Live to Tell of Your Vacation

The operation of any motor vehicle requires one’s total attention. It is not uncommon for the mind to wander while performing various tasks. It is during those wandering mental moments that you look up into your rearview mirror to be surprised by the flashing lights of a police vehicle and realize that your foot was a little too heavy on the gas pedal. Snowmobiles require dedicated concentration to maintain one’s safety.

Today’s snow machines are lighter, faster and have a higher center of gravity. These qualities may make for a more exciting experience but they can also amplify any operator mistakes. An error in judgement can result in serious injury or death. Recently two visiting snowmobilers were killed in separate accidents, on the same day. 

Both fatalities were single vehicle collisions with trees. The residents of Island Park grieve for those who lost their lives while visiting us.

Island Park’s beauty is in the untamed nature of the landscape. It is that quality that attracts visitors. The forest is not a forgiving place. This is not the Salt Flats at the Great Salt Lake! The presence of hazards is undeniable. Trees are everywhere. Snow-blanketed obstructions and blind or hairpin turns on the trails make riding exciting. Exciting can quickly morph into disaster during a moment of inattention.

Please be careful while riding throughout the caldera. Avoid alcohol until you have completed your ride. Slow down! If you can only take a corner at 35 mph in a car, what makes you think you can take the same turn at 70 mph on a sled? Pay attention to the terrain and error on the side of a safe ride.

No one is going to post your Go Pro video on YouTube if it ends with you going “splat” on a tree!

Yellowstone Country Safety * Beware of High Snow Berms *

The snow berms are getting high with the additional snow accumulation. Be cautious when approaching intersections with side streets, trails and driveways! Don’t let this great winter turn into your worst. 

Snow Machine Accidents Plague the Holidays

Last week I was visiting with a retired friend who was enjoying the company of his son and grandsons during the holidays. Noticing that his grandsons were riding snowmobiles, I asked if he ever rode with them. He responded that he didn’t ride much anymore. I encouraged him to hop on a sled and make a few memories with his family.

A couple of days later I received word by phone that my friend had been involved in a snowmobile accident and was being transported by ambulance to the hospital. My last words to him haunted me as I followed up on his condition. Several days later he was being fitted with a partial body cast.

During the holidays emergency crews were responding to several serious snowmobile accidents per day. Concussions, compound fractures, spine injuries and partial paralysis were just of few of the injuries incurred by vacationing sledders as they literally “hit the snowy trails”.

The lack of fatalities is a testament to the skill of the emergency response teams that serve the caldera. They respond at a moment’s notice, setting aside whatever they are doing to assist anyone in need. Island Park is very proud of their skill and devotion.

Here are a few tips to avoid having one’s winter memories become a dark cloud of disaster:

Check and work your throttle before riding. Make sure that it is smooth and does not stick. Ice crystals or other obstructions may jam your cable.

Know the area you intend to ride. Scout for any hazards that may cause a loss of control. One large snow mound can turn a speeding snowmobile into a missile and sleds don’t steer well when not in contact with the ground.

Slow Down! Many of today’s snow machines are light and capable of speeds that may be difficult to control. The adrenaline rush of speed is no compensation for the onset of depression created by an ambulance ride, rehab or permanent injury.

Beware of oncoming and cross traffic while on the trails. Stay to the right while riding and slow at all trail intersections. Be particularly aware of blind corners and treat them as if there is someone heading your direction.

Be safe and have a great time in the caldera. Make great memories that you can share with your grandkids

Yellowstone Country Safety * Avoid Driving Sleds Continually on Hard Pack *

Avoid constantly operating snowmobiles on plowed roads and parking lots. Loose snow is thrown in the tunnel of the machine (under the seat) by the tracks to cool itself. Driving on hard pack deprives a snowmobile of the ability to regulate its temperature.  

Yellowstone Country Safety * Winter Go-bag *

With the great snow and the colder temperatures, be sure to pack a go-bag to take with you when venturing into the mountains. A couple of methods of starting fires (matches, lighters, etc.), paper towels in a Ziploc (for tinder or hinder), water, some food, a knife, a compass, a small tarp and some rope are all essential if you become stranded.

Yellowstone Country Safety * Report where you are sledding *

Tell others where you intend to ride before you set out on your sled. The snow is deep and soft and it’s easy to get stuck. We don’t want to wait until spring to find you.

Yellowstone Country Safety * Snow Rocks and Logs *

Be cautious when leaving the roads on a snowmobile. That drift may be a rock or a log.

Yellowstone Country Safety *Snow Rocks and Logs*

Be cautious when leaving the roads on a snowmobile. That drift may be a rock or a log.

Yellowstone Country Safety * President's Day Weekend *

With the recent snow, President’s Day weekend will be a busy one for snow machines. Please be cautious and have a safe holiday weekend. 

Avoid Tragedy in Island Park

Last Saturday a snowmobiler crossed Highway 20 in front of a vehicle and died in the collision just north of Island Park Village. Norman Zullin of Long Island, New York was following a fellow rider in a dash across the highway and did not see the northbound vehicle. It was an immediate and tragic end to a vacation in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The same afternoon as the collision, I was pulling into Elk Creek when three snowmobilers jetted across the parking lot entrance. The snow berms concealed them from view. They did not slow as they crossed in front of my suburban. Had I not caught a glimpse of a helmet and slowed, the results could have been as tragic as the collision on Highway 20. I recently saw a snowmobiler park behind a truck at Robin’s Roost. The driver began to back up when a pedestrian alerted him to the sled’s presence, averting a crisis.

The snow accumulation diminishes the low-slung snow machines’ visibility to motorists. It also inhibits the snowmobiler’s ability to get a clear vision of road traffic. It is essential that the snowmobiler’s approach to a roadway be cautious. It is understandable that after a carefree and wild snowmobile ride in the back country, the rider forgets that traffic exists when coming down off the mountains. Drive defensively. Snowmobilers that are accustomed to looking for boulders, stumps and other hazards in the back country may be less attentive in the populated areas of Island Park.

It is incumbent upon snowmobile operators to avoid collisions with cars and trucks. The sled will be on the short end of any encounter. Please be cautious while enjoying Island Park. The residents want you to have a memorable visit and return home safely to tell others of your adventure. 

Yellowstone Country Safety * Sledding While Intoxicated *

Driving intoxicated on a snow machine is dangerous and unlawful. If you straighten out a corner and take out a tree, the tree will win!

Sled Safety

Island Park provides the opportunity for to vacationers to ride their snowmobiles. Some operate sleds without the caution that they employ when driving a car, considering them toys. Lack of caution can have devastating consequences. This past weekend a pair of snowmobiles collided near South Big Springs Loop, injuring two and requiring hospitalization.

Here are a few ideas that will help you have a safe experience:

1.  Keep to the right side of the trail.

2.  Don’t out-drive your vision. Slow down if you cannot see one minute ahead.

3.  Drive cautiously in unfamiliar areas, a drift may hide a boulder or a snow-covered crust may disguise a streambed.

4.  Provide proper instruction and supervision to minors operating sleds.

5.  Place your cell phone in a Ziploc to avoid moisture damage. If cell service is negligible, send a text. It will go through with almost no bars.

6.  Pack a small go-bag (day pack) to take when you are riding in farther than you can walk out in two hours. Include water, energy bars, a lighter and some newspaper in a Ziploc, a compass, flashlight, knife, a folding saw, rope, a backcountry shovel and some toilet paper.

Preparing for the unexpected and using caution will help you have an enjoyable experience in Yellowstone country.

Yellowstone Country Safety * Snowmobile Safety *

There are a lot of trucks and snowmobiles in Island Park this time of year. While you are visiting, try not to hit each other!