I don't know about hiking, but I do know that snowboarding with a buddy is probably about 10 times safer than snowboarding alone. If you have a serious crash in the back country, you can have all the best equipment in the world, but a snowboarding budding is most likely going to be able to keep you alive. A buddy can go get rescuers, help you move out of powder snow if you physically can't, etc. - been there, done that, have the T-shirt.