introduce these young people to the necessary skills that go with these outdoor activities while they're still young," he said.
"But certainly it's applicable to anybody new coming into the sport or anybody that hasn't really been involved in the sport to a great extent."
The program, presented to youth groups in and around Squamish, is centered around one key term - STOP. Since developing the concept, Washer has started branding it with various programs like the Squamish Emergency Program and NSS.
"S" stands for stop to regroup and consider a number of factors: Are you in an avalanche path? Is everyone in the group present and what skills do people in the group have?
"T" stands for terrain, technology and technique and the necessity to reassess these factors against the objectives of the day.
"O" stands for observe and specifically refers to weather patterns past, present and over the next few hours, as well as snow pack and how it changes with the elevation.
"P" stands for plan. Washer said it's important to plan the route, plan the approach, plan for adverse consequences and plan to come home.
Washer also explores avalanche risks, ice safety, hypothermia, frostbite and the importance of the 10 essentials.
His main task is helping to develop the new content for the Survive Outside: Snowmobile program available for educational purposes on his website - www.sledlink.com.
"As a business in the industry, it's a way that we can help contribute back to the community," he said. Washer often presents through Adventure Smart when community events are hosted in areas such as Brohm Ridge.
Washer emphasized that none of these programs is really possible without support from volunteers.
"Locally we have the Squamish Search and Rescue, we have sponsors like Greater Vancouver Power Sports who provide us with snowmobiles so we're able to get up here and do the outreach programs, sponsors like Sledlink.com that help contribute resources to getting the messaging out and Black Tusk Snowmobile Club and all the volunteers who are involved there," he said.
For more information on snowmobile safety visit www.adventuresmart.ca, www.gvps.ca, sledlink.com and letsridebc.com.
