Wilderness Lodge is not open during deer season. With early snow, ski condition could be excellent-groomed wide and fast. In the over forty years since our opening, we only skied once during deer season and it was almost a disaster.
We had groomed close to the lodge…just into the woods, left toward Swamp Fox and the first turn left, back into the field. A short loop. Just enough to be interesting.
A few people came, anxious to start the season.
A couple of hours later, I looked down the field and there he was, solid blaze orange, holding his rifle, standing down by the small swampy area with skiers on all sides. I jumped on the sled. It was a local kid maybe fifteen. I didn’t yell at him. Instead I told him he had scared the deer away, to ride with me and I would take him out ahead of them…I took him to his woods and dropped him off.
We never opened again. It is too dangerous.
We like hunters. My dad was a hunter. We also like skiers. Obviously, this time of year these two groups don’t mix…at least not at Wilderness Lodge.