Mountain Slopes Safety Guidelines

Wear an approved helmet with a properly adjusted chin strap. Eyewear is strongly recommended.

Use properly maintained equipment, have bindings checked annually by a certified technician, and a well-tuned ski is more enjoyable, so visit 3 Mountain Equipment to get the most out of your board or skis.

Smugglers’ Notch is not responsible for damaged equipment or attire.

Make sure you have a valid pass before entering the lift corral. You can verify your ticket at the ticket booths before you approach the lifts. Skiing or riding at Smuggs without a valid pass is prohibited, and you may be subject to fines or theft of services charges if warranted. Management reserves the right to remove non-ticketed individuals from the mountain. Please ensure all equipment is secure. Mountain weather changes quickly, so it’s essential to be prepared to adapt to changing conditions. Our lift operators have the discretion to prohibit anyone from riding the lift if they are not dressed appropriately or if the equipment is faulty.

Always follow any instructions from the Lift Attendant or Operator.

From the “wait here” signpost to the “stand here” sign following the chair directly in front of you. Look over your outside shoulder at the chair load. When it approaches, sit all the way back in the chair. Close the safety bar once the chair is in the air.

Smaller humans may need some assistance to load. You can request that the lift attendant slow the lift; however, it is your responsibility to load, ride, and unload lifts safely. Our Mogul Mouse Magic Lift and Highlands Lift are designed to accommodate beginner skiers and riders.

Keep the safety bar down until you reach the sign on the towers that instructs you to lift the safety bar and prepare to unload.

Once at the unloaded ramp stand at the STAND HERE sign, simply let gravity and the momentum of the chair release you down the ramp.

This point may not be the most intuitive, but it is imperative for all skiers and snowboarders to adhere to this golden rule. Those uphill have a significant advantage, while those below are facing downhill with little awareness of what’s happening behind them. Therefore, it is entirely your responsibility to respect and safeguard the well-being of the people downhill from you.

You must be aware that the people ahead of you are NOT aware of your presence; therefore, it’s polite and respectful to give folks a wide berth when passing or turning around them. It is impossible to predict where or when a skier or rider in front of you may change direction. It is always YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to avoid colliding with someone below you. This is accomplished by yielding the right-of-way to the person below you.

Adjust your speed considering your ability, visibility, snow conditions, and traffic density. Be ready to slow or stop at any time.

Smugglers’ has extensive in-bounds named laded trails and open woods skiing. Our open woods are not patrolled or controlled. If you decide to ski or ride in these areas, consider the following.

Know what the natural snow conditions may be like, which may be different than our named trails.

Never go alone, explore with three or more, be sure you have a plan to exit the woods, and remember where you enter. Skiing in open woods is not recommended after 3:00 pm.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort does not have rescue responsibilities beyond our ski area boundary, as noted on our trail map. If you choose to ski beyond the Resort boundary, notify a friend or family member of your intended route and estimated return time.

You will see signage and markings along your way around our mountains. Trail signs designate the name and recommended ability level of the trail, with a green circle being easiest, a blue square being intermediate, and a black diamond being expert. If you happen across a double black diamond, you need to be an expert! Trails are marked for some obstacles, both man-made and natural; not all hazards can be marked, so be aware of your surroundings. You may see pads on lift towers, usually yellow in their presentation; these serve as warning devices and may or may not protect you from impact. Banners in trails such as SLOW or TRAIL MERGE, etc., are there to assist you, but ultimately YOU are responsible for your actions on the hill.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort is dedicated to providing an enjoyable skiing and riding experience for everyone. While occasional hazards and less-than-ideal snow conditions can add to the challenge, we take great care in balancing fun and caution when opening trails and glades. Closed trails are marked for reasons that may not be visible from the lift or trail entrance. Skiing or riding on closed trails increases risk for you and potential rescuers. Therefore, we strictly enforce a No Skiing On Closed Trails policy. Violators may lose their lift privileges.

> First violation will be the loss of skiing/riding privileges for the remainder of the day or the next day if it occurs after 3:00 pm.
> Second offense will result in loss of skiing/riding privileges for 7 days.
> Subsequent offenses could result in loss of skiing/riding privileges for the remainder of the season with no refund.

At Smugglers’ Notch Ski Resort, we allow skis and snowboards with metal edges and functional restraint devices, along with a few specific, standardized adaptive devices.  Devices like snowshoes, sleds, snow tubes, snow scooters, snow bikes, snow skates, or any other implement are prohibited from lifts and slopes. People without equipment (foot traffic) are not permitted on the lifts. Special consideration may be made with appropriate requests through the Ski & Ride department and Mountain Operations.

Sledding or tubing is prohibited on any skiable terrain at the Resort. Grooming, snowmaking equipment, snowmobiles, and Resort staff may be working on the ski trails at any time, day or night, which can present hazards to persons in a sled. Sledding on any incline or roadway is prohibited due to various manmade and natural, hidden or obvious hazards.

Sleds purchased at the Country Store or brought from home can be used to transport children and/or gear to and from various buildings and locations in and around the village area. If sleds are used for this purpose, please make sure that the riders are supervised and the sled remains under control.

If You Are Involved in an Incident:

> Stop Safely (visible from above)

> Call Ski Patrol, assist if you can, but do not put you or others injured in more danger.

If you are in a collision with another skier/rider, state law dictates that you must exchange information. The first step should be to call Ski Patrol. Step 2 should be sharing info. To ascertain all is well, it’s important to follow both steps. Additionally, the Resort, Ski Patrol, and the Mountain Ops teams can learn something from every accident. It’s important for the Resort to know about any crashes or collisions that involve injuries.

Smugglers’ benefits from having a very experienced Patrol group. They are identified by red jackets with white crosses. They monitor trails for changing conditions, skier or rider compliance with your responsibility code, and assist people when an incident arises. Patrol service is available from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Ski Patrol dispatch phone number is (802) 644-1182. You can have any Mountain staff request to contact Patrol if you are unable to.

Pets on the slopes during operational hours may pose legitimate safety risks. Due to the potential for injury to guests and/or our furry friends. We do not allow pets on our lifts or slopes during the winter operational season.

During the off-season, pets are allowed but must always be on a leash. Owners of pets assume liability of their companions at all times. Please read the Resort Pet Policy.

Unmanned aerial drone use by guests or the media is prohibited for the public. For further information, please contact the Safety Director or read the Drone Policy.

Our Mountains are not only enjoyable in the winter but can also be used for hiking in the warmer season. All the precautions taken in the winter should be considered in the off-season. We take pride in our environment and take into consideration erosion control and any other impact people may have. With this, we do not allow motorized vehicles of any kind, whether piston-driven or electric, on our terrain. Our teams work all summer to maintain the lifts and snowmaking systems. Do not get near or climb on lifts or snowmaking equipment, as they can move at any time. In the winter, you are RESPONSIBLE for your actions.