A Vermont search-and-rescue organization reports that viral videos posted on social media are leading an unprecedented number of inexperienced skiers and snownboarders to make dangerous decisions on backcountry slopes, resulting in costly and unnecessary rescue ops. In many cases, the skiers simply become lost and then call 911 for help—if they can.

“TikTok videos of whooping skiers in knee-deep powder are luring inexperienced skiers and riders into Stowe’s backcountry,” Stowe Mountain Rescue recently posted on Facebook. 

At Jay Peak, the resort has seen a pair of break-ins at lift shacks, two fires, two groups of lost skiers and a severe injury during a single November weekend.

Search-and-rescue groups advise backcountry skiers and riders to:

• travel with others
• know where the trail leads
• let others know where they are going and are expected back
• bring a backpack with a headlamp, water, food, a change of clothes, and extra batteries
• bring some type of satellite tracking device