Maybe the ski run it tried to take you on used to be a logging road. My understanding is that most U.S. ski areas are on leased federal land formerly leased to

Maybe the ski run it tried to take you on used to be a logging road. My understanding is that most U.S. ski areas are on leased federal land formerly leased to logging companies, and the resorts go into the clear-cut areas, remove stumps, put in chair lifts, etc. The cat tracks are the remnants of the logging roads used to get the equipment in and trees out.