Startling Events when Ski/Boarding stories

[billski]

I was cruising in the woods at Magic yesterday when I came upon the really STRONG scent of a SKUNK. I mean, like so close it might have been shooting at me. It NEVER occurred to me to find a skunk in such deep snow. I didn't stop to look, in fact I amp'd it up faster to get out of there.

I remember Scott's encounter with a moose earlier this year.

You have a good story being startled by something while skiing or boarding?

 

[snow*angel]

You have a good story being startled by something while skiing or boarding?

I was on my way down Video Bld. or Hocus Pocus (at Magic of course!) and was some new lines in the frew pow under the black chair and I remembered seeing that one long patch of dirt when I was riding up... but on my way down all I saw was big mounds of pow that no one had touched to I lined up to go right through it, and wouldn't you know it was that long stretch of mud and I hit it full on!

 

[SIKSKIER]

I was cruising in the woods at Magic yesterday when I came upon the really STRONG scent of a SKUNK.

Are you sure it wasn't the boys smoking killer skunk weed in the trees?

 

[Dr Skimeister]

Years ago when riding the Sunbowl chair at Stratton I looked over to my right and saw a sizable bear cub in a tree. At the time it seemed like the tree was but 10 feet away. All the twisting and turning I could do on the chair to look didn't give me the chance to find out where mama bear was near the base of the tree.

 

[MichaelJ]

I had a squirrel run out in front of me on Starr King at Bretton Woods while I was cruising at relativistic speeds. I missed running it over by about 12". That would have been ... messy.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Are you sure it wasn't the boys smoking killer skunk weed in the trees?

I'm wondering if Bill is being sarcastic. That's the first thing I would think of.

 

[noski]

I was watching my daughter race in a J5 race and a young skier almost collided with a deer running crossways across the Mt Ellen Inverness trail. I felt bad because she was really startled and I thought they should let her run again. I can't remember if they did or not.

 

[jaywbigred]

This February at Stratton I was coming in towards the base on one of the many flat runouts. This was next to some condos and someone had their yellow lab off the leash and playing in the snow. Well he ran out onto the trail and though myself and the gf were able to dodge him (he was NOT trying to dodge, us of course; quite the contrary), he zeroed in on a snowboarder. Not only was this guy unable to avoid him, but the dog actually jumped onto the front of the board for a minute, and got a couple seconds of riding in before both dog and boarder went down hard a few dozen feet down the hill. All seemed alright, the owner was very apologetic to the boarder for the dog being loose/will-nilly, while the boarder (a newb, I think) was very apologetic for being unable to dodge the dog. Quite funny, since no one was hurt.

Also, get a leash.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

Not quite a moose, but this happened at Sugarbush a couple weeks ago. On my way down Gondolier from Organ Grinder I almost ran over a tiny mouse, who was darting in back and forth trying to cross the busy trail like a game of Frogger. Thought it was a leaf at first, 'til the dude pulled a 180 on me.

Like I said, it wasn't a moose, but it's only one letter off.

 

[OppositeGeorge]

Are you sure it wasn't the boys smoking killer skunk weed in the trees?

No kidding. I was taking a friend's 8-year-old up the lift @ Windham in January when we got hit by that aroma. The kid smelled it, too, and said "Wow! I smell a skunk." Thank Providence for that -- didn't want to have to go through a drug talk, or lie to the kid.

 

[Terry]

I was skiing down Parmalees at Shawnee Peak a couple of years ago at night and when I rounded the corner at the bottom, (you have to get some speed because the crossover is flat) there was a deer standing in the middle of the trail. I slammed on the brakes because I wasn't sure which way the deer was going to go. It turned and went back up the hill as I went by on the downhill side. I don't know who was more surprised- me or the deer! That would have been a painfull collision had I kept on cranking it because I was going to cut behind it on the uphill side.

 

[snow*angel]

Are you sure it wasn't the boys smoking killer skunk weed in the trees?

hey i ride there all the time, and with some of the people you meet there you NEVER KNOW!

 

[ski220]

Twice I have been skiing in the woods and had a ptarmigan (Jackson) or a grouse (Mt. Mansfield) burst up out of the snow between my ski tips. Nearly fell over both times.

 

[Skier75]

Are you sure it wasn't the boys smoking killer skunk weed in the trees?

I don't think it's so startling, but last weekend, early on in the day, this guy about my daughter's age got on the gondi and that's about what I smelled....after we got off at the top I said to my daughter, what'da think? Her comment was wake and bake.....she's a funny girl sometimes.....

 

[Mikey1]

Just last week at Berkshire East I had 2 deer run across the trail in front of me. They were about 30 yards in front, and both stopped to look directly at me. They waited for a couple of seconds and then took off to the other side of the trail. By the time I got to where they had crossed, I could not see them in the trees at all. I had wanted to get a picture, but they were too fast for me.

 

[mondeo]

I don't think it's so startling, but last weekend, early on in the day, this guy about my daughter's age got on the gondi and that's about what I smelled....after we got off at the top I said to my daughter, what'da think? Her comment was wake and bake.....she's a funny girl sometimes.....

I've been on the K1 gondi before, and a group of guys actually took out a bowl and started toking up. Honestly, I don't care what they do on their own, but if you're with a stranger in an enclosed space? At least ask if they mind first; but then, they'd probably be more likely to ask if I wanted to partake.

 

[twinplanx]

Alright I've seen deer cross the trail at Jimminey I think. I even saw a mole once and when I pointed it out to my Brother he could not understand why I was telling him to avoid a "leaf". But the strangest thing I've seen was at Sugarbush a few weeks ago. While ridding the chair on a perfectly bluebird day I glanced up to the sky and saw a jet, for some reason I pointed it out to my friend. As we were spacin on that one jet I noticed two others in a different trajectory, flying so close together it seemed like there wings were going to clip. These were not small fighter types, judging by there size all seemed like commercial type aircraft. The two flying in formation where about the same size and the singular one had nothing to do with the others except for the fact that was the one that caught my eye at first. The only thing we could think of was some kind of refueling mission(obviously not commercial jets in that case). So I guess my question is could this have been some kind of mission out of Plattsburg AFB?

 

[dmc]

Almost hit a moose at Jackson Hole once... Scared the crap out of me..

 

[playoutside]

... As we were spacin on that one jet I noticed two others in a different trajectory, flying so close together it seemed like there wings were going to clip. These were not small fighter types, judging by there size all seemed like commercial type aircraft. The two flying in formation where about the same size and the singular one had nothing to do with the others except for the fact that was the one that caught my eye at first. The only thing we could think of was some kind of refueling mission(obviously not commercial jets in that case). So I guess my question is could this have been some kind of mission out of Plattsburg AFB?

I saw the same thing a few weeks ago, can't remember if I was at Okemo or Sunapee. I thought refueling too, but they didn't look like military planes to me. I guess others practice refueling too, I've only seen it done by USAF with a C130. It was spooky to look up and see 2 planes so close and I had to convince myself that my concern wasn't simply from looking at the planes from a weird angle. They stayed in tandem for a while, so I do think they were doing something.

 

[billski]

I saw the same thing a few weeks ago, can't remember if I was at Okemo or Sunapee. I thought refueling too, but they didn't look like military planes to me. I guess others practice refueling too, I've only seen it done by USAF with a C130. It was spooky to look up and see 2 planes so close and I had to convince myself that my concern wasn't simply from looking at the planes from a weird angle. They stayed in tandem for a while, so I do think they were doing something.

I always see these around Waterville valley - it's typically Air National Guard maneuvers. They do fly in tight formation pretty typically. For many years they would fly the warthogs around.

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/a-10/ They fly so damn fast it could be from any airbase in the northeast. What did your planes look like?