“Our snow gear is waterproof, not bear proof.” ~ The North Face
Bears dart across groomers from time to time. The mountains are their natural habitat, after all, and the rest of us are just guests even if we’re within resort boundaries and even if we expect them to stay huddled up in a den all winter. Skiers and snowboarders riding Northstar at Tahoe were reminded of all this last week when a trio of bears ran across a powder-covered groomer midday.
In one video captured from a nearby chairlift, you can hear onlookers shouting to people making their way down the ski run. Some pass by the bears casually, likely not even noticing the animals, and others stop in their tracks to watch the bears duck a rope and dive straight into the powder.
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As you can see, the bears have no interest in mingling with the resort’s guests.
“Bears that continue to find and access unnatural food sources like garbage, bird feeders, pet food, and other human attractants may bypass hibernating altogether and stay active through the winter. This can create a reliance on human food that can be harmful for bears,” says the Tahoe Interagency Bear Team.
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