Archives: January 2024

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Snowmaking operations

Posted at 4:43 pm

Our snowmakers have been busy on Upper FIS for the past couple of days. The snow guns are now turned off, and it’s time for the groomers to take over. The groomers will push out all the snowmaking whales, and we plan to reopen the Madonna I Lift on Friday. Tomorrow, we plan to have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating. We have 45 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 26 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Dixie’s Knoll, Midway, Smugglers’ Alley, Lower FIS, McPherson’s, and Black Snake, for a total of 108 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine groomed and variable, with average base depths of 12 to 36 inches. Currently, it is cloudy and 25 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 0 to 5 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for cloudy skies with a chance of freezing drizzle, a high of 33 degrees at the base, and 27 degrees at higher elevations.

Thank you, snowmakers!
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Over 100 acres of corduroy

Posted at 9:04 am

Today we have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains. The Madonna I Lift is closed today due to snowmaking operations on Upper FIS. We have 43 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 26 trails have been groomed for today, including Smugglers’ Alley, Lower Pipeline, McPherson’s, Lower Chilcoot, Log Jam, and Curley’s Cutback. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable, with average base depths of 12 to 36 inches. It is cloudy and 20 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 0 to 5 mph. Today’s forecast calls for cloudy skies with a high of 30 degrees at the base and 25 degrees at higher elevations.

Garden Path
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We are Smugglers! We are Family!!

Posted at 2:54 pm

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. One of the many things I love about Smuggs is the community that skis and rides here. Guests from out of town, out of state, and out of country, locals, and employees – all feel at home here. I rode the Sterling Lift with M.C. from the U.C. (Underhill Center), I shared jokes with Dale, Darcy, and their friend Bob, I caught up with my Cambridge, VT friends the Gomezes, and I got the latest news from Rachel and Anne at the Black Bear Tavern. Crank up the Sister Sledge!

Today, we had 44 trails open, and we should have a similar trail count tomorrow. I enjoyed the loose granular – it reminds me of Cream of Wheat. I also enjoyed the velocity of the New England Loud Powder. Just about everything was open on Sterling Mountain. Due to snowmaking on Upper FIS, Madonna I will not operate until Friday. Ski ya later.

Link’d In! Mulcahy’s Link with the Madonna II Lift overhead.
The Gomez Family – Doug and Dodi have been coming to Smuggs for 50 years, and their son Dalton (visiting from Montana) has been coming for 29 years. Dalton says we have a better snowpack than they do out west right now.
Upper Rumrunner at the turn-off to Thomke’s.
Mahogany Ridge – one of the more extreme runs at Smuggs. Longtime Black Bear Bartender and local personality Rachel with Bob and the famous musical duo Dale & Darcy.
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“Busta” Rime Ice

Posted at 8:15 am

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. There may be no snow where you are, but we have it here! Mtn. Ops Maestro Mike McAdoo sent some photos from the summit this morning, proving we have winter weather up here! Rime ice is white ice that freezes to surfaces at higher elevations, sometimes we gotta bust it off the lifts. Today we’ll have 46 trails (26 groomed) open and 6 lifts operating. Madonna I is closed today, and possibly tomorrow due to snowmaking operations. We are currently making snow on Upper FIS – aka Fizz or as Snoop Dog says Fizzizille. Ski U soon.

Madonna I Lift rime ice. Photo by Mike McAdoo.
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Thank you snowmakers!

Posted at 5:07 pm

We are presently making snow on Upper FIS. Great snowmaking temperatures tonight, with a low of around 8 degrees at higher elevations. We also have good snowmaking temperatures tomorrow and tomorrow night. Tomorrow, we plan to have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna II Lift. The Madonna I Lift is presently closed for snowmaking operations. We have 38 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 26 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Mulcahy’s Link, Log Jam, and Smugglers’ Alley, for a total of 108 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine groomed and loose granular with average base depths of 12 to 36 inches. Currently, it is cloudy and 17 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for partly sunny skies with a high of 25 degrees.

Upper FIS
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Skiing and riding on all 3 mountains

Posted at 12:01 pm

6 lifts operating, including the Madonna II Lift. The Madonna I Lift will be closed today, tomorrow, and maybe Wednesday for snowmaking operations. We are presently making snow on Upper FIS. We have 38 trails open with terrain for all ability levels.

McPherson’s
Midway
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Good morning

Posted at 7:58 am

Today we plan to have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating. The Madonna I Lift will be closed today, tomorrow, and maybe Wednesday for snowmaking operations. We have 38 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 27 trails have been groomed for today, including Smugglers’ Alley, Black Snake, Dixie’s Knoll, Howie’s Wanderer, McPherson’s, and Lower FIS for a total of 113 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine groomed and variable, with average base depths of 12 to 36 inches. Currently, it is cloudy and 20 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Today’s forecast calls for cloudy skies with a chance of a snow shower early in the day, a high of 28 degrees at the base and 22 degrees at higher elevations. Today, we plan to make snow on Upper FIS.

Lower Morse Liftline
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Snow in the forecast

Posted at 4:21 pm

Tonight’s forecast calls for periods of snow with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation possible. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for cloudy skies with a chance of a snow shower, a high of 28 degrees at the base, and 22 degrees at higher elevations. The colder temperatures will allow us to resume snowmaking operations. We plan to fire up the snow guns on Upper FIS tomorrow morning. We plan to operate the Madonna II Lift instead of the Madonna I Lift on Monday, Tuesday, and maybe Wednesday this week due to snowmaking operations. Tomorrow, we plan to have 39 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 28 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Hibernator, Lower FIS, Birch Run, McPherson’s, Magic Learning Trail, Thomke’s, and Smugglers’ Alley, for a total of 113 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine groomed and variable, with average base depths of 12 to 36 inches. Currently, it is cloudy and 28 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 10 mph.

Uphill Update

Morse Mountain is open to uphill travel Wednesdays through Fridays from 5 pm to 10 pm.

Sterling Mountain is open to uphill travel daily from 5:30 am to 7:30 am.

Madonna Mountain is presently closed to uphill travel due to snowmaking operations.

Clouds rolling over Sterling Mountain seen from Madonna Mountain
Rime ice forms when supercooled water droplets freeze on contact with a surface below 32 degrees. The small water droplets almost freeze instantly, which causes tiny ice particles. The water droplets usually come from fog or low-lying clouds.
Trees covered in rime ice near the summit of Madonna Mountain
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Smuggs family member

Posted at 3:21 pm

Today, I rode the Madonna I Lift with Joon. Joon is a chaperone with the Hunter College High School group from New York City. This group has been coming to Smuggs for the past 15 years. They have the chaperones wear a yellow bandana attached to the back of their goggles, and the students wear a purple bandana. This makes it easier for the chaperones and students to find each other! We had a wonderful conservation on our way up Madonna Mountain. It was nice to meet you Joon and I hope everyone in your group has a fantastic time here at Smuggs!

Joon and I near the top of the Madonna I Lift