Hugh's Views - Smugglers' Notch Vermont

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Snowfall totals increase

Posted December 17, 2018 at 7:21 am

Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service

Today

A chance of snow showers between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm, then snow after 1:00 pm. High near 29. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tonight

Snow. Low around 7. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Tuesday

Snow likely before 10:00 am, then a chance of snow showers, mainly between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Cloudy, with a high near 14. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Lifts and Trails

Today we have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 5 lifts operating; Madonna I Lift, Sterling Lift, Village Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider. We have 54 trails open today with terrain for all ability levels. 25 trails have been groomed for today, including Smugglers’ Alley, Thomke’s, and Sam’s Run for a grand total of 108 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are variable and machine groomed with average base depths of 18 to 48 inches.

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Another great day on the slopes

Posted December 13, 2018 at 4:05 pm

A different view of Sterling Pond

I was on Morse Mountain this morning. Our snowmakers were working on Sam’s Run and Dixie’s Knoll. They have done a great job of taking advantage of the cooler temperatures. Skier’s right on Lower Morse Liftline is covered with snowmaking whales. The snowmakers also made a mountain of snow next to the drive of the Morse Lift, which will eventually become a mini half pipe. It was great to see all the Snow Sport University classes out on the hill. This afternoon I headed up to Sterling Mountain. It was nice and sunny, so I went to get a few pictures of Sterling Pond. It was fun getting the reflection of Sterling Pond in my lens, it gave the pond a different hue.

Snowboard group heading down Garden Path

Lifts and Trails

This weekend we plan to have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 66 trails open. For Friday we plan to have 3 lifts operating; Sterling Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider with 35 trails open. Surface conditions are packed powder and powder with average base depths of 20 to 50 inches. 18 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, that’s 75 acres of freshly groomed terrain.

Arlo working in Birch Run Terrain Park

Weather

Currently it is partly sunny and 16 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies with temperatures between 29 and 39 degrees.

Finding the line

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Snowmakers have been very busy

Posted December 13, 2018 at 7:44 am

Snowmaker Chris Tefft stands next to the mountain of snow they made last night

The weather was great last night for snowmaking! The cooler temperatures allowed the snowmakers to open up the guns and let them blast. The pictured HKD Fan gun was pumping out 210 gallons of water a minute last night! Our snowmakers were also busy on Lower Morse Liftline where they filled in the skier’s right hand side of the trail with some nice snowmaking whales. Snowmaking continues today on Sam’s Run and Dixie’s Knoll.

Lifts and Trails

Stock piling the snow

This weekend we plan to have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with 4 lifts operating; Madonna I lift, Sterling Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider. We plan to have 66 trails open with terrain for all ability levels both Saturday and Sunday. Today we have 3 lifts operating: Sterling Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider with 35 trails open. 15 trails have been groomed for today, including Smugglers’ Alley and Black Snake for a grand total of 70 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and powder with average base depths of 20 to 50 inches.

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Trail count will double this weekend

Posted December 12, 2018 at 12:07 pm

Matt McCawley having a blast in the trees

This weekend we plan to have top to bottom skiing and riding on all 3 mountains with around 66 trails open! We received another 4 inches of new snow today and 22 inches in the past week. Conditions are amazing with deep base depths. Snowmaking continues today on Sam’s Run, Curley’s Cutback, Birch Run, and Dixie’s Knoll.

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Morse Code

Posted December 11, 2018 at 3:24 pm

Larry’s class entering King Billy Bear’s den…

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. I got to tool around Morse Mountain today. I saw Larry and Dara (but not their other brother Darrell) teaching Discovery Camp skiers (ages 3-5, aka Disco Kids) on the Magic Learning Trail and Sir Henry’s. Morse is a great area for beginners and it also features trails for intermediates. I ran into Snowmaking Maestro Justin Thoelke during lunch at Green Mountain Deli. He said snowmaking’s next move was going to be Sam’s Run and Dixie’s Knoll and that’ll open more trails on Morse! Maybe then Darrell will come out and take some runs.