WATCH: Skiers Narrowly Dodge Bear Running Across the Ski Run of a Tahoe Mountain
Skiers and snowboarders at Heavenly Mountain Resort had an unexpected encounter with wildlife as a black bear swiftly crossed a ski run over the weekend. Tao Feng, who was skiing on the Ridge Run trail, captured the startling moment on video and shared it on TikTok.
Check out the video:
@tao7570 Almost hit a bear skiing down ridgerun Heavenly. Didn't realize it was a bear until it was too close #Tahoe #LakeTahoe #tahoelife #travel #heavenly #ski #bear #wildanimals ? original sound – Tao
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Sunday when the bear suddenly emerged from the woods and darted across the slope, passing between skiers and snowboarders. Feng recounted that he didn’t realize it was a bear until it was dangerously close.
Fortunately, the close encounter did not result in any collisions or injuries. California is home to an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 wild black bears, but encounters of this nature are rare, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Violent interactions between bears and humans are extremely uncommon.