Avalanche Safety in the Snowmachine Community with Instructor Kyle Sobek
Kyle Sobek was caught in this avalanche in 2016 and was lucky to survive. Note snowmachiner and figure for scale. Photo by Morgan Gantz.
About six years ago, snowmachiner Kyle Sobek was caught in a slide on one of the east buttresses of a ski run in Thompson Pass known as Nick’s Happy Valley. “We were there snowmachining literally the day before and I was following my old snowmachine track down the face. I must have slid 1500 feet down the face and I thought I might die. A couple friends of mine were at the bottom who weren’t in our party. One of them didn’t have any avalanche gear. I was lucky that I didn’t get fully buried and also very lucky I didn’t bury my friends,” said Kyle. He continued, “It was a good lesson, very eye opening to see that you can be somewhere one day and the next day things can change. It was a pretty close to home deal. And there’s some local knowledge behind that, too- some Valdez locals [later] said, ‘What were you doing up there anyway? That’s a crazy place to be.’”
Kyle Sobek is an American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education certified Avalanche Instructor and former guide for Black Ops Heli Ski company. An avid snowmachine rider and snowboarder, he currently works for DOT and lives at 68 mile on the Richardson Highway. Once a year, he gets together with snowmachiner Mike Buck to teach a two day avalanche safety course. Kyle shared his thoughts on avalanche safety in the snowmachine community in an interview on January 21.
Avalanche class in Thompson Pass in 2019. Photo by Keegan Irving.
What’s one thing you wish every snowmachiner knew about avalanches?
KS: I wish everybody that rides a snowmachine wore a beacon and had a shovel and probe every time they rode in mountainous terrain. And they knew how to use them.
Have you seen an increase in people wearing avalanche gear in the snowmachine community?
KS: I do. I feel like it has become more normal to wear a beacon, shovel and probe. It’s more normal to take an avalanche class, even more than just five years ago. The percentage of people wearing the gear or having taken a class is still not the same as you would see with skiers or snowboarders, though.
Can you share more about your process of evaluating safety when you ride?
The first thing I do is check the avalanche forecast. You’re traveling quickly through terrain, so you’re constantly reevaluating the snow and confirming whether it matches up with what you read on the avalanche forecast. If you’re surprised, it could be a red flag.
The biggest thing is constantly reevaluating, especially when you move from one mountainside to the other mountainside. You’re being super aware of your surroundings and looking for natural avalanches and shooting cracks [which are red flags that avalanches are likely]. You can’t necessarily hear woomphing [a large sound of the snow settling, which also is a red flag], but if you do hear a whoomph while your motor’s running that’s super scary.
You look for the same red flags as skiers- rapid warming, lots of new snow. But as you have a machine you can quickly travel and things can change. There’s not necessarily a forecast in every single part of the Thompson Pass region. You’re on your own. You have to follow observation protocols to understand what you’re getting into, and not just say, “I think it feels good.” [You have to] stick to a stricter guideline and a methodical approach.
There’s nothing wrong with listening to your gut if your gut tells you to step it down. The day I got caught in that avalanche I had mentioned I had a bad feeling. Literally five minutes later I got caught in the biggest avalanche of my life. If you’ve got a bad feeling there’s nothing wrong with getting out of there or saying, ‘I think we should go.’ That’s a really tough deal to do, especially when you’re with your friends. But it’s really important.
What made you want to teach avalanche safety for motorized users?
I had originally gotten into backcountry snowboarding and wanted to get into guiding. I came to Alaska to work for the heli-ski companies. I had a snowmachine and knew about snowmachining because that was a great way to access snowboard runs. I had a pretty extensive background in avalanche classes. I just thought [teaching] was a good way to give back to the community.
When I first started, nobody wanted to take the class. Then I met Mike Buck who was a long time Valdez rider- he’s a legend- and the rest is history. Once people heard Mike Buck was involved we were selling out. Mike brings the “street cred” and I have the [official] avalanche credentials. If people want to take official Avvy 1 or Avvy 2 [certification courses] we can make it happen, but we do this two day class because it fits their schedules and their budgets. It’s for recreationalists, not for professionals. This class is for people who want to go out with their friends and family, have a good safe day in the mountains, and have fun but also understand the risk that they’re taking.
I’m super thankful for Mike Buck. He truly has an amazing reputation, he’s humble, and he’s an amazing instructor. He doesn’t live in Valdez anymore, he just comes back to give back to the community.
Snowmachiners learn how to evaluate layers in the snowpack. Photo by Keegan Irving.
If someone in this area wants to learn more about snowmachining or snowmachine safety, do you recommend they join the Valdez Snowmachine Club?
KS: It’s a great way to learn. They’re pretty big on safety and gathering the community. Kyle went on to say that the Valdez Snowmachine Club holds group rides, maintains trails, offers mechanical workshops, and sponsors races for adults and children.
For more links to information about avalanche safety for snowmachiners, visit https://alaskasnow.org/education/snowmachines/
This year’s Valdez Avalanche Information Center motorized-oriented course is scheduled for January 30 and 31 and will be outdoors all day. The course is subsidized by the City of Valdez and the Valdez Snowmachine Club, and the cost per student is $100. Participants must bring their own snowmachine or snow bike. For more information email Kyle Sobek at copperbasinkyle@gmail.com or call (907)822-5127.
Article by Allison Sayer