Hugh's Views - Smugglers' Notch Vermont

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55+, plus more…

Posted March 29, 2023 at 1:43 pm

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. To paraphrase Mr. Rogers, “It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” With 71 trails open it was hard to decide what to ski first, but I really enjoyed my “double compression” run of Upper Drifter to Shuttle – that put the wind in me sails. I got to hang out with the 55+ Club, a group of 90 members who are “on the hill, not over the hill.” Club President Liam Kearney invited me to their regular Wednesday breakfast get-together, and to their season-ending lunch and awards ceremony. They’re just like kids with a few wrinkles and gray hair – age is just a number. Then I saw the usual assortment of characters in my travels. I hope your day was on the plus side!

The Legendary Peter Ingvoldstad, former Director of SSU, former Lamoille Union School Board Member, sometime Hulk Hogan Impersonator, Current President of Cambridge Area Rotary, AND… recently-elected Town of Cambridge Select Board Member. He’s a Mensch.

Rusty – one of three Snowboarding Patrollers. He works at our Disc Golf Courses for the rest of the year.

Deborah Pomeroy with 55+ Club President Liam Kearney handing out awards and prizes at the season-end lunch soiree.

Charles – Madonna I mainstay and Reggae Musician, gets ’em loaded.

55+ Club Members Dottie, Charlie, and Bill – ON THE HILL! This is their silly pose.

A Groomer is being winched, to get the pond built for Saturday’s Pond Skimming. Thanks for the photo, Mark Delaney.

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Partly sunny skies and a high of 45 degrees for Thursday

Posted March 11, 2020 at 4:01 pm

**55+ Club Member George McIntosh on Garden Path**

**Josie loading chairs with a smile at the Village Lift**

Our groomers did a great job today getting terrain open on all 3 mountains. They will be busy tonight with 39 trails to be groomed, including Upper FIS, Smugglers’ Alley, Snake Bite, Drifter, Playground, Snow Snake, Dixie’s Knoll, Bootlegger, and Ruthie’s for a grand total of 149 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Tomorrow we plan to have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains. We will start with the Sterling Lift and the Madonna II Lift tomorrow morning on the upper mountains. Conditions permitting we plan to have the Madonna I Lift operating tomorrow afternoon. We plan to have 40 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. Surface conditions are machine groomed and variable with average base depths of 14 to 52 inches. Currently, it is partly cloudy and 22 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 10 mph. We have many events this weekend. For all the information just go to https://www.smuggs.com/pages/universal/events/index.php

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Calm before the storm

Posted January 15, 2020 at 5:24 pm

**Long time 55+ Skier and all around great guy George McIntosh**

**Snow Sport University Snowboard Instructor Pete Downing having fun on**
**Smugglers’ Alley**

We received 2 inches of new snow in the past 24 hours and we are just getting started. There is a Winter Storm Warning starting tonight through Thursday. Tonight’s forecast is calling for snow with 3 to 5 inches of accumulation. Tomorrow’s forecast is snow and another 5 to 9 inches of accumulation possible with a high of 29 degrees. Temperatures will be falling tomorrow afternoon. Snow showers are in the forecast for tomorrow night with another 1 to 2 inches of accumulation. We plan to resume snowmaking tomorrow night. We plan to have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna I lift. We have 25 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. More trails may open throughout the day tomorrow. Surface conditions are machine groomed and packed powder with average base depths of 10 to 46 inches. 24 out of the 25 trails will be groomed for tomorrow for a grand total of 103 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Currently it is 23 degrees at the summit of Sterling with flurries and winds of 5 to 15 mph.

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Happy Holidays

Posted December 25, 2019 at 12:21 pm

**Snow Sport University Instructor Dave Delbeck sporting a nice helmet cover.**

**55+ Club member Doug with his fancy hat**

Today we have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating; Sterling, Madonna II, Village, Sir Henry’s Wonder Carpet, Morse Highlands, and Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift. We have 23 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 20 trails have been groomed for today, including Smugglers’ Alley for a grand total of 86 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine groomed and variable with average base depths of 12 to 48 inches. Today’s forecast is calling for partly sunny skies with a high of 26 degrees.

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Smugglers’ Notch 55+ Club

Posted December 5, 2018 at 3:04 pm

Club Members left to right Sue Masson, George McIntosh, and Margaret McIntosh

For seniors on the hill, not over the hill!

The Smugglers’ 55+ Club is for seniors who like to ski (alpine or nordic), snowboard, snowshoe, and enjoy being with their peers. Non-skiers are welcome, too. The goal is simple: get out of the four walls, break the daily routine, meet people and be active.

They gather every Wednesday at 9:00 am in the Village Lodge with a continental breakfast and socializing followed at 9:30 am with a short meeting. You will enjoy outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, Nordic or Alpine skiing and snowboarding. One may join a skill level group or ski/snowboard on your own.

The afternoon program will start on January 2, 2019, beginning at 1:00 pm unless otherwise announced during the morning meeting.

Every Wednesday we will be SKIING IN THE MORNING.

Meetings: 9:00 am on Wednesdays in the Village Lodge starting the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving.
Membership: $30/year (Your first meeting is complimentary – come and check us out!)