::  In the U.S., snowmobilers lead the list with twice the number of fatalities as any other activity.

::  In 90 percent of avalanche accidents, the victim, or someone in the victim's party, triggered the avalanche.

::  In the past ten years, France has recorded more avalanche fatalities than any other country.

::  About 250,000 avalanches occur each year in the Alps, a mountain chain in Europe.

::  In 1970, an earthquake-triggered ice slide obliterated the town of Yungay in Peru, killing at least 18,000 people.

::  A trained dog can find a buried victim eight times faster than a 20-person team equipped with metal probing tools.

::  In the past six years, Alaska has recorded more avalanche fatalaties than any other state in the U.S.

::  The vast majority of avalanches that occur in the U.S. are found in West Coast states.

Photographs at right by AP/Wide World