Driver-Operator Guide
Chapter 7—Snow Machines
Operators
Operators of oversnow vehicles will be trained and tested by an
examiner who is qualified in the type of vehicle to be used. Tests for new
operators will include an Operators Questionnaire for Oversnow
Machines. Their
qualifications will be noted on their Government Operator’s Identification
Card, OF-346, or a USDA Forest Service-issued identification card.
All official
snow-machine travel shall be authorized by the work supervisor.
Operation
Operators
must be instructed in the proper operation of the vehicle. Operators must understand
each control.
Operators should read the manual thoroughly, recognize
the machine’s limitations, and operate the machine accordingly.
Safety Rules
- Before each trip, inspect the snow vehicle to determine whether it
is in safe operating condition. Using
the procedure outlined in the operator’s manual, check to see that the vehicle
has been lubricated and that safety and preventive maintenance procedures have
been performed. Check brake and throttle action, the starting system, the oil
level for the chain, gasoline supply, and lights. Lubrication and maintenance
of the main drive clutch and the belt or drive train are especially important.
- Before each trip, file the travel route and time schedule
at the dispatcher’s office or official station. If the destination is a staffed
station, personnel there should be notified of the travel route and the expected
arrival time.
- All operators and passengers will be experienced in the
use of skis and/or snowshoes and will be outfitted in boots, gloves, insulated
coveralls,
and
other clothing adequate for winter foot travel. Tinted goggles or glasses
shall be part of each operator’s personal equipment.
Sunscreen lotion is recommended.
- Each snow vehicle (including rentals) shall
have the
following equipment securely attached:
- An adequate first aid kit.
- A
map of the area to be traversed.
- A tool kit and parts for making common
and simple adjustments as well as repairs peculiar to the make
and model of vehicle—an extra drive belt, spark plug, starter rope (if applicable),
towrope, and a small can of grease. If special tools are required, be sure
they are with the machine.
- When planning to stay overnight or when it
would not
be reasonably possible to travel to the destination by snow machine and
return on skis or snowshoes
in 1 day, take the following equipment:
- A portable radio (if in an area
where a radio will
function)
- An approved survival kit containing:
- A 9- by 12-foot plastic
tarp in a suitable container
- 100 feet of ¼-inch nylon rope
- Emergency
rations
- Waterproof
matches
- A hatchet
- Emergency flares (three or four)
- A flashlight or headlight
and extra batteries
- Clothing and blankets or sleeping bags for cold
weather
- Water or other liquids
- Avoid speeds that may cause you
to lose control of the machine. Quick stops should be avoided.
Speed should
be
reduced gradually
before stopping.
- The operator and passenger will ride
only in the manner or positions approved by a qualified trainer
for the machine. Avoid quick
turns. Use handholds
when provided.
- If a sled or toboggan is pulled by
a snow machine,
use a rigid hitch, not a chain or rope.
- Never leave the machine with the engine running.
Always engage the parking brake and remove the
ignition key when leaving the vehicle unattended.
- After each field trip, each snow vehicle shall receive
an inspection and necessary maintenance.
- Never make adjustments to the track or other power
train components with the engine running.
- Travel with no less than two machines, except in
emergency situations.
- Check the weather over the travel area before starting
the trip and prepare for expected weather conditions.
Be particularly cautious when snow and light create
a whiteout condition in which it is impossible to see
where you are going. Know snow conditions: powder
during the late fall and rotten snow during late spring
will not hold a machine and will be extremely hard
on equipment. Spring travel should be done in early
morning while the crust is hard. Plan on getting
back before the crust gets soft because travel could
become impossible later in the day, leaving you
stranded.
- Do not plan a trip involving travel after dark. Begin
the return trip early enough to allow time for having
trouble while still getting back before dark.
- Stay on marked trails when possible. Do not leave the
scheduled route of travel unless hazardous conditions
make detours advisable. If a detour requires
several miles of unscheduled travel, radio the change
in route to the dispatcher, if possible.
- Stay off frozen streams or lakes whenever possible.
During essential emergency crossings, test the
surface carefully to ensure safety before proceeding.
- Do not chase or
disturb wildlife. Take extra precautions to avoid disturbing wildlife on
their
winter ranges.
- Establish and adhere to a radio reporting schedule.
Check in as necessary, but at least every 3 hours.
- Do not drive the snow machine on streets, roads, or
highways unless it is legal and necessary to do so.
Avoid this type of travel under normal circumstances.
- Avoid operating the machine at speeds that create
added danger of windchill.
- When traveling in areas where there is a possibility
of avalanche danger, follow these procedures:
- Always carry:
- A sectional or collapsible probe
- A collapsible snow shovel
- Avalanche
beacons attached to each person
- Always travel so that only one person at a
time is
exposed to avalanche danger.
- Stay off an avalanche path unless you are accompanied
by trained avalanche personnel who certify that there is no danger in
the path. Be especially careful to avoid fracture zones. Accident records
show that most
avalanche victims started the avalanches themselves. The safest route
around an avalanche path is over the top by way of the ridges; the next safest
route
is along the valley floor
beyond the avalanche path.
- Do not make rest stops under or on an avalanche
path.
- Stay out of hazardous areas during or immediately after heavy snowfall
or prolonged periods of high wind. Most avalanches occur during these
periods. (Danger may persist for many days if temperatures
are low.)
- Do not assume a slope is safe because it did not slide when the first
machine crossed it.
- Beware of lee areas where the wind deposits snow,
the slopes beneath cornices, and deep drifts,
especially those with a convex (mounded) profile .These are prime locations
for avalanche fracture
zones.
- Do not assume that avalanches are confined to open slopes. Dense timber
is usually good protection, but open or scattered timber stands may not hold
the
snow.
- Before crossing an avalanche slope in the backcountry,
ask “Will it slide?” and “What will happen
if it does slide?” It may not be possible to guess whether the slope
will slide, but it may be possible to make a good estimate of the risk
involved if it does
slide. Stay off slopes where there is a significant risk of being hurt.
- Be careful on or below 60- to 100-percent slopes.
Most dangerous avalanches originate on slopes within this range. Snow
tends to slough off steeper slopes before accumulating.
- When planning
and making an
oversnow trip:
- Do not drive on private property without the owner’s
permission.
- Do not travel on public roads after snow has been plowed, or you
may become a traffic hazard.
- Avoid developed ski areas.
- Stay out of active
logging areas, unless a timber
management assignment requires you to be there.
- Know the country being traveled.
- Recognize
snow conditions and the machine’s capabilities when traversing slopes.
- If
confronted with trouble:
- Radio your location and conditions, if possible.
- Do
not abandon snowshoes or skis for any reason.
- If you must remain
with the machine, start a fire and prepare for survival.
- Each operator should be familiar with
common trail
signs:
Loading and Hauling
- Use a hauling vehicle rated to have adequate capacity
and capability for the load.
- A tilt-bed trailer, designed especially for
the snowmobiles being used, is the best unit for hauling these machines.
- Securely tie down the snow vehicle before hauling it.
- Provide a cover
or
tarp for machines when they are being hauled. The cover shall be
secured to the snowmobile. Always haul machines with the front end to the
front
of the
trailer. Wind resistance may break the windshield off if the machine
is hauled with
its back end to the front of the trailer.
Visitor
since
February 9, 2007
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