The backcountry is an unforgiving place. It's where a split-second decision can mean you're A-OK or hitting the SOS button on your Garmin inReach. And conditions can change in the blink of an eye, as one minute you're on the road looking at the scenery, the next you're in the scenery looking at the road, to quote the famous viral audio.
One particularly sketchy backcountry practice, however, one that I just flat-out refuse to do, is where you take a snowmobile into the backcountry with a snowboard or skiis in tow, and when you reach the summit, you pull the skiis or snowboard off, and send the snowmobile down sans rider. I've seen folks do it a bunch of times, and it always makes me cringe.
And while I've been assured it's fine, it's stories and videos like the following that make me say I'll absolutely never do it, as one backcountry skier found out, after nearly being run over by a snowmobiler engaging in this practice.
