Madonna I Lift

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Great last day!

Posted at 3:49 pm

Today was the final day of the 2023 – 2024 season. We had a good turnout for the last hurrah. It was fantastic having both the Madonna I Lift and Sterling Lift operating today. I would have to say that Upper FIS was the trail pick of the day. The soft bumps were delightful run after run! I want to thank everyone who came to visit us this season. I also want to thank all of the Smuggs employees for all their hard work in making each season the best it can be. Have a fabulous summer, and I will see you on the slopes next winter.

Spreading joy
Chris knows how to ski and ride
View from Upper Chilcoot
Dressed for the occasion
20-year Smuggs family member Andrew and I in Lot #1
#smuggslove

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Perfect day for an eclipse

Posted at 7:24 am

Lift operations will be closing at 2 pm today for the solar event. Currently, it is sunny and 38 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 0 to 5 mph. We have 3 lifts operating: Madonna I, Sterling, and the Village Lift. The sun is already working its magic, and wonderful spring conditions are headed our way! 33 trails have been groomed for today, including Snow Snake, Smugglers’ Alley, Thomke’s, Ruthie’s, and skier’s right on Upper FIS for a total of 139 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Today’s forecast is mostly sunny skies with a high of 51 degrees at the base and 46 degrees at higher elevations. Amazing visibility to watch the total solar eclipse!

Smuggy the snowman at mid-station on Madonna I
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Add a foot of snow to the photo below

Posted at 7:00 am

This photo was taken yesterday morning on Doc Dempsey’s Glades. Another 15 inches of snow have fallen since! 21 inches of new snow in the past 2 days, and we’re not done yet. Today’s forecast is calling for periods of snow with another 2 to 4 inches of accumulation possible and a high of 34 degrees at the base and 28 degrees at higher elevations. Today, we plan to have 4 lifts operating: Sterling, Madonna I, Mogul Mouse’s Magic, and Sir Henry’s Glider. We have 73 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. Surface conditions are some the best of the season with powder and packed powder, base depths are 14 to 40 inches. Currently, it is snowing and 22 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 0 to 5 mph.

Photo credit Caleb Kessler
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Sunshine Surprise

Posted at 3:45 pm

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. The forecast said increasing clouds… well, they didn’t increase. It was a Sunshine Surprise Day. The 22 groomed trails were skiing great, and some natural snow trails opened around midday! Tomorrow, the Madonna I Lift is back online, which will bring our trail count to 30. All 30 trails will be groomed. SNOW ALERT: 8-18 inches forecasted for Wednesday into Thursday night! Ski U soon.

It was a nice surprise and my good “fortune” to ride the lift and take some runs with my friend and long-time Smuggler, Mike, from New Jersey. His 3 girls all learned to ski here! This is not his family’s normal week – they’re here through Monday for the Solar Eclipse.
Charles (of Madonna I Lift fame), Pippa, and Nilu make a “foray” on skis on Morse Mountain.
Christina aka “Eena” and Discovery Camp kids celebrate Tutu Tuesday.
“Can’t see the trails for the trees.” Sterling Mountain as viewed from Snow Snake on Morse Mountain.
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Feel the love

Posted at 4:39 pm

Tomorrow, all lifts will have a delayed opening until 9 am due to grooming operations. Temperatures drop below freezing late tonight, so we have to delay grooming operations to provide the best snow quality. Tomorrow, we plan to have 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna I Lift. We have 59 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 30 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Smugglers’ Alley, Snow Snake, McPherson’s, Curley’s Cutback, Snake Bite, and skier’s right on Upper FIS for a total of 124 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions will be machine groomed and loose granular with average base depths of 8 to 34 inches. Currently, it is cloudy and 32 degrees at the summit of Sterling, with winds of 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for cloudy skies early, becoming partly sunny later, with a high of 39 degrees at the base and 29 degrees at higher elevations.

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Mountains of adventure and mountains of fun

Posted at 4:03 pm

I enjoyed the spring conditions on all 3 mountains today. It was pretty cloudy this morning, but the clouds broke up some this afternoon. I headed for Madonna later in the day to take in the great views. Temperatures will stay above freezing tonight, so we should have more soft conditions tomorrow. We have top-to-bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna I Lift. We have 65 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 24 trails will be groomed for tomorrow for a total of 109 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine groomed and spring conditions with average base depths of 8 to 34 inches. Currently, it is cloudy and 41 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for cloudy skies, patchy fog, and a chance of a shower, with highs of 41 degrees at the base and 37 degrees at higher elevations.

The view from Upper Drifter
Snow Sport University
The view from Smugglers’ Alley
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Good morning skiers and riders

Posted at 6:54 am

It’s going to be a fantastic day on the slopes. We received 33 inches of new snow in the past week, and now we have beautiful sunny skies. Today, we have top-to-bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna I Lift. We have 75 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 34 trails have been groomed for today, including Ruthie’s, Snow Snake, Hibernator, Smugglers’ Alley, Thomke’s, and skier’s right on Upper FIS. Surface conditions are packed powder and machine groomed with average base depths of 14 to 40 inches. Currently, it is sunny and 15 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 36 degrees at the base and 32 degrees at higher elevations. Enjoy the sunshine and wonderful conditions!

The Village Lift
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Beautiful clear skies

Posted at 6:32 am

Currently, it is sunny and 1 degree at the summit of Sterling. Today’s forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies, breezy with a high of 20 degrees at the base and 15 degrees at higher elevations. There is a winter storm warning starting tonight and going through until Saturday night, with up to 20 inches of new snow possible. Plus, we received 30 inches of new snow in the past week. Today, 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 75 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 35 trails have been groomed for today, including Snow Snake, Drifter, Ruthie’s, Log Jam, and Thomke’s, for a total of 135 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and powder with average base depths of 14 to 40 inches. Last night, we made snow on the Magic Learning Trail, Lower Morse Liftline, and the base areas.

The Village Lift
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Dual Slalom

Posted at 3:46 pm

Today was the second day of the George Tormey Challenge. Racing through a course by yourself is one thing, but when someone is next to you racing, it takes things to another level. It pushes you because you can see if you are winning or losing. I had a great time watching this head-to-head competition.

Tomorrow, 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 69 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 33 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Hibernator, Smugglers’ Alley, and skier’s right on Upper FIS for a total of 127 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable, with average base depths of 10 to 36 inches. We received 2 to 4 inches of new snow on top in the past 24 hours. Currently, it is partly sunny and 30 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 0 to 5 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for snow showers 1 to 3 inches of accumulation possible with a high of 33 degrees at the base and 23 degrees at higher elevations. We have colder temperatures forecasted for the upcoming week.