Uphill access will remain closed on all mountains until lifts open for the season. Once uphill access is open, routes available for uphill access, the run back down, and the times they are available will be posted on the
Snow Report daily by 4:00 pm for that night and the following morning. When available, nighttime access will be from 4:30 pm to 10:00 pm, and morning access from 5:30 am to 7:30 am. Morning users must be off the hill by 8:00 am.
The following rules apply to uphill access users:
- Anyone participating in uphill travel or reaping the benefits thereof, do so at their own risk and assume all liability for their use of the mountain.
- Please be aware that there are no Resort emergency services available during these times: 4:45 pm - 8:00 am. Call 911 in case of an emergency.
- Please be aware and respectful of snowmobile and snowcat activity present on the trails throughout these time periods.
- Please avoid trails with snowmaking or grooming operations underway. Utilize the routes identified for access on the daily snow report. If you do encounter a groomer or snowmobile, please step off the side of the trail until they have passed. This is especially important at night when the snowcat operator’s field of vision is constrained.
- Robin’s Run, Freefall, Madonna Liftline (above Link), and all closed trails are off-limits as descent routes at all times.
- Do not approach winch cat operations under any circumstances. They can have over 2500’ of high-tension cable strung out that is impossible to see and very dangerous to be around. These areas are OFF-LIMITS!
- Always wear reflective clothing and use a headlamp.
- Uphill access is not allowed during lift operating hours. Those hours are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. You must be off the hill by 8:00 am.
- No dogs, cats, potbellied pigs, or other pets allowed. Sloths are cute and all, but again, leave them at home.
- If you pack it in, please pack it out. Don’t leave litter behind.
- Parking is available in Lot 3 ONLY. Please don’t park at the Base Lodge, Lot 1, or the Patrol Chalet.
- Do not plan on using mountaintop warming huts during the pandemic. Ski Patrol has to populate these facilities early in the morning and these buildings are not open to the public.
- Smugglers’ Notch employees may monitor your behavior in the name of safety and compliance. Failure to abide by the guidelines may be grounds for revocation of Resort access privileges.
We hope to have plenty of terrain available for the uphill access user to experience this winter while eliminating the unsafe encounters we have experienced in the past. You can expect to see more flexibility in what is available at night for routes on Madonna and Sterling than in the past. Morse will generally be available at night but not often in the morning. At this time, we are still working to identify an uphill route that can be safely used during lift operating hours due to the narrow and winding nature of our trails.
Thank you for your cooperation and let’s all have a great winter!
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
Eli Moore
Director, Smugglers' Ski Patrol
802-644-1182
Mike McAdoo
Director, Mountain Operations
802-644-1161
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