What wildlife do you see on the slope?

[SuperMoe]

Just curious, I know someone had posted a picture of a coyote and a kid sometime when I joined. Our little bump is residential...on the side of a hill in "town" facing the town on the other side of the canal, so considering all the wildlife we have here, I doubt we would see anything on the slope.

What have you seen?

 

[SkiNurse]

Thank God I didn't see that coyote @ Copper!

The most I've seen (execpt for birds) are squirrels and picas

 

[alta_gal83]

A couple of weeks ago at Jackson, there were 3 moose hanging out on the main run beneath the gondola. At one point, they were charging skiers. Scary yet incredibly funny at the same time.

 

[altagirl]

On the slopes at Alta I've seen a coyote (actually one in the middle of a slope and one in the parking lot), lots of ermine and squirrels, and an enormous porcupine. And on the drive home from Alta I've seen moose and loads of mountain goats. And I've seen a bunch of marmots at Snowbird, but for some reason I've only seen them at the Bird and not at Alta.

 

[cyn]

I've seen wild turkeys at Mt Snow, trotting right across a ski run and freaking out the people skiing down.
I've also seen a porcupine, various rodents, a fox, and I too have seen a moose at JH under the old tram.

 

[KarenD]

I've seen porcupines at Alta, including one that was cruising around outside Alf's at lunchtime one day. At Steamboat this year I saw what I think was a mouse scrambling up the slope I was skiing down.

I missed the moose some of the rest of my group saw at The Canyons but saw their picture of it, just standing in the middle of the run.

And birds and squirrels, of course.

 

[sibhusky]

There was a moose charging skiers in the backcountry here, he's been shot as there was something wrong with him. I've seen a couple of ermine, a ptarmigan, and a bald eagle while skiing. I see mulies, whitetails and the occasional elk going to and from.

 

[Jilly]

Tremblant is noted for the deer. We've had them at the condo. Groundhogs come spring and chipmunks. I was on a course back in December and one of the gals fell in a steep narrow run (Marie Claude Asselin). She just missed a chipmunck. All she could say was it was better than hitting a deer she'd seen the day before on the side of a run. Naturally the jokes about wild life started after that!!

 

[gr8outdoors]

I have seen deer. A couple of years ago an instructor told me someone hit a deer while skiing. I can't imagine hitting a deer on skis!

 

[mtnbikegirl]

Gaggles of hormonally-charged male two footers attempting to balance on sticks.

I actually haven't seen any real wildlife on the slopes yet.

 

[Native Vail Gal]

A couple of mice running on top of the snow...

And a beautiful white dove in a tree last weekend.

 

[snowsparkle2]

A whole crowd of marmottes, a deer, one snow bunny and a Lammergeier (bearded vulture) which looked big enough to carry away a small person! Oh, and loadsa alpine choughs & snow buntings (like sandwich remains).

 

[snowsparkle2]

By the way, is a chipmunck the same as a woodchuck ? Do they munch chips and wood ?

 

[MaineSkiLady]

A couple of weeks ago at Jackson, there were 3 moose hanging out on the main run beneath the gondola. At one point, they were charging skiers. Scary yet incredibly funny at the same time.

Man, those things can run FAST, too. Supposedly seen at/around Sugarloaf, though most seem to know to stay beyond boundaries?? Lots of small wildlife where I ski - hares, chipmunks, squirrels, hawks, bald eagles. I love watching the birds of prey soar, and they're pretty hungry around now - so they're fearless re: skiers.

Quite a few wild turkeys on/near runs at Sunday River, mostly due to the recent clearing of what obviously was once their wooded home, now new condos :( - poor guys.

Still haven't seen nearly as much at resorts as I see right in my yard - another story, another thread? Can you say bear?

 

[Solincia]

By the way, is a chipmunck the same as a woodchuck ? Do they munch chips and wood ?

No, they like nuts, seeds, insects, etc... They don't eat wood. They like to create holes too. Around here, many folks get annoyed with them due to them burrowing holes against foundations and causing havoc! My parents have an area against their back porch <brick & mortar> where you'd think someone dug out, but it was the chipmunks.

They're pretty cute lil things. Personally, I like squirrels better. We have "Mr. Squirrel" in our back tree... it's a huge tree. He's huge, and him and the other squirrels like to hang upsidedown in the berry tree and eat, then throw nut shells at my neighbors <i'm serious...yes, i am>... It's pretty funny.

We feed him pecans occassionally in the summer. He'll come right up to you and grab it from you, then sit beside you and eat it! It's hilarious!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Gaggles of hormonally-charged male two footers attempting to balance on sticks.

Amen to that. Depending on the time of year and which day or resort I (wisely or unwisely) choose, that's the ticket, for sure.

 

[Severine]

Gaggles of hormonally-charged male two footers attempting to balance on sticks.

I actually haven't seen any real wildlife on the slopes yet.

Love that description!

By the way, is a chipmunck the same as a woodchuck ? Do they munch chips and wood ?

A chipmunk is probably 1/8 the size of a woodchuck, if not smaller. Not the same at all. Woodchuck (aka ground hog) are cute but you don't see them as often as chipmunks around here.

I have never seen any "wildlife" on the slopes. Then again, I mostly ski in CT. We're not exactly teeming with wildlife these days.

 

[Kiragirl]

Chipmunk:

https://www.crimsonmyst.com/photos/chipmunk.jpg

Woodchuck:

https://images.google.com/imgres?im...tbnw=135&prev=/images?q=woodchuck&gbv=2&hl=en

couldn't resist

 

[ski diva]

I haven't seen anything too exciting. Here in Vermont, I saw a porcupine hanging out in a tree once, and I've seen turkeys and a weasel in the woods beside the trail (no, they weren't together). I've also had chipmunks run out in front of me. Pretty startling!

In Steamboat, I saw a fox run across the trail. But that's it.

No moose, yeti, mountain lions, bears, or wooly mammoths. Sigh.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

What, no woolly mammoths??? :ROTF:

True wildlife shows up at those resorts which encourage April Fools' Day celebrations. One of the best ones I saw was at Snowbird. Someone was actually skiing with a plastic garbage can held on via suspenders (HOW DID HE GET UP THE LIFT?) - and not much else. Wish I had photos, most is on old vhs video.