Vermont rescue team sees surge in calls as social media lures skiers into danger

STOWE, Vt. (AP) — A rescue team that covers Vermont’s tallest mountain has been responding to calls in the area for decades, but in the last few years, the organization has seen an alarming rise in calls from inexperienced skiers.

Influenced by social media videos of skiers chasing fresh powder tracks in the backcountry, people are increasingly skiing out of bounds, finding themselves lost in the woods and in need of rescue.

On Nov. 29, Stowe Mountain Rescue responded to a 911 call from a skier and snowboarder lost in the woods on Mount Mansfield. The two 19-year-olds had decided to drive up from New York to ski in the backcountry outside Stowe Mountain Resort after seeing videos of others doing so on social media, according to the rescue team.

“They referenced a TikTok video which had