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HUGH'S BLOG
Snowmaking on Sterling Mt.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, Smuggs has fired up the guns to try and take advantage of what little cold weather we have had this fall. It is hard to complain about sunny weather and 50-degree temps in November but anxious skiers and riders are ready to hit the slopes! So without the cooperation of Mother Nature we are forced to make as much snow as we can as often as we can.
This time of year it is hard to be patient about snow accumulation. It is important to remember that what man-made snow we have now, will last as our base all season long. Ideally we would like a two-foot base that lasts us through the season. Smugglers’ has 70% snowmaking trail coverage, making it possible to produce all man-made snow but hardly economically feasible. In an average year Smugglers’ converts 100 million gallons of water into man-made snow. Our snowmaking efficiency at optimal temperatures allows for 3300 gallons per minute. In cold weather it only takes 30 snowmaking guns to reach the 3300 gal/min mark, however in warm weather it takes 60 or 70 guns to produce the same amount.
So lets give it up to our snowmakers who are making early skiing and riding possible when Mother Nature is not. With only 8 days left until the projected opening, my fellow skiers and riders, we are ready to hit the slopes no matter what!
November 13th, 2009
As the off-season winds down, Smugglers’ completed the installation of a new cable on Sterling Mountain. The process which seems simple is extremely daunting and time consuming. First, all of the chairs had to be removed from the lift, 186 chairs were lifted by a backhoe and stacked along the lift lines. Then, they had to make a temporary splice (binding the new and old cable) in order to remove the old cable and install the new one. Once the old cable is removed, the new cable had to be stretched and secured. Clamps were placed on the cable to ensure that there was enough pressure to hold the cable. This is necessary to make sure the counter weight is balanced enough to accommodate a lift full of people. The counter weight on the top of the mountain had to be lifted to a certain height to ensure that the cable was tight. The cable is composed of six ¼ inch steel cables wrapped around a nylon rope. Three cable fragments were cut on each side of the unbound cable. The fragments on each side were then weaved together to create a strong splice. After the cable is spliced, all of the chairs are checked and repaired before being installed on the new cable.
September 29th, 2009
The Smugglers’ Mt. Operations Crew just finished installing a replacement snowmaking pipes for lower F.I.S. ski trail on Madonna. Lower F.I.S. is a popular outlet back to the lift. The pipe will allow for more snowmaking, which will allow the mountain to open the popular trail earlier in the season. The trail also hosts the popular Boarder Crossing event last year, and because of its popularity we hope to have a similar event this year.
F.I.S. has been a long beloved trail on Madonna and at one time was used as an official racing trail. In 1963 Bob Beattie, a former US ski team coach, was hired by Smugglers' to design and help develop a ski trail for F.I.S. ski races. F.I.S stands for: Federation International de Ski, the organization still runs races around the world. F.I.S. is known for challenging moguls that are guaranteed to leave your legs burning by the end of the trail. Despite the amazing natural terrain, just like Smugglers’ Alley, it is a must hit when it is groomed from top to bottom. The combination of the long, wide, smooth run with a good pitch is unbeatable! We hope that the increase in snowmaking will allow for a few more groomed days!
September 9th, 2009
This week I went up to Sterling to see what is going on in the month of September. Director of Skiing, Steve Wry, informed me that they had just obtained a construction permit for a new trail. The trail will extend the Full Nelson trail and will run parallel to the neck of the practice slop. The Full Nelson, one of the steepest trails on Sterling, received its name from the hard work and dedication of Smuggs grooming manager Nelson Cushing. The trail was so steep that most people would shy away from driving any heavy machinery on it, not Nelson. The extension will add a lot to the trail giving a much better and less congested run out to the bottom.
Some of you will know this trail by the rope tow that currently resides there. The Smugglers’ Notch ski team used the rope tow before the T-bar was put in 15 years ago. The T-bar allowed for more efficient training and less hiking for the racers.
The permit allows the mountain to take down the rope tow and clear trees and brush, widening the trail. They will also be adding water bars, re-seeding, and mulching with hay. Water bars are trenches that run across the trail and prevent trail erosion and run off. Seeding and mulching creates vegetation, which prevents erosion. This is one of the many tasks the mountain does to stay environmentally friendly. This will be a great addition to Sterling giving it much better traffic flow at the bottom of the mountain.
August, 19th, 2009
Hey guys! I hope you've been enjoying the Summer season! I'm Heather and I'll be writing weekly in Hugh's Blog to update you on what goes on behind the scenes at Smuggs (don’t' worry Hugh will also be writing when he returns for the Winter). I'll explore the day-to-day tasks around Smuggs that enable skiers and riders to enjoy a great Winter season. Just recently I moved back from the mid-west and this will be my first year with the Ski and Ride Program, but I have skied at Smugglers' since I was five years old. My father taught me to ski as soon as I could walk and I have been skiing ever since. The first time I 'officially' skied was when I was 15 months old. I've skied all over the East, out West and in Europe; Smuggs has always been my favorite! It's been tough being away from the mountain, so I'm looking forward to a great season! See you on the slopes!
Hugh's Blog - Winter 2008-2009
Hugh's Blog - April 2009
Apr. 12th, 2009
Hopefully you have heard the wonderful news that Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill has been rescued from the Somali pirates who were holding him captive! Capt. Phillips gave himself up to the pirates as a hostage to protect his crew of the Maersk Alabama. We are all very thankful to the Navy Seals and Special Forces that made this rescue possible. We all look forward to welcoming Capt. Phillips home! We really look forward to welcoming Capt. Phillips back to his home mountain of Smuggs. That’s right Capt. Phillips is not only a hero, but is also a Bash Badge Holder here at Smuggs!
Apr. 9th, 2009
It's Rockin' Ron - your Doctor of Blog. I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on the internet :DD Last Friday I got to take runs with the Ski & Ride crew: Michelle, Danielle, Faith, and Hope (Charity couldn't make it, she was at the Soup Kitchen). The forecast said rain, so some of our gang didn't show up. That was too bad, because it did rain a little, but then the sun broke through, and it did shine like crazy on diamonds (black diamonds), and the snow conditions were awesome! It's good to remember the Vermont addage "if you don't like the weather, stick around, it'll change in 5 minutes". Speaking of changes, it's getting near the end of the 2008-2009 Winter Season :((( Looking back, it's been a GREAT season for me! With Hugh's help I have made a breakthrough on "carving turns" - I have always understood it meantally, but now my body understands it too. I skiied "outback" for the first time and that was super cool. I got more days on the hill than I have in any previous season (but not as many as my friend Stacey who has logged over 112 days - she's my HERO)! I also got to take runs with a wide assortment of friends. Alas, I didn't get to ski "Shack to Shack", but that will be a goal for next Winter. In the reminiscing mode, this week's music selctions are from my career (prior to Smuggs) as a Record Promoter for Chrysalis and EMI Records: Was Not Was "Walk the Dinosaur", Sinead O'Connor "Mandinka", Slaughter "Up All Night", and Jon Secada "Just Another Day". But, its not "Just Another Day" - its always special when I'm on THESE MOUNTAINS!!!
Apr. 7th, 2009
We received 3 inches of new snow today! The new snow bonded with the old snow very nicely. The new snow was a little wet and sticky, which made the snow slower than usual. The steeps were fantastic with this new snow, because you could make smaller turns and still keep your speed down. I would have to say that Bootlegger was my pick of the day. The snow was deeper there than anywhere else I skied today. Upper Pipeline would have to be my second choice for trail pick and third would be Full Nelson! The skiing and riding was so much better than I predicted today!
Apr. 1st, 2009
Rockin' Ron ragin' on the Mountain - I skied backwards on a single ski down Madonna Liftline... April Fool's :DDD It is still one of my goals to ski shack to shack this season - and I don't mean a full court press against Shaquille O'Neill - I mean Madonna Liftline top to bottom. Speaking of Madonna, one of our fine Lift Attendants, Bronwyn (ayoba-yoba-yoba) who has worked at most of our lifts, tells me that all the cute guys ride the Madonna 1 Lift. Hmmm, I'm usually on the Sterling Lift, does that make me ugly? It was an honor and a pleasure to ski with dos amigos from Chile - Felipe and Estaban - LISTO, LISTO! We were out in the rain on Sunday and the spring conditions on the trails were very carvable and cruisable (are those proper adjectives?). On the music tip, Felipe shreds it to music from all over the world including Pink Floyd, Soda Stero, and Manu Chau, Estaban dances on skis to Prodigy and Brazillain Bossa, and yours truly jams to Tricky "Evolution Revolution" and the Who "Slip Kid" - fortunately, I didn't SLIP - hahaha, jajaja!
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Hugh's Blog - March 2009
Mar. 28th, 2009
The Smugglers’ Notch Ski and Snowboard Club hosted the Blast from the Past Race today. This race is a fun annual event to raise money for the club. The kids in the club do the coarse maintenance and the adults do the racing. The race starts with a GS down Snake Bite and Practice Slope. We did not start at the top of Snake Bite, which is a good thing. Snake Bite is pretty steep and it does not take long to get up to speed! We did the GS coarse twice and our times were combined. The top 16 men and top 8 women advanced to the dual slalom race in the afternoon. The dual slalom race is very exciting, because your competition is right next to you! I made it through the first round of the dual slalom. My next competitor was a college racer from Saint Mike’s. I thought I had a good start, but it was not long before the snow flying off my competitor’s skis was hitting my in the face! I tried to go a little faster, but it was not enough. I was pretty happy was my 5th place finish in the GS race and I made it to the top 8 in the dual slalom.
Mar. 27th, 2009
Spring is in the air! I love powder as much as anybody, but spring skiing and riding is the bomb! The warm temperatures, beautiful sunshine, and corn snow just can’t be beat. It’s the best of both worlds, because you enjoy winter sports in spring conditions! I don’t want the season to end, but skiing when it’s 50 degrees out is pretty nice! The warmer air makes people dress up and have a good time. I’ve seen monkey suits, crazy wigs, day glow outfits, and more! I guess we are all just making the most of what is left of the season! Grab your equipment and head for the hills, because it will be over sooner than we want it to be!
Mar. 26th, 2009
My name is Rockin' Ron - that's why I YELL it - if you don't know it then I will spell it - its R to the O, and then to the C, to the K-I-N, apostrophe! Enough of that :P My friend Darrell from Salem, Mass. was here this past weekend rippin' and grippin' on Garden Path! I've been feeling really fast lately rippin' it on a pair of race skis I got from my friend Harley of SSU (she's also the Friendly Pirate's fictional sister Pearl the Purple Pirate Princess). Hugh (Harley's real-life husband) and I would like to give a HUGE shout out to the Groomers who have been very busy laying down the corduroy on massive amounts of terrain - you guys ROCK! I love warping down the black diamond <> trails like Upper FIS, Upper Pipeline, Smugglers' Alley, Bootleggers', and Shuttle, after they've recieved the Snow Cat treatment - its soooooOOOOOO much fun!! Yesterday was an unbelievably beautiful day and I got some exhilarating runs in with Angie and Rudy. We hooked up with Bob (Angie's real-life husband) from Patrol when one of his Patrol pals radioed out that it was OK to open Poachers Woods. We happened to be at the intersection of Rumrunner and Crossover - just a carve, skip, and a turn away from Poachers, so of course we dropped in - timing is everything. Hey, if you're on Facebook, please become a fan of Smugglers' Notch Resort. This week's musical selections come from the animal kingdom: George Clinton "Atomic Dog", Bat for Lashes "Horse and I", and Jefferson Starship "Ride the Tiger", and I'm not lion to you :DDD
Mar. 21st, 2009
The Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle was today! This hiking and skiing or riding race started at Parking Lot 1 and covered all 3 mountains! All the competitors wore a GPS unit, so that we could be tracked. We had to ride different lifts multiple times, ski certain trails, and had to find checkpoints on all 3 mountains. The GPS units made it possible to follow the progress of the competitors on-line! First we hiked up Practice Slope, then Snake Bite, and then Black Snake to Upper Rumrunner. We then put our equipment on and headed down Upper Rumrunner. The lift rides, check points, and trails could be done in any order that you wanted as long as you did them all. The race was not just physical, because you could use strategy to save time. The lift requirements were to ride the lift; you did not have to ride to the summit. This gave you the option to get off at mid-station, if the lift had a mid-station and hike to a checkpoint to save time. Every lift ride we would take our map out to calculate our next move. My wife and I could not believe how much fun we were having! We finished the race and then the Flaik GPS representative showed us our route on his laptop. It was really neat to see the trail map with our progress from the day. The results will be posted Monday and participants will be able to see their route on-line. Congratulations to Nate Herman and John Holcomb who won the race and an all expense paid trip to Aspen, Colorado for the finals.
Mar. 19th, 2009
Rockin' Ron wit 2day's byline. Spring Skiing & Riding with warm temps, sunshine, and snow - it doesn't get much betta =) Several years ago I became friends with a young man from Pennsylvania named Brendan, who was in a Smuggs Camp called Sound & Stage. Today he was on a different stage - Madonna Mtn. Lets just say that as he sped down Lower Madonna Liftline like a race carr - he passed the audition:))) Excitement - tonight I'll be with Snow Sport Univeristy staff doing the Torchlight Parade on Morse Mtn. and its always a hoot! I saw my friend Hope from Ski & Ride who told me that she and Stacey from SSU took 13 runs on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th is also my beautiful wife April's B-Day)! Hope then related how pumped she was after skiing Shuttle today for the first time ever and she rushed over to tell me about it - she knows I love the Shuttle trail too, because she reads my blog entries! Hope wasn't finished yet - she sang me her song song pick - David Bowie & Queen "Under Pressure". The twins, Blade & Brock, thought she was singing Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby" - WRONG! I'm getting additional musical motivation from Rusted Root "Ecstasy" and the Moody Blues "The Story in Your Eyes"
Mar. 18th, 2009
This afternoon I heard the report that Upper Liftline on Madonna was open from the top down to the work road above the Headwall. My good friend Mike a.k.a. Fuzzy has a rule about Upper Liftline “If it’s open you have to ski it!” Obeying Mike’s rule I got to the Madonna 1 Lift as soon as I could and then I was checking out my line from the lift. I had to hit a few of my favorites jumps on the way down! My next run was over at Sterling. I went for a non-stop run down Hangman’s Drop, to Chute, to Black Snake, to Harvey’s Hideaway, to Full Nelson, to the Practice Slope, then I hit the first two jumps in the Zone Terrain Park and headed back to the Upper Parking Lot! It was a great way to end the day!
Mar. 16th, 2009
What a beautiful sunny day, with temperatures in the upper 40’s and no wind. I went to Treasures to pick up my son Hugh B. and take a few runs. We skied over to the Mogul Mouse Magical Lift. My son refers to the summit as the tippy toe top, so as we rode the lift we sang our made up song “tippy toe top”! The view from top of the lift is fantastic; you can see Madonna Mountain, Sterling Mountain, and Mount Mansfield. I could see people coming down Upper FIS. We got off the Mogul Mouse Magical Lift and headed for Garden Path. We were working on skiing across the hill to control our speed, this also helps to match his skis and make parallel turns. We also worked on hockey stops, which are a bunch of fun! Our ski day would not be complete without stopping by the Schoolhouse and Billy Bob Bear’s cave.
Mar. 14th, 2009
I want to thank all the groomers for the quality and quantity of work they did last night! They groomed over 180 acres, which includes Upper FIS, Bootlegger, Harvey’s Hideaway, and Upper Pipeline! I skied Upper FIS and it was a blast. Upper FIS is a nice long run with good steeps and you always need to keep your speed in check! I headed over to Sterling next and skied Harvey’s Hideaway. After Harvey’s I made the short uphill trek to Full Nelson, which was also groomed. I love the pitch on Full Nelson and I never want it to end!
Mar. 12th, 2009
Rockin' Ron here to scribble. I went to Burlington yesterday and I didn't see much snow on the ground. I would guess there's not much snow on the ground in Boston, New York, Toronto, Hartford, Albany, or Philly either. However, we still have SNOW here at Smuggs :))) I guess that's why we put a Winter Sport Resort at the base of 3 sacred mounatins - including the 3,640 foot Madonna Mountain. You should know that we still have plenty and skiing and riding left this season - end of speech. The other day I had a BLAST blasting non-stop down Upper Drifter to Shuttle (love that compression followed by the roller coaster hills) to Lower Rumrunner 3x in a row, woo-triple-hoo!!! BTW - it was GREAT hanging out with the our friends from the National Brotherhood of Skiers last weekend - they bring the PARTY =))) Music picks for the week include Pearl Jam "Go", Lakeside "Fantastic Voyage" and the Beastie Boys "She's Crafty".
Mar. 10th, 2009
It was quite cloudy when I got to work today. The forecast called for partly sunny skies, but I was not seeing that! I went to my office and started working on the morning report, when Ski Patroller Ken called and told me that it was sunny at the summit of Madonna with clouds in the valley. I did the report as fast as I could and then drove to the Upper Parking Lot. I put my boots on and grabbed my gear, then headed for the Madonna 1 Lift. It was thick clouds all the way up to Catwalk, then all of the sudden it was sunny! I’m talking about bright blue skies. The clouds in the valley looked like the ocean and mountaintops were islands. It was a surreal experience to say the least!
Mar. 8th, 2009
The mountains were socked in this morning with fog. The weather report called for sunny skies in the afternoon and they were right! The clouds opened up and the sun started working it’s magic! The top layer of snow was now soft and creamy a.k.a. corn snow. Upper Exhibition on Sterling Mountain was looking really good as skiers and riders were flying through the soft bumps! I like the way the snow explodes as you hit each bump, just like the fireworks on the 4th of July!
Mar. 6th, 2009
I was at the summit of Sterling this afternoon, when I saw Lee Anderson from Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Program. He was with Jay Tisbert who was in the biski a.k.a. sitski and they were just getting ready for their first run of the day. I stopped to talk to Jay and he said that he was excited about the great conditions! He did not need to say anything, because the smile on his face said it all! I followed Jay and Lee down Upper Rumrunner. They were cranking out some nice GS turns in the soft spring conditions! I ran into Jay and Lee in the Base Lodge later in the day. Jay told me they skied 5 runs on the upper mountains this afternoon! I’m glad that I was there to share their joy!
Mar. 5th, 2009
a-rock-rock-Rockin' Ron a-write-write-writin'! First order of biz is to wish my buddy Hugh a B-lated B-day. Yesterday was his BIG day - hope you had a good'n dude=))) Being the #2, back-up, fill-in, and Junior Snow Reporter, I pay a little more attention to the Report than the average Joe or Jane. I always look to see if any trails that don't regularly get a visit from a Snow Cat have been groomed. My favorite trail to hit after receiving the corduroy treatment is Smugglers' Alley - the pitch is perfect for a full-on, face freezing, zip-zip-zippity-do-dah (even I don't know what I mean by that, but hey, it sounds good). This week's tunes du jour come from all over. Tom from Long Island is likin' Lynard Skynard "Simple Man", Aaron from Boston/Vermont is wailin' to Blues Traveller "The Mountain Wins Again", Christine of Maryland/Vermont, with her snowboarder steez, has to make an entrance with War "Low Rider", Barry from the Philly Drill Team heats up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Higher Ground", and yours truly, Rock-o-Ron from Wisconsin/Jeffersonville, is eternally grooving to Santana "Guajira"!
Mar. 2nd, 2009
I just rolled over the number of pictures that the Smugg’s camera has taken. I was looking at a photo that I just downloaded and noticed that the photo number was 0006. That means that I have taken over 10, 000 pictures with this camera, it’s no wonder that the battery won’t hold a charge for very long!
We received 4 inches of new snow today! It’s always good to get snow during the day, because that way the conditions just keep getting better. The snow was light and fluffy. The snow was falling really hard late in the afternoon and I did not want to go back to the office! I looking forward to skiing tomorrow morning when there’s even more snow to play in!
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Hugh's Blog - February 2009
Feb. 28th, 2009
Today I went skiing with a writer from the Boston Herald. We took our first run on Sterling. The sky was a little cloudy with a few flurries. The sun was trying to work it’s magic on the clouds and we were starting to see some spots of blue sky! Once we got to the summit of Sterling we started down Upper Rumrunner. We took our skis off and went for a short walk to the Sterling Pond. The clouds would open up once in a while and we could see the summit of Mount Mansfield. After taking in the views we decided it was time for some skiing. We put our skis back on and took off down Upper Rumrunner. I stopped by the bamboo poles on skier’s left, where you can look down into the Notch. We could see parts of route 108, which is closed in the winter, and we even spotted some ice climbers! The closed section of 108 becomes a playground for hikers, cross country skiers, outdoors enthusiasts, and more in the wintertime!
Feb. 26th, 2009
Rockin' Ron - kickin' it like Dickens, but instead of a Tale of Two Cities, its a Tale of Three Mountains! It was good week, it was a GREAT week (63 inches of powder will do that)! Last Saturday I enjoyed Morse Highlands with my friends and co-workers Brendan and Chapin. While Brendan was jammin' on Log Jam, Chapin and I were rippin' it in Whitetail Woods. On Sunday I considered myself a skiing Rock Star - I took on the Madonna Mountain double black <><> diamonds - Freefall (skiers left), upper Upper Madonna Liftline, and Robin's Run - it wasn't pretty, but I made it down without falling! On Wednesday I hooked up with my friend and former Smuggs snowboard instructor Carol and we finsihed our day on Sterling with a run on Pipeline (I thought I saw Steve Wry of Mountain Ops speed by us, but he was just a blur, so I couldn't be sure)! Wednesday was also a beautiful bluebird day - you could see Mount Washington in New Hampshire from the summit of Madonna, and you could see Lake Champlain, the Adirondaks in New York, and Quebec, Canada from Ruthie's trail. Frank at the Highlands Lift says he reads the blog and he suggested Brooks & Dunn "Hard Workin' Man" for musical inspiration. Michelle from Ski & Ride likes Onray Osborne "Listen & Learn", Fletch from the Black Bear digs Mountain "Nantucket Sleighride", Scott from Vacation Sales is into Its a Beautiful Day "White Bird", Stacey from SSU has fallen for Tom Petty "Free Fallin'", and Brendan gets pumped by Yes "Going for the One".
Feb. 23rd, 2009
Today was easily one of the best days of the year! We received over a foot of snow last night on top of the 31 inches that we received in the past 4 days! My first run was Upper Exhibition on Sterling. I hardly made any turns due to the deep snow. I would try to pick up all the speed I could, so that I could blast through the drifts! The wind was blowing up the hill, so when you kicked up snow it would go right over your head!
Feb. 21st, 2009
We have now received 26 inches of new snow in the past 3 days! I thought the skiing and riding was fantastic on Thursday when we got 10 inches of new snow! The real crazy thing is that the forecast calls for another 14 to 20 inches of snow by Tuesday! The snowfall total of the season is now 275 inches! What does all the numbers mean? It means the skiing and riding is absolutely awesome and it is only getting better!
Feb. 19th, 2009
Rockin' Ron all up in it! All up in the FRESH POW that is - 10 inches of new SNOW in the past 24 hours=))) This week I have had the pleasure and the honor of teaching skiing with Peter Ingvoldstad (affectionately known as Ping). We've been with a group of Level 4 kids skiing at Morse and Morse Highlands on mostly green/easier terrain. We've been working on getting our skis out of their wedges and up on their edges - carving those turns. It's great to see when the kids make that breakthrough! (TIP: if you are an Intermediate or Expert Skier or Rider and you're with family or friends on Morse, the Snow Snake trail will be a treat for you). Anywho, I'm very excited because today our group is moving to level 5 and the upper mountains!! This week's musical selctions are Big & Rich "Rollin'", Tori Amos "Cornfalke Girl", and Emerson, Lake, & Palmer "Karn Evil 9, First Impression, Part 2, Sub Section B, Paragraph C, Line 4" - hey, that song title is almost longer than this blog :DDD
Feb. 17th, 2009
There were beautiful clear skies this morning and the moon was shining. There was no hint of the snowstorm headed our way. My first run today was Smugglers’ Alley and it was groomed last night! I had the trail to myself, so I started making some GS turns. My skis were carving through the fresh corduroy and holding nicely! My second run was Upper Chilcoot and it was also groomed last night! Upper Chilcoot is one of my favorite crusin’ trails. I love how it rolls off the backside and then comes back after the S turn. Once I get through the S turn I can’t wait to dive into Waterfall!
Feb. 16th, 2009
I was skiing on Morse Mountain today and a flood of memories came to me as I was riding the Village Lift. I learned how to ski on this mountain over 30 years ago and I have to thank my Uncle Benji for that! He was the one that motivated my whole family to get out on the hill. He brought me to the top of the Village Lift for my first time and I can remember looking down on Upper Morse Liftline thinking that this is the trail that I have to ski down! I was scared at first, but he coached me down Garden Path and I loved it! I want to thank him for taking the time to teach me and for changing my life forever! I don’t know he thought about the love for the mountains and outdoors “seed” he planted in me would still be growing strong 30 years later! The saying “Smuggs is America’s Family Resort” stands true, because now I get to watch my son as he learns to ski here at Smuggs! Don’t forget at Smuggs just because we are not related, doesn’t mean that we are not FAMILY!
Feb. 14th, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Today was the Gravity Control Slope style Competition at the Zone Terrain Park. Matt and Mike of Smuggs Gravity Control did a great job preparing the Zone Terrain Park for the competition. They completely reshaped the park and added new features! The Zone Terrain Park now has two cannons, one with a fun box and one with a rail. A cannon is a rail or fun box that is tilted up at the end so the skier or rider is shot up in the air. I guess you could think of it as the rail or fun box is actually the jump. The park had a great flow to it and slope style is a combination of rails and jumps. The skill level of the competitors was amazing! I had a hard time just counting the number of spins these skiers and riders were doing! Talk a math lesson, 180’s, 360’s, 720’s, 1080’s, everything in between, and more! The battery in my camera is older and doesn’t last very long any more, so after my battery died I headed to the top of the terrain park. The competitors were in a group at the top waiting for their turn. I hung out in the back of the group and took in all the chatter. It was wonderful to hear the competitors give each other compliments and tips! The whole event just had a great vibe to it! I really had fun trying to capture amazing action on camera!
Feb. 12th, 2009
Rockin' Ron rollin' out the red (pre-Valentine's Day) carpet. Last week Hugh, our world famous Snow Reporter, mentioned he was on day 71 of skiing, and a few days ago my friend Stacey with SSU Camps told me she was on day 63 (with 15 in a row). Meanwhile yours truly is on day 24, which is not bad, but I would LOVE to ski as many days as those two! So, we're nearly halfway through the winter season and the days are gettting longer, and while some people are getting cabin fever, I feel the season has barely begun. It's like a CRUSH that you want to go on forever. Then there's all the friends I LOVE to spend time on the hill with such as Sarahs L & J, Scott, Jodi, Steve, Nadine, G, Heather, and Alex. It did my HEART good to get runs with them recently! For the personal Valentine's Day playlist I'm listening to The Cure "Love Song", Elton John "Love Song" and Lenny Kravitz "Storm" (I need your love to keep me warm). For universal love its Bob Marley "One Love", Tears for Fears "Sowing The Seeds of Love", and The Beatles "All You Need is Love" <3
Feb. 10th, 2009
If you want happy feet the place to go is 3 Mountain Equipment and ask for Bert! Bert is a master boot fitter! He worked his magic on my boots yesterday and today was the reward! My boots have a snug fit and are still comfortable! Bert heated my liners for a custom fit and he also aligned my boot with my leg. Bert also does custom foot beds, which I have and love! I can’t say enough good things about the custom boot fit job that Bert did for me or the job he can do for you!
Feb. 8th, 2009
Today was the 8th Annual Northern Vermont Snowshoe Race and Family Snowshoe Festival at the Smuggs Nordic Center! There was three different races, a half-kilometer fun run for kids, a 4-kilometer fun run/walk for adults, and a 8 kilometer run that is a qualifier for the 2009 US Snowshoe Association National Championship Race. The kids race was first and it was great to see these kids, as young as 4 years old participating in the snowshoe race/walk! The kids were running at the beginning of the race and walking at the end. All of the kids had fun and each one won a prize! The two adults races started at the time and they headed in opposite directions. The 4-kilometer race had participants as old as 76 and he was running, not walking! The 8-kilometer racers were amazingly fast! The snow would kick off their snowshoes like a rooster tail behind a boat! They had special snowshoes designed for running and they were also wearing sneakers (running shoes)! All of the competitors cheered each other on and some racers ran back for a while after finishing the race to finish the race with their friend! It was a great experience and I’m very glad that I went! I want to thank Zeke Zucker and all the volunteers for making this event so wonderful!
Feb. 6th, 2009
I ran into a friend of mine at the Base Lodge today and he told me that he had just become engaged. He told me that he had flown to Texas to ask his girlfriend’s parents permission to marry their daughter. They gave him permission and now he had to find the perfect spot to propose. He met his girlfriend here at Smuggs on the Madonna 2 Lift. He thought that this would be the spot, so he brought his girlfriend up here to Smuggs for a day of skiing on Monday. The Madonna 2 Lift does not operate on Mondays, so plan B was to substitute Madonna I for Madonna 2. They got the Madonna I Lift as boyfriend and girlfriend, and they were engaged before they reached the top! I believe they came to the right spot, because we are America’s Family Resort!
Feb. 5th, 2009
It’s Rockin’ Ron your Blog Dog barkin’! My skiing goals for this season are summed up by this simple rhyme: “shack to shack” and “ski out back”. “Shack to shack” which is Madonna Liftline from top to bottom, will have to wait for a day with “hero” snow. However, I can cross “ski out back” off my list! I hooked up with my snowboarding friends and co-workers Christine, Angela, Chuck, Lindsay, and Melissa and made the trek across Sterling Pond and went to the woods "out back" (disclaimer: experts only and go with someone who knows the terrain). We dropped into a narrow, steep, and twisty set of glades - little did I know that it would be over an hour before I saw Parking Lot 1. Angela and especially Christine hung back to babysit yours truly and I’m glad they did. They patiently pulled me out of the deep snow several times. All in all it was a very memorable and enjoyable experience, not to mention quite a workout! On the musical front, Melissa said she and her father share a love of the Talking Heads, and she was grooving to “Life During Wartime” and Christine was digging on Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall”. “Hey, Teacher, don’t ski those glades alone!”
Feb. 4th, 2009
Today was my 71st day on the mountain and we still have 2 ½ months left of the season! February and March are really good snow months. April is for spring skiing and corn snow. We are presently at 236 inches of snow for the season and I can’t wait to see what the second half has to bring our way!
Feb. 2nd, 2009
A good friend called me last night and said that he was bringing a friend of his up to Smuggs on Monday. We all met in the Upper Parking Lot and headed for the Madonna I Lift. It was my good friend Todd’s first day of the season, so we decided to start with a warm up run on Upper Chilcoot to Link to Lower Madonna Liftline. One of the neat characteristics about Upper Chilcoot is the way it goes off the backside of Madonna for a little while. Once you pass Catwalk you are looking out towards Morrisville and you don’t see the village of Smuggs again until after the S turn, which is right before Waterfall. I would have to say that Upper Chilcoot is my favorite cruising trail!
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Hugh's Blog - January 2009
Jan. 30th, 2009
The Harvey Wesson Memorial Race Series was today. I was getting ready to put my skis on at the end of Upper Parking Lot by the trail map, when I ran into Dan. Dan is definitely one of the faster racers and he told me that he missed a gate on both of his runs! The news made me wonder about the course and if it had a gate that was hard to get to! I headed for the Madonna 1 lift for two reasons one is to get up the mountain and the other is to get a bird’s eye view of the course. I was a single and so was a person in Ski Instructor Oliver Blackman’s class. I was moving to the front of the line, when the ticket checker said, “Come on Hugh!” The woman in Oliver’s class asked if I was the Hugh from Hugh’s Blog. I told her that yes I am. She explained that she reads the blog all the time. I told her thank you very much for her support. She was very nice and asked me to give her a shout out! HELLO BETTY! Oliver said that his mom also reads the blog and he asked if I would say hello to her. I would love to say HELLO TO OLIVER’S MOM! Oliver is an amazing skier and is ski hero to me! He is one of those guys that doesn’t toot his own horn, but instead inspires others to be better! As an instructor it’s not what he can do, but what he can teach you! His love for the outdoors is contagious!
Jan. 29th, 2009
Rockin' Ron a-writin' fer ya. It didn't suck to be the Snow Reporter today with well over a foot of FRESH! I got a run with my friend Michelle (from the Ski & Ride Division). There was POW everywhere and we enjoyed a nice little stash on Pipeline (one of my favorite trails on Sterling). This past weekend we had a Ski Vermont Food Day here at the Resort with some very tasty treats like sugar on snow made with Vermont Maple Syrup, Cabot Cheese, and Green Mountain Coffee. I got to meet 5th Grader Bridget who is the VP of Winter Fun and blogs for Ski Vermont. On Sunday I hit the hill with my very good friend Jim. Jim is a lifelong skier who is now snowboarding so he can be learning something new along with his two daughters - what a dad! In the music mix it was Bjork "Army of Me", Psychedelic Furs "Love My Way", and Macy Gray "Relating to a Psycopath". I'm psycho over SKIING!!!
Jan. 28th, 2009
A big snowstorm is starting to hit us! Our forecaster is very conservative when it comes to snow accumulations and he is predicting 14 inches by tomorrow! There is a buzz in the air and you can feel the anticipation! Some schools called for a snow day before it even started to snow! It’s supposed to snow hard for the next 24 hours!
Jan. 25th, 2009
The Smugglers’ Notch Ski and Snowboard Club hosted a USASA Boarder cross today on Lower FIS. Boarder cross races are pretty exciting, because there are multiple people racing at the time! Dropping a bar that lets the racers know when to go starts the race. Once the bar is dropped everyone is headed for the same gate at the same time and I thought dual slalom was distracting! The features in the course also make it very interesting! There are banked turns, rollers, and a jump at the end of the course!
Jan. 23rd, 2009
The Harvey Wesson Memorial Race Series a.k.a. Locals’ Race was today on Lower Madonna Liftline. I would like to thank Travis and Bernie for setting this week’s racecourse. Travis won the race today and you might say it’s because he set the course. The real reason Travis won is because he is really fast! I thought that I went pretty fast and he still beat me by almost a second each run! A second is a long time, especially when race times are just over twenty-one seconds! The time difference between first and second place for the fastest female skier today was only a hundredth of a second!
Jan. 22nd, 2009
Ron of the Rockin' variety fillin' in for Snow Reporter #1 and Blogger-n-Chief, Mr. Hugh Johnson. Last Friday qualifying runs were held for the locals race. I was disappointed because I was 2 seconds slower than last year:(I felt better when Hugh and Brock reminded me that the snow was SLOWER due to colder temps. On Tuesday my wife April and I joined our friends Barry and Anna from Philly (and their friends) at the Top of the Notch Snowshoe Adventure Dinner. We had a great 4-course meal served by the Hearth & Candle, shared stories and laughter with friends old and new, and snowshoed (not spell check approved) down Upper and Lower Rumrunner. I highly recommend this event. Yesterday I was by myself and I did cruising runs on Drifter and Rumrunner (it feels much shorter than when you're snowshoeing:D) Top of my hit parade this week are Nickleback "Savin' Me", Deep Purple "Woman from Tokayo" and Shakira "Whatever, Whenever".
Jan. 19th, 2009
Today I rode the Sterling lift with a nice lady from Burlington. We started with the usual small talk. It did not take long before she recognized my voice. She said “Hey you’re Hugh!” We talked about snow reporting and the love of the outdoors! She mentioned that she is not the best skier, but she just likes to be out on the mountain! She also said that she loves the quiet Smuggs trails! We were almost at the top of Sterling when she busted out an impersonation of me doing the morning report! We both laughed out loud! We reached the top of Sterling and wished each other a great run!
Jan. 17th, 2009
Today was the Big Steezy, a big air competition at the Zone Terrain Park! The competition was sponsored by Steez mini magazine. The turn out was fantastic with 54 competitors! The action was non-stop with skiers and riders showing their stuff! The big hit is 50 feet from the take off to the beginning of the landing! Matt Watson and Mike McAdoo did a great job creating the park, not only do they groom and shape, but they also made most of the rails! Matt was at the competition today and he was telling me about all the great feedback that they have been getting from the skiers and riders! It’s the feedback that makes the park so good! Matt and Mike work very hard to give the skiers and riders what they want in the parks! They keep creating new features to keep the parks new and fresh! A huge part of keeping the parks fresh is all the maintenance, grooming the landings and reworking the hits!
Jan. 15. 2009
Rockin' Ron in da HOUSE! So much to say and so little blogospace:( On Sunday I had my BEST DAY of the season so far:))) I hooked up with Rich, Amy, Cousin Tom, and Cecelia (she was breaking my heart). We cruised on Ruthie's and Gary B's. Cecelia showed us the Zombie: hold your arms close to your body, tuck in your chin, and ski like you've been hypnotized. Then I coaxed Kiri out of her office. We hit Drifter (I almost kept up with her along the fence), shot down Shuttle, popped into Poacher's Woods, and raced down Treasure to Lower Ex. Then we went Upper Pipeline, Black Snake, Harvey's (where I single ejected into a yard sale), and finished with a powder-covered Full Nelson. I wish I could ski with Kiri moore!!! On Tuesday I had some great runs on Madonna and Sterling with my buddies Hope (Ski & Ride) and Stacey (SSU) and you can see their pic on today's photo. It was on the Jazz tip for skiing inspiration: John Coltrane "Mr. P.C.", Ronnie Laws "Always There", and Miles Davis "Tempus Fugit". Time does fly when you're skiing - I'm so hyped on skiing this season!
Jan. 13th, 2009
I rode the Madonna I lift today with a gentleman who works at Attitash Ski Resort. He was going to ski at Jay today, but he went the wrong way. Subconsciously he was headed for Smuggs! Once he realized what he had done he figured that he would just come to Smuggs instead even though it was a longer drive. He said that it is worth the extra drive. He told me that he loves skiing at Smuggs, because of the vast terrain and glades! He also said that he really liked the feel of Smuggs!
Jan. 10th, 2009
We received over 3 feet of new snow in the past week and now the sun is out! A bluebird day and the mountaintops are covered in rhyme ice. I love the contrast of the bright blue sky against the pure white snow! I skied Upper Drifter this afternoon and the views were spectacular! It is very rare that I ski Upper Drifter non-stop, because I always have to stop and take in the beauty of northern Vermont!
Jan. 8th, 2009
Yo Yo Yo - Rockin' is bloggin'! Timing is everthing. One of my days off is Wednesday, and yesterday it was snowing on my day off:))) I got a run on Upper FIS which had fresh snow on top of some huge snowmaking whales and it was off the hook (to quote a certain Pirate)! Fletch also called Smugglers' Alley as a trail pick, and as usual, he was right!! On the soundtrack in my head it was Kanye West "Touch the Sky", Cheap Trick "On Top of the World", Elvis "Return to Sender" (for the King's B'day today), and the soundtrack to Garden State for the lift ride up. I'm Rockin' Ron... rockin' OUT!
Jan. 6th, 2009
I was at 3 Mountain Equipment checking out their demo skis. Employee John Farrell a.k.a. Doctor John was very helpful and knowledgeable. He asked me what I was looking for and suggested that I try the Volkl Tigershark skis. These skis have three settings, the first is a power setting for shorter radius turns, the second is a cruise setting for gs turns, and the third puts us somewhere in between. He adjusted the bindings for my boot size, weight, and ability level. Smugglers’ Alley was groomed last night and the report from the Ski Patrol sounded really good. I could not wait to see what these skis could do! I got to the top of the Alley and looked down. The smooth surface was very inviting and there was no one in sight. I traversed across the top checking out the whole trail before I dived in! Everything looked fantastic, so I went for it. I let the skis run for a while before I started a turn. I rolled the skis up on edge and instantly I could feel the skis biting into the snow! I had the skis in cruise mode and that’s exactly what I did! I was so surprised how well the skis held at speed! I was having too much fun and I did not want to stop skiing or return the skis!
Jan. 5th, 2009
Today's forecast called for flurries early then skies becoming partly sunny in the afternoon. The skies stayed cloudy. We had flurries and light snow all day! We received an inch of snow last night and another inch during the day! Now that's my kind of sunny skies!
Jan. 4th, 2009
We received 10 inches of new snow in the past 48 hours and now the sun is out! The temperatures have been great all week long for snowmaking. The snowmakers have been working around the clock and doing a great job! I’ve seen some huge snowmaking whales on the Practice Slope, Magic Learning Trail, Black Snake, and Upper FIS! I can’t wait to see what Mike and Matt do with the Zone Terrain Park. The Birch Run Terrain Park has been great this year with new features and a nice flow!
Jan. 2nd, 2009
A good friend of mine is here visiting with his family for the long weekend. We decided to go to Morse Highlands for the first day of skiing. Morse Highlands is a great beginner area with a kid friendly lift and cozy base lodge! I love to bring my son here, because of short lift ride and the variety of terrain. We were skiing Sam's Run to Dixie's Knoll. Dixie's Knoll is nice and wide with a gradual slope, which is just perfect for beginners! They have plenty of room to make their turns and they don't have to worry about picking up to much speed!
Jan. 1st, 2009
Rockin' Ron bloggin' for the first time in 2009! One of my New Year's resolutions is to ski as much as possible in as many conditions as possible - a metaphor for life perhaps. I got a few runs in the other day with Hugh "The Voice" Johnson - our world famous Snow Reporter, resulting in my picture being the Photo of the Day on the 30th. Hugh always helps me out with my technique, but there's a price, and its usually a face full of snow as he cranks out a turn. Hugh has given me a deep appreciation for this Mountain by sharing old trail names and past experiences. He's also recommended a new tune to get me pumped for skiing and its "Aint Nothin' Wrong with That" by Robert Randolph. Other tunes I've been listening to lately are by Franz Ferdinand and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Ski ya later :DD
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Hugh's Blog - December 2008
Dec. 28th, 2008
I ran into my good friend Raymie at the Sterling T-bar this morning. He was skiing which is unusual, because he snowboards. He told me that he was practicing for the Smugglers’ Notch Ski Club Family Day Race. He was going to race against his daughter, who is in the club. I’ve seen his daughter race, so I knew that Raymie was in for quite the challenge! The race was dual slalom, which is very exciting to watch! The kids were showing their parents how it’s done! Raymie’s case was no different; his daughter was in the lead in no time and never looked back! It was wonderful to see everyone having so much fun in the sun!
Dec. 25th, 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and Happy Birthday Selin from Rockin' Ron - yes, I'm rockin' around the Christmas Tree, or I was on Sunday when I skiied the glades of Doc Dempsey's for the first time this season:DDD I hooked up with Fletch (the famous Black Bear Bartender), his wife Trish, son Colin, and our friend and relative Cousin Tom. Favorite run of the day: Doc's from the top to the Moustache woods (the 'stache to locals) to Lower Chilcoot. On Tuesday I skiied over to Morse Highlands for the first time this season. To prepare myself for skiing I listened to Motley Crue, Black Eyed Peas, and Turkish music. I get paid for this? Woo-hoo!
Dec. 24th, 2008
I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays! I hope you get to spend this special time with your family and friends! I very thankful that I get to spend the holidays with my friends, family, and extended family. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift that why they call it the present!
Dec. 20th, 2008
Mother Nature has been working overtime lately. Great snowmaking temperatures along with tons of natural snow! We just broke the 100-inch mark today, that’s right the total is now 101 inches! We received 23 inches of new snow in just the past 4 days! The trail count was 21 on Thursday and now it’s 43. Robin's Run opened today! Things are looking great here at Smuggs for the holidays!
Dec. 18th, 2008
Rockin' Ron in your blogo-space. Wow=)))) I had a great day yesterday! Fresh POW and Madonna 1 opening added up to big fun. I got to ski with my dear friend Kiri from Mtn. Ops. We were so pumped to be at the top of Madonna Mtn., We joyfully yelled "this is our Mountain":DD! It always improves your technique to ski with someone better, and when I could keep up with her, it worked for me. I also enjoyed a run with the "twins" - Blade and Brock. These guys can ski well too, plus they are larger than life personalities. I love being at Smuggs!!
Dec. 15th, 2008
Today was a big day for me. My 3 year old son went to ski school for the first time! I tried to stay away so that he would not see me and get distracted. I went up to Sir Henry’s and stayed back by the trees at first. I saw my son with his class on the Magic Carpet. I did not have to worry about him seeing me, because he was not looking! He was completely involved in his lesson. I want to thank Ramsey and Scott for doing a great job of teaching! Most of all I want to thank them for having fun! He didn’t want to leave at the end of the day. He wanted to stay at Ski School.
Dec. 13th, 2008
The temperature dropped below zero last night. The snowmakers have been hard at work making snow on Upper Chilcoot! The sun is shining bright, but the top of Madonna is buried in a snowmaking cloud. The Madonna 2 Lift opened today, so now we have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains. We plan to have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains by this coming up weekend!
Dec. 11th, 2008
Rockin' Ron in the house. When you work at a Winter Sports Resort like Smuggs, there's nothing like the excitement leading up to a major Snow event! Everbody and their sister knows that a foot or more of the white stuff will blanket the Sacred Ground of our slopes. On top of that, our Snowmakers have been busy making snow on Madonna Mountain. So get ready for a rockin' weekend, if I don't say so myself!
Dec. 7th, 2008
Our forecast called for an inch of new snow in the afternoon with a chance of another inch of snow at night. It snowed later in the afternoon and we had an inch in no time. I thought the snow would quit, but it did not! The snow was accumulating on the road during the drive home. I got home and put some outside lights on to watch the snow come down! I love the forecast that calls for 1 to 2 inches and we get 6 to 7 inches!
Dec. 4th, 2008
Rockin' Ron here for my buddy Hugh. I saw Hugh at the Base Lodge this afternoon and he told me that the skiing was pretty good. You're saying "yeah, all you Snow Reporters are so darn positive". That's generally true, but Hugh's opinion was confirmed by Kiri from Mountain Ops, and she always gives me the down low on the downhill. Anywho, we're looking to open some additional terrain for Brewfest weekend! Stay tuned and see you on the slopes. Rockin'... out.
Dec. 1st, 2008
Upper Exhibition was open today from Upper Rumrunner down to tower 10. Exhibition is a great name for this trail, because it's very entertaining from the lift. Riders and skiers taking on a double fall line expert trail with an audience! It definitely adds more pressure when people are giving you running commentary from the lift as you are working your way through and over the moguls!
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Hugh's Blog - November 2008
Nov. 28th, 2008
Today was one of the best Opening Days that I can remember and I've been here along time! We had consist cold temperatures leading up to Opening Day, which allowed us to have so much terrain open! Our Snowmakers did a great job of covering the mountain with that beautiful white stuff. The Birch Run Terrain Park opened today with 11 different features and we have never had a terrain park open on the first day of the season. Smugglers' Alley was also open with snowmaking whales to play on!
Nov. 25th, 2008
Today's weather called for a mix of snow and rain. On my drive into work it was raining lightly and when I got to the Village it had become mixed. I got to my office and started doing some work on the Internet. Our Mountain Manager Steve Wry gave me a call and said that Boder was just on the mountain and he reported 6 inches of new snow. Luckily I had put my ski gear in my van, just in case this happened. The huge snowmaking whales I saw on Sunday had been plowed out. The new snow had covered up the snowcat tracks and the trails were so inviting! The snowmaking whales on Smugglers Alley had not been groomed, so I decided to head in that direction and ride the whales. The steep terrain made it easy to drive my skis through the new heavy snow! This heavy snow is just what we need to make great base!
Nov. 21st, 2008
Hi, Rockin' Ron Carter (aka Friendly Pirate) here, bloggin' for my buddy Hugh. We are pumped - only a week until Opening Day:DDD I was talking to Steve Wry (Mr. Mtn. Ops.) and he says this looks like one of the best openings in a long, long time. We've had considerable natural snowfall and great snowmaking temps. Our Snowmakers have been very busy the last two weeks. Check out the webcam on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm. You will see some wackiness from the Snow Sport University crew along with yours truly and some of our co-workers. If you miss us on the webcam, go to YouTube and type in Smuggs TV, and look for the Wacky Webcam Wednesday videos. See you on the slopes. RRRRR!
Nov. 11th, 2008
I was working in the office today, when I heard that we were going to start making snow late in the afternoon or early evening. The news was music to my ears. I finished my office work and headed for the door! I grabbed my camera and changed into winter clothes. I drove up to Snowmaking Control in Parking Lot 4. Snowmaker Manager Justin was getting ready to fire up the system. It was quite interesting to see all the behind the scenes work that goes into getting the pressured water and air onto the mountain. Justin and the Snowmakers on the mountain stayed in contact via radios to make sure everything was running smooth. I was lucky enough to get a ride to the top of Sterling, where Snowmakers Tyler, Chris, and Steve were setting up snowmaking guns on Upper Rumrunner. They started by the Top of the Notch building and worked their way down the mountain. They would unroll the hoses and dragged them into place. Once a snowgun was in place the air and water needed to be connected. The Snowmakers would adjust the mixture of air and water to make just the right density of snow. The snowguns are checked periodically to make sure that we are making the best product possible for our customers!!
Nov. 10th, 2008
I woke up this morning and looked out the window, because the weather report had called for mixed precipitation in the valley and snow in the mountains. The report was correct for just a little while, because the mix turned to all snow early! The snowflakes were all sticking together as they fell. The snow began to accumulate quickly on the ground! I could not wait to see how much snow was on the mountain! I stopped on my way up the mountain road to get a few pictures from a distance with the snow covered trails. The evergreen trees were absolutely beautiful with their frosted limbs. I was driving up to the Base Lodge when I saw someone hiking up the Practice Slope. I grabbed my camera and headed over hoping to capture an action shot! I found two snowboarders getting in their first turns of the season in the fresh new snow! It did not take long for me to wish that I had brought up my equipment! Jealously turned to joy, because I was able to share the excitement of the new snow with the snowboarders! This did not cure my skiing/riding fix by any means, so I plan put my equipment in my van as soon as I get home. The next Blog entry will describe my feelings after my first turns of the season!!!!!!!
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Hopefully you have heard the wonderful news that Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill has been rescued from the Somali pirates who were holding him captive! Capt. Phillips gave himself up to the pirates as a hostage to protect his crew of the Maersk Alabama. We are all very thankful to the Navy Seals and Special Forces that made this rescue possible. We all look forward to welcoming Capt. Phillips home! We really look forward to welcoming Capt. Phillips back to his home mountain of Smuggs. That’s right Capt. Phillips is not only a hero, but is also a Bash Badge Holder here at Smuggs!
Apr. 9th, 2009
It's Rockin' Ron - your Doctor of Blog. I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on the internet :DD Last Friday I got to take runs with the Ski & Ride crew: Michelle, Danielle, Faith, and Hope (Charity couldn't make it, she was at the Soup Kitchen). The forecast said rain, so some of our gang didn't show up. That was too bad, because it did rain a little, but then the sun broke through, and it did shine like crazy on diamonds (black diamonds), and the snow conditions were awesome! It's good to remember the Vermont addage "if you don't like the weather, stick around, it'll change in 5 minutes". Speaking of changes, it's getting near the end of the 2008-2009 Winter Season :((( Looking back, it's been a GREAT season for me! With Hugh's help I have made a breakthrough on "carving turns" - I have always understood it meantally, but now my body understands it too. I skiied "outback" for the first time and that was super cool. I got more days on the hill than I have in any previous season (but not as many as my friend Stacey who has logged over 112 days - she's my HERO)! I also got to take runs with a wide assortment of friends. Alas, I didn't get to ski "Shack to Shack", but that will be a goal for next Winter. In the reminiscing mode, this week's music selctions are from my career (prior to Smuggs) as a Record Promoter for Chrysalis and EMI Records: Was Not Was "Walk the Dinosaur", Sinead O'Connor "Mandinka", Slaughter "Up All Night", and Jon Secada "Just Another Day". But, its not "Just Another Day" - its always special when I'm on THESE MOUNTAINS!!!
Apr. 7th, 2009
We received 3 inches of new snow today! The new snow bonded with the old snow very nicely. The new snow was a little wet and sticky, which made the snow slower than usual. The steeps were fantastic with this new snow, because you could make smaller turns and still keep your speed down. I would have to say that Bootlegger was my pick of the day. The snow was deeper there than anywhere else I skied today. Upper Pipeline would have to be my second choice for trail pick and third would be Full Nelson! The skiing and riding was so much better than I predicted today!
Apr. 1st, 2009
Rockin' Ron ragin' on the Mountain - I skied backwards on a single ski down Madonna Liftline... April Fool's :DDD It is still one of my goals to ski shack to shack this season - and I don't mean a full court press against Shaquille O'Neill - I mean Madonna Liftline top to bottom. Speaking of Madonna, one of our fine Lift Attendants, Bronwyn (ayoba-yoba-yoba) who has worked at most of our lifts, tells me that all the cute guys ride the Madonna 1 Lift. Hmmm, I'm usually on the Sterling Lift, does that make me ugly? It was an honor and a pleasure to ski with dos amigos from Chile - Felipe and Estaban - LISTO, LISTO! We were out in the rain on Sunday and the spring conditions on the trails were very carvable and cruisable (are those proper adjectives?). On the music tip, Felipe shreds it to music from all over the world including Pink Floyd, Soda Stero, and Manu Chau, Estaban dances on skis to Prodigy and Brazillain Bossa, and yours truly jams to Tricky "Evolution Revolution" and the Who "Slip Kid" - fortunately, I didn't SLIP - hahaha, jajaja!
Hugh's Blog - March 2009
The Smugglers’ Notch Ski and Snowboard Club hosted the Blast from the Past Race today. This race is a fun annual event to raise money for the club. The kids in the club do the coarse maintenance and the adults do the racing. The race starts with a GS down Snake Bite and Practice Slope. We did not start at the top of Snake Bite, which is a good thing. Snake Bite is pretty steep and it does not take long to get up to speed! We did the GS coarse twice and our times were combined. The top 16 men and top 8 women advanced to the dual slalom race in the afternoon. The dual slalom race is very exciting, because your competition is right next to you! I made it through the first round of the dual slalom. My next competitor was a college racer from Saint Mike’s. I thought I had a good start, but it was not long before the snow flying off my competitor’s skis was hitting my in the face! I tried to go a little faster, but it was not enough. I was pretty happy was my 5th place finish in the GS race and I made it to the top 8 in the dual slalom.
Mar. 27th, 2009
Spring is in the air! I love powder as much as anybody, but spring skiing and riding is the bomb! The warm temperatures, beautiful sunshine, and corn snow just can’t be beat. It’s the best of both worlds, because you enjoy winter sports in spring conditions! I don’t want the season to end, but skiing when it’s 50 degrees out is pretty nice! The warmer air makes people dress up and have a good time. I’ve seen monkey suits, crazy wigs, day glow outfits, and more! I guess we are all just making the most of what is left of the season! Grab your equipment and head for the hills, because it will be over sooner than we want it to be!
Mar. 26th, 2009
My name is Rockin' Ron - that's why I YELL it - if you don't know it then I will spell it - its R to the O, and then to the C, to the K-I-N, apostrophe! Enough of that :P My friend Darrell from Salem, Mass. was here this past weekend rippin' and grippin' on Garden Path! I've been feeling really fast lately rippin' it on a pair of race skis I got from my friend Harley of SSU (she's also the Friendly Pirate's fictional sister Pearl the Purple Pirate Princess). Hugh (Harley's real-life husband) and I would like to give a HUGE shout out to the Groomers who have been very busy laying down the corduroy on massive amounts of terrain - you guys ROCK! I love warping down the black diamond <> trails like Upper FIS, Upper Pipeline, Smugglers' Alley, Bootleggers', and Shuttle, after they've recieved the Snow Cat treatment - its soooooOOOOOO much fun!! Yesterday was an unbelievably beautiful day and I got some exhilarating runs in with Angie and Rudy. We hooked up with Bob (Angie's real-life husband) from Patrol when one of his Patrol pals radioed out that it was OK to open Poachers Woods. We happened to be at the intersection of Rumrunner and Crossover - just a carve, skip, and a turn away from Poachers, so of course we dropped in - timing is everything. Hey, if you're on Facebook, please become a fan of Smugglers' Notch Resort. This week's musical selections come from the animal kingdom: George Clinton "Atomic Dog", Bat for Lashes "Horse and I", and Jefferson Starship "Ride the Tiger", and I'm not lion to you :DDD
Mar. 21st, 2009
The Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle was today! This hiking and skiing or riding race started at Parking Lot 1 and covered all 3 mountains! All the competitors wore a GPS unit, so that we could be tracked. We had to ride different lifts multiple times, ski certain trails, and had to find checkpoints on all 3 mountains. The GPS units made it possible to follow the progress of the competitors on-line! First we hiked up Practice Slope, then Snake Bite, and then Black Snake to Upper Rumrunner. We then put our equipment on and headed down Upper Rumrunner. The lift rides, check points, and trails could be done in any order that you wanted as long as you did them all. The race was not just physical, because you could use strategy to save time. The lift requirements were to ride the lift; you did not have to ride to the summit. This gave you the option to get off at mid-station, if the lift had a mid-station and hike to a checkpoint to save time. Every lift ride we would take our map out to calculate our next move. My wife and I could not believe how much fun we were having! We finished the race and then the Flaik GPS representative showed us our route on his laptop. It was really neat to see the trail map with our progress from the day. The results will be posted Monday and participants will be able to see their route on-line. Congratulations to Nate Herman and John Holcomb who won the race and an all expense paid trip to Aspen, Colorado for the finals.
Mar. 19th, 2009
Rockin' Ron wit 2day's byline. Spring Skiing & Riding with warm temps, sunshine, and snow - it doesn't get much betta =) Several years ago I became friends with a young man from Pennsylvania named Brendan, who was in a Smuggs Camp called Sound & Stage. Today he was on a different stage - Madonna Mtn. Lets just say that as he sped down Lower Madonna Liftline like a race carr - he passed the audition:))) Excitement - tonight I'll be with Snow Sport Univeristy staff doing the Torchlight Parade on Morse Mtn. and its always a hoot! I saw my friend Hope from Ski & Ride who told me that she and Stacey from SSU took 13 runs on St. Patrick's Day (March 17th is also my beautiful wife April's B-Day)! Hope then related how pumped she was after skiing Shuttle today for the first time ever and she rushed over to tell me about it - she knows I love the Shuttle trail too, because she reads my blog entries! Hope wasn't finished yet - she sang me her song song pick - David Bowie & Queen "Under Pressure". The twins, Blade & Brock, thought she was singing Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby" - WRONG! I'm getting additional musical motivation from Rusted Root "Ecstasy" and the Moody Blues "The Story in Your Eyes"
Mar. 18th, 2009
This afternoon I heard the report that Upper Liftline on Madonna was open from the top down to the work road above the Headwall. My good friend Mike a.k.a. Fuzzy has a rule about Upper Liftline “If it’s open you have to ski it!” Obeying Mike’s rule I got to the Madonna 1 Lift as soon as I could and then I was checking out my line from the lift. I had to hit a few of my favorites jumps on the way down! My next run was over at Sterling. I went for a non-stop run down Hangman’s Drop, to Chute, to Black Snake, to Harvey’s Hideaway, to Full Nelson, to the Practice Slope, then I hit the first two jumps in the Zone Terrain Park and headed back to the Upper Parking Lot! It was a great way to end the day!
Mar. 16th, 2009
What a beautiful sunny day, with temperatures in the upper 40’s and no wind. I went to Treasures to pick up my son Hugh B. and take a few runs. We skied over to the Mogul Mouse Magical Lift. My son refers to the summit as the tippy toe top, so as we rode the lift we sang our made up song “tippy toe top”! The view from top of the lift is fantastic; you can see Madonna Mountain, Sterling Mountain, and Mount Mansfield. I could see people coming down Upper FIS. We got off the Mogul Mouse Magical Lift and headed for Garden Path. We were working on skiing across the hill to control our speed, this also helps to match his skis and make parallel turns. We also worked on hockey stops, which are a bunch of fun! Our ski day would not be complete without stopping by the Schoolhouse and Billy Bob Bear’s cave.
Mar. 14th, 2009
I want to thank all the groomers for the quality and quantity of work they did last night! They groomed over 180 acres, which includes Upper FIS, Bootlegger, Harvey’s Hideaway, and Upper Pipeline! I skied Upper FIS and it was a blast. Upper FIS is a nice long run with good steeps and you always need to keep your speed in check! I headed over to Sterling next and skied Harvey’s Hideaway. After Harvey’s I made the short uphill trek to Full Nelson, which was also groomed. I love the pitch on Full Nelson and I never want it to end!
Mar. 12th, 2009
Rockin' Ron here to scribble. I went to Burlington yesterday and I didn't see much snow on the ground. I would guess there's not much snow on the ground in Boston, New York, Toronto, Hartford, Albany, or Philly either. However, we still have SNOW here at Smuggs :))) I guess that's why we put a Winter Sport Resort at the base of 3 sacred mounatins - including the 3,640 foot Madonna Mountain. You should know that we still have plenty and skiing and riding left this season - end of speech. The other day I had a BLAST blasting non-stop down Upper Drifter to Shuttle (love that compression followed by the roller coaster hills) to Lower Rumrunner 3x in a row, woo-triple-hoo!!! BTW - it was GREAT hanging out with the our friends from the National Brotherhood of Skiers last weekend - they bring the PARTY =))) Music picks for the week include Pearl Jam "Go", Lakeside "Fantastic Voyage" and the Beastie Boys "She's Crafty".
Mar. 10th, 2009
It was quite cloudy when I got to work today. The forecast called for partly sunny skies, but I was not seeing that! I went to my office and started working on the morning report, when Ski Patroller Ken called and told me that it was sunny at the summit of Madonna with clouds in the valley. I did the report as fast as I could and then drove to the Upper Parking Lot. I put my boots on and grabbed my gear, then headed for the Madonna 1 Lift. It was thick clouds all the way up to Catwalk, then all of the sudden it was sunny! I’m talking about bright blue skies. The clouds in the valley looked like the ocean and mountaintops were islands. It was a surreal experience to say the least!
Mar. 8th, 2009
The mountains were socked in this morning with fog. The weather report called for sunny skies in the afternoon and they were right! The clouds opened up and the sun started working it’s magic! The top layer of snow was now soft and creamy a.k.a. corn snow. Upper Exhibition on Sterling Mountain was looking really good as skiers and riders were flying through the soft bumps! I like the way the snow explodes as you hit each bump, just like the fireworks on the 4th of July!
Mar. 6th, 2009
I was at the summit of Sterling this afternoon, when I saw Lee Anderson from Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Program. He was with Jay Tisbert who was in the biski a.k.a. sitski and they were just getting ready for their first run of the day. I stopped to talk to Jay and he said that he was excited about the great conditions! He did not need to say anything, because the smile on his face said it all! I followed Jay and Lee down Upper Rumrunner. They were cranking out some nice GS turns in the soft spring conditions! I ran into Jay and Lee in the Base Lodge later in the day. Jay told me they skied 5 runs on the upper mountains this afternoon! I’m glad that I was there to share their joy!
Mar. 5th, 2009
a-rock-rock-Rockin' Ron a-write-write-writin'! First order of biz is to wish my buddy Hugh a B-lated B-day. Yesterday was his BIG day - hope you had a good'n dude=))) Being the #2, back-up, fill-in, and Junior Snow Reporter, I pay a little more attention to the Report than the average Joe or Jane. I always look to see if any trails that don't regularly get a visit from a Snow Cat have been groomed. My favorite trail to hit after receiving the corduroy treatment is Smugglers' Alley - the pitch is perfect for a full-on, face freezing, zip-zip-zippity-do-dah (even I don't know what I mean by that, but hey, it sounds good). This week's tunes du jour come from all over. Tom from Long Island is likin' Lynard Skynard "Simple Man", Aaron from Boston/Vermont is wailin' to Blues Traveller "The Mountain Wins Again", Christine of Maryland/Vermont, with her snowboarder steez, has to make an entrance with War "Low Rider", Barry from the Philly Drill Team heats up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Higher Ground", and yours truly, Rock-o-Ron from Wisconsin/Jeffersonville, is eternally grooving to Santana "Guajira"!
Mar. 2nd, 2009
I just rolled over the number of pictures that the Smugg’s camera has taken. I was looking at a photo that I just downloaded and noticed that the photo number was 0006. That means that I have taken over 10, 000 pictures with this camera, it’s no wonder that the battery won’t hold a charge for very long!
We received 4 inches of new snow today! It’s always good to get snow during the day, because that way the conditions just keep getting better. The snow was light and fluffy. The snow was falling really hard late in the afternoon and I did not want to go back to the office! I looking forward to skiing tomorrow morning when there’s even more snow to play in!
Hugh's Blog - February 2009
Today I went skiing with a writer from the Boston Herald. We took our first run on Sterling. The sky was a little cloudy with a few flurries. The sun was trying to work it’s magic on the clouds and we were starting to see some spots of blue sky! Once we got to the summit of Sterling we started down Upper Rumrunner. We took our skis off and went for a short walk to the Sterling Pond. The clouds would open up once in a while and we could see the summit of Mount Mansfield. After taking in the views we decided it was time for some skiing. We put our skis back on and took off down Upper Rumrunner. I stopped by the bamboo poles on skier’s left, where you can look down into the Notch. We could see parts of route 108, which is closed in the winter, and we even spotted some ice climbers! The closed section of 108 becomes a playground for hikers, cross country skiers, outdoors enthusiasts, and more in the wintertime!
Feb. 26th, 2009
Rockin' Ron - kickin' it like Dickens, but instead of a Tale of Two Cities, its a Tale of Three Mountains! It was good week, it was a GREAT week (63 inches of powder will do that)! Last Saturday I enjoyed Morse Highlands with my friends and co-workers Brendan and Chapin. While Brendan was jammin' on Log Jam, Chapin and I were rippin' it in Whitetail Woods. On Sunday I considered myself a skiing Rock Star - I took on the Madonna Mountain double black <><> diamonds - Freefall (skiers left), upper Upper Madonna Liftline, and Robin's Run - it wasn't pretty, but I made it down without falling! On Wednesday I hooked up with my friend and former Smuggs snowboard instructor Carol and we finsihed our day on Sterling with a run on Pipeline (I thought I saw Steve Wry of Mountain Ops speed by us, but he was just a blur, so I couldn't be sure)! Wednesday was also a beautiful bluebird day - you could see Mount Washington in New Hampshire from the summit of Madonna, and you could see Lake Champlain, the Adirondaks in New York, and Quebec, Canada from Ruthie's trail. Frank at the Highlands Lift says he reads the blog and he suggested Brooks & Dunn "Hard Workin' Man" for musical inspiration. Michelle from Ski & Ride likes Onray Osborne "Listen & Learn", Fletch from the Black Bear digs Mountain "Nantucket Sleighride", Scott from Vacation Sales is into Its a Beautiful Day "White Bird", Stacey from SSU has fallen for Tom Petty "Free Fallin'", and Brendan gets pumped by Yes "Going for the One".
Feb. 23rd, 2009
Today was easily one of the best days of the year! We received over a foot of snow last night on top of the 31 inches that we received in the past 4 days! My first run was Upper Exhibition on Sterling. I hardly made any turns due to the deep snow. I would try to pick up all the speed I could, so that I could blast through the drifts! The wind was blowing up the hill, so when you kicked up snow it would go right over your head!
Feb. 21st, 2009
We have now received 26 inches of new snow in the past 3 days! I thought the skiing and riding was fantastic on Thursday when we got 10 inches of new snow! The real crazy thing is that the forecast calls for another 14 to 20 inches of snow by Tuesday! The snowfall total of the season is now 275 inches! What does all the numbers mean? It means the skiing and riding is absolutely awesome and it is only getting better!
Feb. 19th, 2009
Rockin' Ron all up in it! All up in the FRESH POW that is - 10 inches of new SNOW in the past 24 hours=))) This week I have had the pleasure and the honor of teaching skiing with Peter Ingvoldstad (affectionately known as Ping). We've been with a group of Level 4 kids skiing at Morse and Morse Highlands on mostly green/easier terrain. We've been working on getting our skis out of their wedges and up on their edges - carving those turns. It's great to see when the kids make that breakthrough! (TIP: if you are an Intermediate or Expert Skier or Rider and you're with family or friends on Morse, the Snow Snake trail will be a treat for you). Anywho, I'm very excited because today our group is moving to level 5 and the upper mountains!! This week's musical selctions are Big & Rich "Rollin'", Tori Amos "Cornfalke Girl", and Emerson, Lake, & Palmer "Karn Evil 9, First Impression, Part 2, Sub Section B, Paragraph C, Line 4" - hey, that song title is almost longer than this blog :DDD
Feb. 17th, 2009
There were beautiful clear skies this morning and the moon was shining. There was no hint of the snowstorm headed our way. My first run today was Smugglers’ Alley and it was groomed last night! I had the trail to myself, so I started making some GS turns. My skis were carving through the fresh corduroy and holding nicely! My second run was Upper Chilcoot and it was also groomed last night! Upper Chilcoot is one of my favorite crusin’ trails. I love how it rolls off the backside and then comes back after the S turn. Once I get through the S turn I can’t wait to dive into Waterfall!
Feb. 16th, 2009
I was skiing on Morse Mountain today and a flood of memories came to me as I was riding the Village Lift. I learned how to ski on this mountain over 30 years ago and I have to thank my Uncle Benji for that! He was the one that motivated my whole family to get out on the hill. He brought me to the top of the Village Lift for my first time and I can remember looking down on Upper Morse Liftline thinking that this is the trail that I have to ski down! I was scared at first, but he coached me down Garden Path and I loved it! I want to thank him for taking the time to teach me and for changing my life forever! I don’t know he thought about the love for the mountains and outdoors “seed” he planted in me would still be growing strong 30 years later! The saying “Smuggs is America’s Family Resort” stands true, because now I get to watch my son as he learns to ski here at Smuggs! Don’t forget at Smuggs just because we are not related, doesn’t mean that we are not FAMILY!
Feb. 14th, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Today was the Gravity Control Slope style Competition at the Zone Terrain Park. Matt and Mike of Smuggs Gravity Control did a great job preparing the Zone Terrain Park for the competition. They completely reshaped the park and added new features! The Zone Terrain Park now has two cannons, one with a fun box and one with a rail. A cannon is a rail or fun box that is tilted up at the end so the skier or rider is shot up in the air. I guess you could think of it as the rail or fun box is actually the jump. The park had a great flow to it and slope style is a combination of rails and jumps. The skill level of the competitors was amazing! I had a hard time just counting the number of spins these skiers and riders were doing! Talk a math lesson, 180’s, 360’s, 720’s, 1080’s, everything in between, and more! The battery in my camera is older and doesn’t last very long any more, so after my battery died I headed to the top of the terrain park. The competitors were in a group at the top waiting for their turn. I hung out in the back of the group and took in all the chatter. It was wonderful to hear the competitors give each other compliments and tips! The whole event just had a great vibe to it! I really had fun trying to capture amazing action on camera!
Feb. 12th, 2009
Rockin' Ron rollin' out the red (pre-Valentine's Day) carpet. Last week Hugh, our world famous Snow Reporter, mentioned he was on day 71 of skiing, and a few days ago my friend Stacey with SSU Camps told me she was on day 63 (with 15 in a row). Meanwhile yours truly is on day 24, which is not bad, but I would LOVE to ski as many days as those two! So, we're nearly halfway through the winter season and the days are gettting longer, and while some people are getting cabin fever, I feel the season has barely begun. It's like a CRUSH that you want to go on forever. Then there's all the friends I LOVE to spend time on the hill with such as Sarahs L & J, Scott, Jodi, Steve, Nadine, G, Heather, and Alex. It did my HEART good to get runs with them recently! For the personal Valentine's Day playlist I'm listening to The Cure "Love Song", Elton John "Love Song" and Lenny Kravitz "Storm" (I need your love to keep me warm). For universal love its Bob Marley "One Love", Tears for Fears "Sowing The Seeds of Love", and The Beatles "All You Need is Love" <3
Feb. 10th, 2009
If you want happy feet the place to go is 3 Mountain Equipment and ask for Bert! Bert is a master boot fitter! He worked his magic on my boots yesterday and today was the reward! My boots have a snug fit and are still comfortable! Bert heated my liners for a custom fit and he also aligned my boot with my leg. Bert also does custom foot beds, which I have and love! I can’t say enough good things about the custom boot fit job that Bert did for me or the job he can do for you!
Feb. 8th, 2009
Today was the 8th Annual Northern Vermont Snowshoe Race and Family Snowshoe Festival at the Smuggs Nordic Center! There was three different races, a half-kilometer fun run for kids, a 4-kilometer fun run/walk for adults, and a 8 kilometer run that is a qualifier for the 2009 US Snowshoe Association National Championship Race. The kids race was first and it was great to see these kids, as young as 4 years old participating in the snowshoe race/walk! The kids were running at the beginning of the race and walking at the end. All of the kids had fun and each one won a prize! The two adults races started at the time and they headed in opposite directions. The 4-kilometer race had participants as old as 76 and he was running, not walking! The 8-kilometer racers were amazingly fast! The snow would kick off their snowshoes like a rooster tail behind a boat! They had special snowshoes designed for running and they were also wearing sneakers (running shoes)! All of the competitors cheered each other on and some racers ran back for a while after finishing the race to finish the race with their friend! It was a great experience and I’m very glad that I went! I want to thank Zeke Zucker and all the volunteers for making this event so wonderful!
Feb. 6th, 2009
I ran into a friend of mine at the Base Lodge today and he told me that he had just become engaged. He told me that he had flown to Texas to ask his girlfriend’s parents permission to marry their daughter. They gave him permission and now he had to find the perfect spot to propose. He met his girlfriend here at Smuggs on the Madonna 2 Lift. He thought that this would be the spot, so he brought his girlfriend up here to Smuggs for a day of skiing on Monday. The Madonna 2 Lift does not operate on Mondays, so plan B was to substitute Madonna I for Madonna 2. They got the Madonna I Lift as boyfriend and girlfriend, and they were engaged before they reached the top! I believe they came to the right spot, because we are America’s Family Resort!
Feb. 5th, 2009
It’s Rockin’ Ron your Blog Dog barkin’! My skiing goals for this season are summed up by this simple rhyme: “shack to shack” and “ski out back”. “Shack to shack” which is Madonna Liftline from top to bottom, will have to wait for a day with “hero” snow. However, I can cross “ski out back” off my list! I hooked up with my snowboarding friends and co-workers Christine, Angela, Chuck, Lindsay, and Melissa and made the trek across Sterling Pond and went to the woods "out back" (disclaimer: experts only and go with someone who knows the terrain). We dropped into a narrow, steep, and twisty set of glades - little did I know that it would be over an hour before I saw Parking Lot 1. Angela and especially Christine hung back to babysit yours truly and I’m glad they did. They patiently pulled me out of the deep snow several times. All in all it was a very memorable and enjoyable experience, not to mention quite a workout! On the musical front, Melissa said she and her father share a love of the Talking Heads, and she was grooving to “Life During Wartime” and Christine was digging on Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall”. “Hey, Teacher, don’t ski those glades alone!”
Feb. 4th, 2009
Today was my 71st day on the mountain and we still have 2 ½ months left of the season! February and March are really good snow months. April is for spring skiing and corn snow. We are presently at 236 inches of snow for the season and I can’t wait to see what the second half has to bring our way!
Feb. 2nd, 2009
A good friend called me last night and said that he was bringing a friend of his up to Smuggs on Monday. We all met in the Upper Parking Lot and headed for the Madonna I Lift. It was my good friend Todd’s first day of the season, so we decided to start with a warm up run on Upper Chilcoot to Link to Lower Madonna Liftline. One of the neat characteristics about Upper Chilcoot is the way it goes off the backside of Madonna for a little while. Once you pass Catwalk you are looking out towards Morrisville and you don’t see the village of Smuggs again until after the S turn, which is right before Waterfall. I would have to say that Upper Chilcoot is my favorite cruising trail!
Hugh's Blog - January 2009
The Harvey Wesson Memorial Race Series was today. I was getting ready to put my skis on at the end of Upper Parking Lot by the trail map, when I ran into Dan. Dan is definitely one of the faster racers and he told me that he missed a gate on both of his runs! The news made me wonder about the course and if it had a gate that was hard to get to! I headed for the Madonna 1 lift for two reasons one is to get up the mountain and the other is to get a bird’s eye view of the course. I was a single and so was a person in Ski Instructor Oliver Blackman’s class. I was moving to the front of the line, when the ticket checker said, “Come on Hugh!” The woman in Oliver’s class asked if I was the Hugh from Hugh’s Blog. I told her that yes I am. She explained that she reads the blog all the time. I told her thank you very much for her support. She was very nice and asked me to give her a shout out! HELLO BETTY! Oliver said that his mom also reads the blog and he asked if I would say hello to her. I would love to say HELLO TO OLIVER’S MOM! Oliver is an amazing skier and is ski hero to me! He is one of those guys that doesn’t toot his own horn, but instead inspires others to be better! As an instructor it’s not what he can do, but what he can teach you! His love for the outdoors is contagious!
Jan. 29th, 2009
Rockin' Ron a-writin' fer ya. It didn't suck to be the Snow Reporter today with well over a foot of FRESH! I got a run with my friend Michelle (from the Ski & Ride Division). There was POW everywhere and we enjoyed a nice little stash on Pipeline (one of my favorite trails on Sterling). This past weekend we had a Ski Vermont Food Day here at the Resort with some very tasty treats like sugar on snow made with Vermont Maple Syrup, Cabot Cheese, and Green Mountain Coffee. I got to meet 5th Grader Bridget who is the VP of Winter Fun and blogs for Ski Vermont. On Sunday I hit the hill with my very good friend Jim. Jim is a lifelong skier who is now snowboarding so he can be learning something new along with his two daughters - what a dad! In the music mix it was Bjork "Army of Me", Psychedelic Furs "Love My Way", and Macy Gray "Relating to a Psycopath". I'm psycho over SKIING!!!
Jan. 28th, 2009
A big snowstorm is starting to hit us! Our forecaster is very conservative when it comes to snow accumulations and he is predicting 14 inches by tomorrow! There is a buzz in the air and you can feel the anticipation! Some schools called for a snow day before it even started to snow! It’s supposed to snow hard for the next 24 hours!
Jan. 25th, 2009
The Smugglers’ Notch Ski and Snowboard Club hosted a USASA Boarder cross today on Lower FIS. Boarder cross races are pretty exciting, because there are multiple people racing at the time! Dropping a bar that lets the racers know when to go starts the race. Once the bar is dropped everyone is headed for the same gate at the same time and I thought dual slalom was distracting! The features in the course also make it very interesting! There are banked turns, rollers, and a jump at the end of the course!
Jan. 23rd, 2009
The Harvey Wesson Memorial Race Series a.k.a. Locals’ Race was today on Lower Madonna Liftline. I would like to thank Travis and Bernie for setting this week’s racecourse. Travis won the race today and you might say it’s because he set the course. The real reason Travis won is because he is really fast! I thought that I went pretty fast and he still beat me by almost a second each run! A second is a long time, especially when race times are just over twenty-one seconds! The time difference between first and second place for the fastest female skier today was only a hundredth of a second!
Jan. 22nd, 2009
Ron of the Rockin' variety fillin' in for Snow Reporter #1 and Blogger-n-Chief, Mr. Hugh Johnson. Last Friday qualifying runs were held for the locals race. I was disappointed because I was 2 seconds slower than last year:(I felt better when Hugh and Brock reminded me that the snow was SLOWER due to colder temps. On Tuesday my wife April and I joined our friends Barry and Anna from Philly (and their friends) at the Top of the Notch Snowshoe Adventure Dinner. We had a great 4-course meal served by the Hearth & Candle, shared stories and laughter with friends old and new, and snowshoed (not spell check approved) down Upper and Lower Rumrunner. I highly recommend this event. Yesterday I was by myself and I did cruising runs on Drifter and Rumrunner (it feels much shorter than when you're snowshoeing:D) Top of my hit parade this week are Nickleback "Savin' Me", Deep Purple "Woman from Tokayo" and Shakira "Whatever, Whenever".
Jan. 19th, 2009
Today I rode the Sterling lift with a nice lady from Burlington. We started with the usual small talk. It did not take long before she recognized my voice. She said “Hey you’re Hugh!” We talked about snow reporting and the love of the outdoors! She mentioned that she is not the best skier, but she just likes to be out on the mountain! She also said that she loves the quiet Smuggs trails! We were almost at the top of Sterling when she busted out an impersonation of me doing the morning report! We both laughed out loud! We reached the top of Sterling and wished each other a great run!
Jan. 17th, 2009
Today was the Big Steezy, a big air competition at the Zone Terrain Park! The competition was sponsored by Steez mini magazine. The turn out was fantastic with 54 competitors! The action was non-stop with skiers and riders showing their stuff! The big hit is 50 feet from the take off to the beginning of the landing! Matt Watson and Mike McAdoo did a great job creating the park, not only do they groom and shape, but they also made most of the rails! Matt was at the competition today and he was telling me about all the great feedback that they have been getting from the skiers and riders! It’s the feedback that makes the park so good! Matt and Mike work very hard to give the skiers and riders what they want in the parks! They keep creating new features to keep the parks new and fresh! A huge part of keeping the parks fresh is all the maintenance, grooming the landings and reworking the hits!
Jan. 15. 2009
Rockin' Ron in da HOUSE! So much to say and so little blogospace:( On Sunday I had my BEST DAY of the season so far:))) I hooked up with Rich, Amy, Cousin Tom, and Cecelia (she was breaking my heart). We cruised on Ruthie's and Gary B's. Cecelia showed us the Zombie: hold your arms close to your body, tuck in your chin, and ski like you've been hypnotized. Then I coaxed Kiri out of her office. We hit Drifter (I almost kept up with her along the fence), shot down Shuttle, popped into Poacher's Woods, and raced down Treasure to Lower Ex. Then we went Upper Pipeline, Black Snake, Harvey's (where I single ejected into a yard sale), and finished with a powder-covered Full Nelson. I wish I could ski with Kiri moore!!! On Tuesday I had some great runs on Madonna and Sterling with my buddies Hope (Ski & Ride) and Stacey (SSU) and you can see their pic on today's photo. It was on the Jazz tip for skiing inspiration: John Coltrane "Mr. P.C.", Ronnie Laws "Always There", and Miles Davis "Tempus Fugit". Time does fly when you're skiing - I'm so hyped on skiing this season!
Jan. 13th, 2009
I rode the Madonna I lift today with a gentleman who works at Attitash Ski Resort. He was going to ski at Jay today, but he went the wrong way. Subconsciously he was headed for Smuggs! Once he realized what he had done he figured that he would just come to Smuggs instead even though it was a longer drive. He said that it is worth the extra drive. He told me that he loves skiing at Smuggs, because of the vast terrain and glades! He also said that he really liked the feel of Smuggs!
Jan. 10th, 2009
We received over 3 feet of new snow in the past week and now the sun is out! A bluebird day and the mountaintops are covered in rhyme ice. I love the contrast of the bright blue sky against the pure white snow! I skied Upper Drifter this afternoon and the views were spectacular! It is very rare that I ski Upper Drifter non-stop, because I always have to stop and take in the beauty of northern Vermont!
Jan. 8th, 2009
Yo Yo Yo - Rockin' is bloggin'! Timing is everthing. One of my days off is Wednesday, and yesterday it was snowing on my day off:))) I got a run on Upper FIS which had fresh snow on top of some huge snowmaking whales and it was off the hook (to quote a certain Pirate)! Fletch also called Smugglers' Alley as a trail pick, and as usual, he was right!! On the soundtrack in my head it was Kanye West "Touch the Sky", Cheap Trick "On Top of the World", Elvis "Return to Sender" (for the King's B'day today), and the soundtrack to Garden State for the lift ride up. I'm Rockin' Ron... rockin' OUT!
Jan. 6th, 2009
I was at 3 Mountain Equipment checking out their demo skis. Employee John Farrell a.k.a. Doctor John was very helpful and knowledgeable. He asked me what I was looking for and suggested that I try the Volkl Tigershark skis. These skis have three settings, the first is a power setting for shorter radius turns, the second is a cruise setting for gs turns, and the third puts us somewhere in between. He adjusted the bindings for my boot size, weight, and ability level. Smugglers’ Alley was groomed last night and the report from the Ski Patrol sounded really good. I could not wait to see what these skis could do! I got to the top of the Alley and looked down. The smooth surface was very inviting and there was no one in sight. I traversed across the top checking out the whole trail before I dived in! Everything looked fantastic, so I went for it. I let the skis run for a while before I started a turn. I rolled the skis up on edge and instantly I could feel the skis biting into the snow! I had the skis in cruise mode and that’s exactly what I did! I was so surprised how well the skis held at speed! I was having too much fun and I did not want to stop skiing or return the skis!
Jan. 5th, 2009
Today's forecast called for flurries early then skies becoming partly sunny in the afternoon. The skies stayed cloudy. We had flurries and light snow all day! We received an inch of snow last night and another inch during the day! Now that's my kind of sunny skies!
Jan. 4th, 2009
We received 10 inches of new snow in the past 48 hours and now the sun is out! The temperatures have been great all week long for snowmaking. The snowmakers have been working around the clock and doing a great job! I’ve seen some huge snowmaking whales on the Practice Slope, Magic Learning Trail, Black Snake, and Upper FIS! I can’t wait to see what Mike and Matt do with the Zone Terrain Park. The Birch Run Terrain Park has been great this year with new features and a nice flow!
Jan. 2nd, 2009
A good friend of mine is here visiting with his family for the long weekend. We decided to go to Morse Highlands for the first day of skiing. Morse Highlands is a great beginner area with a kid friendly lift and cozy base lodge! I love to bring my son here, because of short lift ride and the variety of terrain. We were skiing Sam's Run to Dixie's Knoll. Dixie's Knoll is nice and wide with a gradual slope, which is just perfect for beginners! They have plenty of room to make their turns and they don't have to worry about picking up to much speed!
Jan. 1st, 2009
Rockin' Ron bloggin' for the first time in 2009! One of my New Year's resolutions is to ski as much as possible in as many conditions as possible - a metaphor for life perhaps. I got a few runs in the other day with Hugh "The Voice" Johnson - our world famous Snow Reporter, resulting in my picture being the Photo of the Day on the 30th. Hugh always helps me out with my technique, but there's a price, and its usually a face full of snow as he cranks out a turn. Hugh has given me a deep appreciation for this Mountain by sharing old trail names and past experiences. He's also recommended a new tune to get me pumped for skiing and its "Aint Nothin' Wrong with That" by Robert Randolph. Other tunes I've been listening to lately are by Franz Ferdinand and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Ski ya later :DD
Hugh's Blog - December 2008
I ran into my good friend Raymie at the Sterling T-bar this morning. He was skiing which is unusual, because he snowboards. He told me that he was practicing for the Smugglers’ Notch Ski Club Family Day Race. He was going to race against his daughter, who is in the club. I’ve seen his daughter race, so I knew that Raymie was in for quite the challenge! The race was dual slalom, which is very exciting to watch! The kids were showing their parents how it’s done! Raymie’s case was no different; his daughter was in the lead in no time and never looked back! It was wonderful to see everyone having so much fun in the sun!
Dec. 25th, 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and Happy Birthday Selin from Rockin' Ron - yes, I'm rockin' around the Christmas Tree, or I was on Sunday when I skiied the glades of Doc Dempsey's for the first time this season:DDD I hooked up with Fletch (the famous Black Bear Bartender), his wife Trish, son Colin, and our friend and relative Cousin Tom. Favorite run of the day: Doc's from the top to the Moustache woods (the 'stache to locals) to Lower Chilcoot. On Tuesday I skiied over to Morse Highlands for the first time this season. To prepare myself for skiing I listened to Motley Crue, Black Eyed Peas, and Turkish music. I get paid for this? Woo-hoo!
Dec. 24th, 2008
I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays! I hope you get to spend this special time with your family and friends! I very thankful that I get to spend the holidays with my friends, family, and extended family. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift that why they call it the present!
Dec. 20th, 2008
Mother Nature has been working overtime lately. Great snowmaking temperatures along with tons of natural snow! We just broke the 100-inch mark today, that’s right the total is now 101 inches! We received 23 inches of new snow in just the past 4 days! The trail count was 21 on Thursday and now it’s 43. Robin's Run opened today! Things are looking great here at Smuggs for the holidays!
Dec. 18th, 2008
Rockin' Ron in your blogo-space. Wow=)))) I had a great day yesterday! Fresh POW and Madonna 1 opening added up to big fun. I got to ski with my dear friend Kiri from Mtn. Ops. We were so pumped to be at the top of Madonna Mtn., We joyfully yelled "this is our Mountain":DD! It always improves your technique to ski with someone better, and when I could keep up with her, it worked for me. I also enjoyed a run with the "twins" - Blade and Brock. These guys can ski well too, plus they are larger than life personalities. I love being at Smuggs!!
Dec. 15th, 2008
Today was a big day for me. My 3 year old son went to ski school for the first time! I tried to stay away so that he would not see me and get distracted. I went up to Sir Henry’s and stayed back by the trees at first. I saw my son with his class on the Magic Carpet. I did not have to worry about him seeing me, because he was not looking! He was completely involved in his lesson. I want to thank Ramsey and Scott for doing a great job of teaching! Most of all I want to thank them for having fun! He didn’t want to leave at the end of the day. He wanted to stay at Ski School.
Dec. 13th, 2008
The temperature dropped below zero last night. The snowmakers have been hard at work making snow on Upper Chilcoot! The sun is shining bright, but the top of Madonna is buried in a snowmaking cloud. The Madonna 2 Lift opened today, so now we have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains. We plan to have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains by this coming up weekend!
Dec. 11th, 2008
Rockin' Ron in the house. When you work at a Winter Sports Resort like Smuggs, there's nothing like the excitement leading up to a major Snow event! Everbody and their sister knows that a foot or more of the white stuff will blanket the Sacred Ground of our slopes. On top of that, our Snowmakers have been busy making snow on Madonna Mountain. So get ready for a rockin' weekend, if I don't say so myself!
Dec. 7th, 2008
Our forecast called for an inch of new snow in the afternoon with a chance of another inch of snow at night. It snowed later in the afternoon and we had an inch in no time. I thought the snow would quit, but it did not! The snow was accumulating on the road during the drive home. I got home and put some outside lights on to watch the snow come down! I love the forecast that calls for 1 to 2 inches and we get 6 to 7 inches!
Dec. 4th, 2008
Rockin' Ron here for my buddy Hugh. I saw Hugh at the Base Lodge this afternoon and he told me that the skiing was pretty good. You're saying "yeah, all you Snow Reporters are so darn positive". That's generally true, but Hugh's opinion was confirmed by Kiri from Mountain Ops, and she always gives me the down low on the downhill. Anywho, we're looking to open some additional terrain for Brewfest weekend! Stay tuned and see you on the slopes. Rockin'... out.
Dec. 1st, 2008
Upper Exhibition was open today from Upper Rumrunner down to tower 10. Exhibition is a great name for this trail, because it's very entertaining from the lift. Riders and skiers taking on a double fall line expert trail with an audience! It definitely adds more pressure when people are giving you running commentary from the lift as you are working your way through and over the moguls!
Hugh's Blog - November 2008
Today was one of the best Opening Days that I can remember and I've been here along time! We had consist cold temperatures leading up to Opening Day, which allowed us to have so much terrain open! Our Snowmakers did a great job of covering the mountain with that beautiful white stuff. The Birch Run Terrain Park opened today with 11 different features and we have never had a terrain park open on the first day of the season. Smugglers' Alley was also open with snowmaking whales to play on!
Nov. 25th, 2008
Today's weather called for a mix of snow and rain. On my drive into work it was raining lightly and when I got to the Village it had become mixed. I got to my office and started doing some work on the Internet. Our Mountain Manager Steve Wry gave me a call and said that Boder was just on the mountain and he reported 6 inches of new snow. Luckily I had put my ski gear in my van, just in case this happened. The huge snowmaking whales I saw on Sunday had been plowed out. The new snow had covered up the snowcat tracks and the trails were so inviting! The snowmaking whales on Smugglers Alley had not been groomed, so I decided to head in that direction and ride the whales. The steep terrain made it easy to drive my skis through the new heavy snow! This heavy snow is just what we need to make great base!
Nov. 21st, 2008
Hi, Rockin' Ron Carter (aka Friendly Pirate) here, bloggin' for my buddy Hugh. We are pumped - only a week until Opening Day:DDD I was talking to Steve Wry (Mr. Mtn. Ops.) and he says this looks like one of the best openings in a long, long time. We've had considerable natural snowfall and great snowmaking temps. Our Snowmakers have been very busy the last two weeks. Check out the webcam on Wednesdays at 12:15 pm. You will see some wackiness from the Snow Sport University crew along with yours truly and some of our co-workers. If you miss us on the webcam, go to YouTube and type in Smuggs TV, and look for the Wacky Webcam Wednesday videos. See you on the slopes. RRRRR!
Nov. 11th, 2008
I was working in the office today, when I heard that we were going to start making snow late in the afternoon or early evening. The news was music to my ears. I finished my office work and headed for the door! I grabbed my camera and changed into winter clothes. I drove up to Snowmaking Control in Parking Lot 4. Snowmaker Manager Justin was getting ready to fire up the system. It was quite interesting to see all the behind the scenes work that goes into getting the pressured water and air onto the mountain. Justin and the Snowmakers on the mountain stayed in contact via radios to make sure everything was running smooth. I was lucky enough to get a ride to the top of Sterling, where Snowmakers Tyler, Chris, and Steve were setting up snowmaking guns on Upper Rumrunner. They started by the Top of the Notch building and worked their way down the mountain. They would unroll the hoses and dragged them into place. Once a snowgun was in place the air and water needed to be connected. The Snowmakers would adjust the mixture of air and water to make just the right density of snow. The snowguns are checked periodically to make sure that we are making the best product possible for our customers!!
Nov. 10th, 2008
I woke up this morning and looked out the window, because the weather report had called for mixed precipitation in the valley and snow in the mountains. The report was correct for just a little while, because the mix turned to all snow early! The snowflakes were all sticking together as they fell. The snow began to accumulate quickly on the ground! I could not wait to see how much snow was on the mountain! I stopped on my way up the mountain road to get a few pictures from a distance with the snow covered trails. The evergreen trees were absolutely beautiful with their frosted limbs. I was driving up to the Base Lodge when I saw someone hiking up the Practice Slope. I grabbed my camera and headed over hoping to capture an action shot! I found two snowboarders getting in their first turns of the season in the fresh new snow! It did not take long for me to wish that I had brought up my equipment! Jealously turned to joy, because I was able to share the excitement of the new snow with the snowboarders! This did not cure my skiing/riding fix by any means, so I plan put my equipment in my van as soon as I get home. The next Blog entry will describe my feelings after my first turns of the season!!!!!!!
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Skiing the powder on Morse Mountain!
Photo taken Apr. 5th, 2009
Photo taken Apr. 5th, 2009
Gravity Control Big Air Competition today at the Zone Terrain Park!
Photo taken Apr. 4th, 2009
Photo taken Apr. 4th, 2009
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