Wyoming Avalanches Have Killed More Snowmobilers Than Skiers

32 snowmobilers have lost their lives to avalanches compared to 26 skiers who have lost their lives to avalanches in Wyoming's history.

The number grew this year for snowmobile deaths exponentially when four snowmobilers died in an avalanche in the Bridger-Teton region.  They say this number has increased because there are more people riding snowmobiles these days with even better equipment than ever before.  People who ride snowmobiles have competitions to see how high their snowmobile will go up a mountain until they have to turn back around, which is causing a lot of these avalanche deaths.

"The technology has gotten better, in all these different groups in enabling people with not as much experience or maybe not as good skills to get into avalanche terrain,"  Bob Comey, Director of the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center told WyoFile.

Another one of the problems is where these snowmobiles can reach compared to skiers.  Snowmobiles can go to areas that are the safest and these folks aren't the most experienced.

"They can travel and can pass many different avalanche paths, they can go to different ranges, be in different climate zones with different avalanche conditions and different snow stability in [a] very short time over long distances," Bob Comey tells WyoFile.

Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, Wyoming State Trails and the Wyoming State Avalanche Association are coming together to figure out a way to teach and further peoples knowledge of avalanches.