Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado opened up an extra 650 acres of advanced/expert terrain this season to become the second largest ski resort in the state. But somebody forget to warn the moose that they’d be seeing a lot more skiers hurtling through their home territory.
This great-quality video captures the moment a bunch of skiers unexpectedly came a little too close to a momma moose protecting its calf. No one was injured and there were no incidents, according to the resort. However, one trail was closed as a result of the moose spotting.
And in a welcome antidote to the 'touron' videos we often post on this site, it appears the skiers here all acted very sensibly.
“Accidentally skied up on a mother moose protecting her juvenile baby in the newly opened Mahogany Ridge area at steamboat ski resort,” says Chris Scahel who shot the video. “It is not clear in the video but we were all trying to stay as far away as possible and keep others from getting close. We also immediately contacted ski patrol. I ended up climbing uphill with skis on to get around at a safe distance.”
The resort confirmed that Colorado Parks and Wildlife was made aware of the moose encounter. It also said its ski patrol will close or detours ski trails as necessary according to moose activity and to limit interactions with guests.
Moose safety
There are approximately 3,500 moose in the state of Colorado, and though by nature, they are not aggressive creatures, they can become so when feeling threatened, particularly around their young or if they’re harassed by people or dogs.
If you’re hiking with a dog in moose country, it’s especially important to practice wildlife safety and keep it on-leash. Keep your distance and enjoy it from afar using binoculars.
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