Bear Almost Hits Skier On Lake Tahoe Slope, Video Shows

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Skiers at Heavenly Mountain Resort had a close call recently when a black bear ran out onto the slope, a viral TikTok video shows.

“Almost hit a bear skiing down ridgerun Heavenly,” user tao7570 captioned the video, which has been viewed nearly 900,000 times. “Didn’t realize it was a bear until it was too close.”

The poster, identified by KTLA as Tao Feng, appeared to be just inches from colliding with the animal. He told the outlet he saw the bear reunited with its mother after crossing the trail.

Bears sometimes hibernate near ski runs and are awoken by nearby skiers, Bear League Executive Director Ann Bryant told SFGATE.

The animals can also be drawn to resorts and even skip hibernation due to access to human-related food sources, Peter Tira of the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife told ABC10.

The resort in South Lake Tahoe does have protocols for bear sightings that involve ski patrol and safety teams, spokesperson Cole Zimmerman told SFGATE.