If You Leave the Trail, There's No Way Back

Stowe Mountain Rescue is dealing with more backcountry wannabes blindly following another skier's tracks until they end up in "no man's land" in need of saving.

From Stowe Mountain Rescue

It Started With the Cows

This summer, hordes of tourists descended on Stowe in search of the Highland Cattle at The Trapp Family Lodge - the result of a viral Social Media post that launched cow-mania. And why not? Highland Cattle are undeniably cute and there’s nothing to lose.

However, there’s a more dangerous trend happening, where TikTok videos of whooping skiers in knee-deep powder are luring inexperienced skiers and riders into Stowe’s backcountry at a time of year when the snow pack is unreliable. Mt Mansfield Ski Patrol is currently plagued by unprecedented numbers of lost skiers in backcountry terrain accessible from the resort. Our team has been called in to help several times and at least one of the skiing parties we rescued quoted TikTok as their inspiration.

The Trail that Isn’t

Another issue is the phenomenon of skiers following other people’s ski tracks, taking them past the ski boundary and into sidecountry from which access back to the resort can’t be regained. The Toll Road at Stowe is a case in point. The ski boundary is clearly marked but evidently the lure of tracks in fresh snow is too much to resist. At this time of year, the snowpack diminishes as you lose elevation so those few nice turns below the Toll Road quickly turn into brambly terrain with woefully inadequate snow. Even with a solid snowpack, the topography makes this terrain tricky - those familiar with it know when to traverse left to make it back to the resort. Miss this exit ramp and you have no return, committing you to a long, hard, flat slog in no-mans land. Hence our team gets called here on a regular basis, for skiers who are utterly lost - exhausted, cold and scared.

There are dangers in blindly following, whether its TikTok posts or ski tracks, or anything else for that matter. A quick risk-assessment is needed before giving in to the instinct to follow. Accidents will happen in the backcountry and we’ll always gladly respond, but this wave of lost skiers is largely the result of impulsive behavior which is entirely preventable.

Words of Caution

The simplest solution is to stay in-bounds at the resort. Pay attention to the ski boundary signs and respect them. There are plenty of powder pockets in between named runs which provide the thrill of the wilds while remaining within the resort. If you’re intent on heading out of bounds, don’t do it on a whim and be accountable for your own safety. Knowledge of the terrain is your first prerequisite – where will this take you? Is it safe? How will you get out and how long will that take? If you don’t know, don’t go. You need to be properly equipped for the backcountry, stick with your ski buddies and stay aware of daylight hours, impending weather and snowpack conditions. Don’t blithely follow trends or tracks! Keep in mind that those tracks you see in front of you might just be from Stowe Mountain Rescue’s last subject…