Madonna

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Great day on the slopes

Posted at 5:13 pm

This morning, I got a text from Caleb Kessler. Caleb is the Social Media Manager here at Smuggs. He had heard the news that the Madonna I Lift was opening for the first time this season and wanted to get some photos. We met up and took a couple of amazing runs on Madonna! We were headed to Upper FIS and stopped to look down Doc’s. It was completely smooth with no bumps and had great coverage. It was really hard to ski by, but we decided to ski Upper FIS and then cut back to Lower Docs. The skier’s left on Upper FIS was wonderful. Lower Doc’s was so much fun with the lower-angle powder to float through. Caleb and I got to the base area of Madonna after our first run, and we were going to go back to our offices, but the line at Madonna I Lift was short. We looked at each other and headed right back to the Madonna I Lift. It was just too good not to do another run!

We are presently making snow on Upper Chilcoot, Mulcahy’s Link, and Lower FIS. The Madonna I Lift will be closed tomorrow through Friday for snowmaking operations. Tomorrow, we plan to have Madonna II Lift, Sterling Lift, Village Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider all operating. We will have 52 trails open tomorrow with terrain for all ability levels. 22 trails will be groomed for tomorrow; that’s a total of 96 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and machine groomed with average base depths of 14 to 38 inches. Currently, it is partly cloudy and 10 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for snow showers with 4 to 8 inches of accumulation possible, with a high of 19 degrees at the base and 16 degrees at higher elevations. The conditions are fantastic and are only getting better!

Upper FIS Photo taken by Caleb Kessler
Caleb and I in the Rime Ice Forest
Goods in the woods. Photo taken by Caleb Kessler
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Fantastic conditions

Posted at 3:42 pm
Upper Chilcoot

Madonna and Sterling are 100 percent open! We have top-to-bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 4 lifts operating, including the Madonna I Lift. We have 73 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. We plan to groom 35 trails for tomorrow, including Upper FIS, Goat Path, Thomke’s Express, Smugglers’ Alley, Snow Snake, and Lower Morse Liftline for a grand total of 137 acres of freshly groomed terrain. We also plan to groom Upper Treasure and Link to Sterling. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable with average base depths of 12 to 54 inches. It is partly sunny and 32 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with a high of 33 degrees at the base and 27 degrees at higher elevations.

The Nordic Center is open with 17 km of cross-country trails and 15 km of snowshoeing trails.

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Another gorgeous day on the slopes

Posted at 4:13 pm
Snow Sport University Training Manager Greg Fatigate having fun on Upper FIS
Panoramic from Madonna Mountain
Hayleigh enjoying the dry snow on Upper FIS
Shadow dancing

The sun was out in force today with temperatures rising over 20 degrees. The snow stayed dry up high on Madonna and it was spring conditions everywhere else. We have the deepest snow base depths of the season along with milder temperatures for your skiing and riding pleasure. I had a blast today on Upper FIS, Lower Doc’s, Ruthie’s, Snake Bite, Chilcoot, and Black Snake. I went skiing with Nick Anastasi of Smuggs TV this morning. We did a three-mountain tour while filming this week’s No Bull Video Snow Report. This afternoon my daughter Hayleigh and I headed for Madonna Mountain for some after-school runs. We did Upper FIS to Lower Doc’s on our first run. The snow was nice and dry on Upper FIS. As soon as we got into Lower Doc’s the snow was soft the rest of the way down. We had so much that we just had to do it again. Usually, I would be back at my office by 3:30 pm to do the night report, but it was too nice out and we skied till the lifts closed.

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 76 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 35 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Drifter, Smugglers’ Alley, and Snow Snake for a grand total of 140 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Upper FIS will be groomed on the skier’s right half from Catwalk down to Dan’s Ford. We also plan to groom the lower half of Shuttle. Surface conditions are machine groomed and spring conditions with average base depths of 16 to 54 inches. Currently, it is sunny and 39 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for a chance of rain with a high of 43 degrees at the base and 39 degrees at higher elevations.

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Snow-eating Grins

Posted at 4:17 pm

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. Valentine’s Day brought some sweet powder and warm temps. 4 inches of new snow fell on top of Madonna Mountain overnight and temps were between 25-30 degrees. Seth “Carv-ison” and I met at the Base Lodge to take runs on Madonna and Sterling. I was able to introduce him to Highlander Glades, Poachers Woods, Upper Pipeline, and Gary B’s – trails he’d never been on. We ran into Nick from Smuggs TV and took the classic Upper FIS to Lower Doc’s run. What a day to play in the powder! Plenty o’ snow and plenty o’ grins!

Snow-eating grin on Seth on his behind on Upper FIS.
Happy Valentine’s Day from Reservations aka Reso (like Lizzo, but different). L to R: Janet, Heidi, Luz, Maria, and Kristy.
Smuggs TV Cameraman and Producer Nick on Upper FIS.
Upright Seth on Upper FIS.
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Calm before storm

Posted at 5:00 pm
Sterling and Mount Mansfield seen from Madonna
Skier on Upper Drifter
Upper Chilcoot and Mount Mansfield seen at the top of Catwalk
Last run on Morse Mountain

It was absolutely beautiful today with sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Upper FIS, Smugglers’ Alley, and Snow Snake were all groomed last night. I skied Upper FIS and Smugglers’ Alley this morning. I snowboarded Snow Snake this afternoon. The conditions are great and they are going to get even better. Tonight’s forecast is calling for snow showers of 3 to 5 inches. Tomorrow’s forecast is more snow another 1 to 3 inches of accumulation is possible with a high of 37 degrees at the base and 30 degrees at higher elevations. 34 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Chilcoot, Rumrunner, and Garden Path for a grand total of 141 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and machine groomed with average base depths of 8 to 32 inches. Currently, it is partly sunny and 32 degrees at the summit of Sterling.

The Nordic Center is open with 15 km of snowshoeing and 17 km of cross-country trails. The ice rink is presently closed.

This weekend the featured beer for the apres sports parties at Bootlegger’s and the Black Bear Tavern is Pabst Blue Ribbon.

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Another great day on the slopes

Posted at 4:40 pm
Last run

I skied all three mountains this morning. I started on Morse Mountain and skied over to Madonna. I took a few cruisers and a scenic run down Drifter. I then headed over to Sterling to check out the U14 GS race on Snake Bite and the Practice Slope. They were starting at the top of Snake Bite, so they had speed as they dove down the steep pitch. It was impressive to watch these athletes! This afternoon I switched my skis for a snowboard. I rode Morse Mountain, so I could work on carving. The bottom of Garden Path has a gentle pitch and is pretty wide. This made it easier to carve and not get too much speed. 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 67 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 31 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Smugglers’ Alley, Upper FIS, and Hibernator for a grand total of 125 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and machine groomed with average base depths of 8 to 30 inches. Currently, it is partly cloudy and 25 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for a chance of a snow shower early with skies becoming partly sunny, a high of 30 degrees at the base, and 26 degrees at higher elevations. Temperatures will be falling throughout the day.

The Nordic Center is open with 15 km of snowshoeing and 17 km of cross-country trails. The ice rink is also open.

Next weekend the featured beer for the apres sports parties at Bootlegger’s and the Black Bear Tavern is Bud Light.

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Calm before the storm

Posted at 5:04 pm
Madonna, Sterling, and Mount Mansfield seen from the Village Lift
Long time Ski Instructor Larry Arnold with his class on Lower Morse Liftline
The “Usual Spot” on Upper Rumrunner with the Sterling Lift in the background
The view from Midway

I met Nick Anastasi from Smuggs TV this morning at the Village Lift. We did a three-mountain tour for this week’s No Bull Video Snow Report. We took Midway to the upper mountains and headed for the Sterling Lift. Smugglers’ Alley was groomed last night, so we made a left turn as we unloaded the Sterling Lift. The Alley was fun and flat. We then did a nice cruiser down Lower Rumrunner. It was nice riding your edges in the fresh corduroy. On our next run, we did Upper Rumrunner and then jumped into the Highlander Glades for some tree skiing. It was then time to let our skis roll down Treasure Run and Lower Exhibition. We then headed for the Madonna II Lift. We had a blast cruising down Lower Chilcoot. I love the turns and contours, and there is plenty of room to make some nice GS turns. The snow that we are expected to get tonight and tomorrow will freshen things up nicely. Last night we made snow on Upper Chilcoot and Waterfall. We are planning to make snow again on Upper Chilcoot tomorrow and then open the Madonna I Lift on Sunday. The Madonna II Lift will open at 8:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. Currently, it is cloudy and 22 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 15 mph. Tonight’s forecast is calling for snow showers with 4 to 8 inches of accumulation possible on top. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for more snow showers with another 2 to 4 inches of new snow possible on top with a high of 31 degrees at the base and 26 degrees at the summit. Tomorrow we plan to have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains. We plan to have the Madonna II Lift, Sterling Lift, Village Lift, Morse Highlands Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider all operating. We will have 37 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 20 out of the 37 open trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Black Snake, Wanderer, and Lower FIS for a grand total of 96 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable with average base depths of 6 to 24 inches.

This weekend the featured beer for the apres sports parties at Bootlegger’s and the Black Bear Tavern is Labatts.

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Making memories

Posted at 9:03 am

Yesterday was the last day of school break and it also happened to be my day off. My daughter Hannah and I came up to do some runs in the afternoon. On the lift ride up Madonna, we talked about where we were going to ski. I suggested that we ski something that Hannah has not skied yet. Hannah is 13 years old and has been on the slopes of Smuggs her whole life. Finding somewhere she has not been may be a challenge. I love to explore and with 3 mountains Smuggs has so much to discover. We skied back-to-back runs that Hannah has not skied on both Madonna and Sterling. We had a wonderful afternoon filled with fresh turns and big smiles. Hannah told me “The next time that I’m not sure if I want to go skiing or not I’m going to remember today!”

Today we have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating, including Morse Highlands and Madonna I. We have 68 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. Freefall is open from the traverse on Upper FIS. Upper Madonna Liftline is open from Catwalk down to the work road. Robin’s Run is open for now and may not last all day. 31 trails have been groomed for today, including Upper FIS, Black Snake, and Hibernator for a grand total of 128 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and machine groomed with average base depths of 16 to 50 inches. Currently, it is 8 degrees at the summit of Sterling with flurries and winds of 5 to10 mph. Today’s forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies with a high of 23 degrees at the base and 17 degrees at higher elevations.

Snow is pretty deep in some places!
Somewhere Hannah has never been