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 joyChris knows how to ski and rideView from Upper ChilcootDressed for the occasion20-year Smuggs family member Andrew and I in Lot #1#smuggslove
The forecast for the next few days is rain with windy conditions. We will close lift operations on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We will reopen on Sunday, April 14th, which is the last day of the season. We hope to see you on Sunday!
The Sterling Lift is operating today. We have 29 trails open with terrain for intermediates and experts. Currently, it is sunny and 48 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Today’s forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with a high of 57 degrees at the base and 52 degrees at higher elevations. Get it while you can, the last day of the season is Sunday, April 14th.
Words can’t describe it, and photos can’t do it justice. To watch the sky go from a bright sunny day to night and back to a sunny day in a few minutes is crazy. Sunsets, sunrises, and even a sundog! I’m still trying to take it all in. Tomorrow, we plan to have the Sterling Lift operating with 31 trails open. We have terrain open for intermediates and experts only. Currently, it is sunny again and 45 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies with a high of 56 degrees at the base and 52 degrees at higher elevations.
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!
We plan to open the Sterling Lift, Sir Henry’s Glider, and Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift at 9 am. We plan to open the Madonna I Lift at 9:30 am. It is snowing hard and 23 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 15 to 25 mph. Winter storm warning today and tonight. Today’s forecast is calling for heavy snow at times, with 6 to 10 inches of accumulation possible; windy, with a high of 31 degrees at the base and 24 degrees at higher elevations. Winds are forecasted to decrease throughout the day. Weather permitting, today we plan to have 4 lifts operating: Madonna I, Sterling, Mogul Mouse’s Magic, and Sir Henry’s Glider. We have 50 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. Surface conditions are powder and packed powder with average base depths of 8 to 34 inches.
We received 6 inches of new snow overnight and 15 inches in the past 2 days. Today’s forecast calls for another 5 to 9 inches of accumulation, windy, with a high of 28 degrees at the base and 22 degrees at higher elevations. The Madonna I Lift, Madonna II Lift, and Sterling Lift are presently on wind hold. We have 61 skiable trails and 13 lift-accessible trails open today. Currently, it is snowing hard and 14 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 25 to 35 mph.
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.
Tomorrow, we plan to have Madonna I Lift, Village Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, Sterling Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider all operating. We now have 69 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 27 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Chilcoot, Smugglers’ Alley, and Garden Path, for a total of 116 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and machine groomed with average base depths of 16 to 40 inches. We received an inch of new snow in the past 24 hours, 10 inches in the past 3 days, and 32 inches in the past 9 days! We are presently making snow on Birch Run, McPherson’s, and the Practice Slope. Currently, it is cloudy and 12 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for partly sunny skies early with increasing clouds, a high of 11 degrees at the base, and 4 degrees at higher elevations. Bundle up and enjoy the wonderful conditions!
Pushing out the huge snowmaking piles on Mulcahy’s Link
We have one more day of warmer weather before the cold air returns. Currently, it is cloudy and 39 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for a chance of fog and rain with a high of 40 degrees. Rain turns to snow tomorrow night, with 1 to 2 inches of new accumulation possible. There may be some delayed lift openings on Saturday morning due to the late freeze and grooming operations. The falling temperatures will allow us to resume our snowmaking operations this weekend. Tomorrow, we plan to have Sterling Lift, Village Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider all operating. We have 14 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 11 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Sam’s Run, Magic Learning Trail, and Treasure Run, for a total of 48 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable, with average base depths of 10 to 34 inches.
Uphill Update:
We are tentatively planning to have Morse Mountain open on New Year’s Eve from 9:30 pm to 1:00 am for uphill travel. Please be aware of possible snowmaking operations on Midway. We plan to make a final decision tomorrow afternoon.
