Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. 73 of 78 trails are open with terrain for all abilities. 5 lifts are operating today including Madonna I. The forecast is snow showers and a high of 31 degrees. Join us on the slopes.
Your Morning Snow Report
Smuggs
Stocking Sterling Pond
Sterling Pond has been restocked! A huge thanks to our Mountain Operations Department and Vermont’s Department of Fish and Wildlife for all their hard work.
At 3,000 feet high, Sterling Pond is Vermont’s highest elevation trout pond. Each year, our Operations teams work with Vermont’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the pond with hundreds of Brook Trout. It’s quite the adventure for these little fishies!
The truck arrives with our special guests in tow. From there, bag-lined cans are filled with water. Fish are added to their new (temporary) vessel of transport, and a special shot of oxygen is introduced to calm their nerves. Brook trout are notorious for having a fear of heights, so the more we can do to keep them happy, the better chance they’ll have of loving their new home at the top of Sterling Mountain.
So, why the chairlift? Well, it’s the smoothest way to bring these little guys to the top without shaking them up too much. 9 minutes in the air and they’ve arrived at their unload station. From here, it’s a short ride on the back of a four-wheeler to the pond, where they are introduced to their new accommodations at the highest trout pond in the state of Vermont.
If you haven’t been up to Sterling Pond in the warmer months, it’s a must. Access comes from either the Smugglers’ Notch parking area at the top of Route 108, or by hiking up the ski trails on Sterling. This large body of water sits comfortably above 3000 feet in elevation and has a fun trail running around it called the Elephant’s Head Trail. The scenery is gorgeous and it makes a great place for a picnic or family outing, whether you enjoy fishing or not!
Bluebird skies
It is going to be another gorgeous day here at Smuggs. Currently it is sunny and 30 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 10 mph. Today’s forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with a high of 46 degrees. Today we have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna I Lift. We have 76 out of 78 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. Surface conditions are machine groomed and variable with average base depths of 16 to 54 inches. 33 trails have been groomed for today, including Upper FIS full width, Ruthie’s, Snow Snake, and Thomke’s for a grand total of 138 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Enjoy the sunshine and great conditions!
Flurries in the morning and sunshine in the afternoon
The Cookie Race is a classic here at Smuggs! It is a great way for the kids to show their families how much they have learned in their ski and snowboard lessons through the week. There are multiple courses for the different skill levels. Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate is there to introduce the racers to the crowd. King Billy Bob Bear and Mogul Mouse are also there to cheer on the skiers and riders. The best part is that everyone gets a cookie! The Cookie Race is only one of today’s events, because we also have the torchlight parade, winter carnival, and fireworks.
Tomorrow we plan to have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with all 8 lifts operating. We have 76 out of 78 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. Surface conditions are machine groomed and packed powder with average base depths of 16 to 54 inches. 30 trails will be groomed tonight, including Upper FIS, Snow Snake, and Thomke’s for a grand total of 120 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Tonight we plan to make snow on Smugglers’ Alley, Bootlegger, Thomke’s Express, and the Zone Terrain Park. Currently it is partly sunny and 2 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with a high of 24 degrees.
Smiling faces in their happy place
Vermont Specialty Foods returns!
Ski Vermont and various Vermont food and health businesses offered samples and products for Smuggs guests today.
New Smuggs Family Member
I would like you to meet Brian, who is from Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia. Brian has been skiing for 25 years in Pennsylvania and New York. This is Brian’s first time here at Smuggs. He is here as a chaperone for a high school group that has been here since Thursday night. Brian was telling me how much fun they have been having at Smuggs. Brian said that his favorite part about skiing at Smuggs is the nice long intermediate runs. He told me, for his last run of the day he skied from the top of Madonna back to the Village yesterday. He skied Upper Chilcoot, Ruthie’s, Curley’s Cutback, and Meadowlark. He told me that “It was the perfect way to end the day!” Brian and his group are leaving to head back to Pennsylvania today, but not before Brian gets a few more runs in this morning! It was great to meet you Brian and I hope you enjoy the last couple of runs before the bus ride home.
Longtime Smuggs Family Member
I was getting ready to load the Madonna I Lift today when Snow Sport University Ski Instructor Matt McCawley stopped me. He had an odd number of people in his group and noticed that I was single, so I rode the lift with Sage. We started talking about the snow report, Smuggs, and how long we each have been here at Smuggs. I told Sage that “I started skiing here when I was eleven years old and our first year living in Vermont was right here in the village of Smuggs.” I thought I had been here a while until Sage told me, “My father is Jim Snider and my grandfather is Stanley Snider.” Stanley Snider was hired by then Smuggs owner Tom Watson Jr. in 1967 to build his dream of a village resort at the base of three interconnected mountains. Stanley Snider a successful developer of resort properties was to plan and build the village complex. Stanley Snider bought the resort from Tom Watson Jr. in 1973. Stanley Snider brought William P. Stritzler on board in 1987 as Managing Director. Mr. Stritzler was a Vice President with AT&T at the time and had been a vacation homeowner at Smugglers’ since 1977. Mr. Stritzler fell in love with Smuggs and bought the resort from Stanley Snider in 1996. Sage told me “I love skiing in the glades and Smuggs is my home!” It was great to meet you Sage and thanks for the walk down memory lane!
Banner Week for SNOW
Powder Day
