Sterling

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Clear skies now and snow later

Posted at 7:35 am
View from the summit of Madonna this morning. Photo taken by Assistant Patrol Director Ethan Costello
Ski Patrol taking in the beautiful morning light on Madonna. Photo taken by Lift Maintenance Manager Boder Stevens

Currently, it is 24 degrees at the summit of Sterling with mostly sunny skies. Today’s forecast is calling for snow to develop with some mixed precipitation and 1 to 3 inches of accumulation possible on top, with a high of 35 degrees at the base and 32 degrees at higher elevations. 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 65 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 31 trails have been groomed for today, including Upper FIS, Black Snake, and Log Jam for a grand total of 130 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable with average base depths of 8 to 30 inches. There is more snow in the forecast for Friday night with another 2 to 4 inches of accumulation possible.

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 Bud Light.

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Sun, Fun and SNOW!

Posted at 3:48 pm

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. 3 inches of snow overnight, and can you believe this… 23 inches in the past 6 days! Plus our snowmakers have been busy on Sterling and Madonna mountains. They move to Morse Mountain tomorrow on Curley’s Cutback, Log Jam, and Hibernator – all 3 of those trails will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

I got to make some turns today with Seth Crevison (aka Carv-ison) of the activities department. We enjoyed the fresh powder, even if it was a little sticky due to cold temps. He told me he’d never been on Shuttle (the trail that connects Drifter to Crossover and Lower Rumrunner), so we had to hit the bumps on those rolling slopes. We saw Adam Howard aka Howie, Editor of Backcountry Magazine on Upper Drifter. From the Madonna I Lift, Seth and I spotted our Snow Reporter Hugh Johnson dropping into Freefall. To quote Hugh “another beautiful day on the mountain!”

Seth on Catwalk below ‘upper’ Upper FIS aka Sally’s Alley. Look at all that snow!
Abominable Snow People Sculptures on top of Madonna.
Snowmaking on lower Upper FIS. Or is it upper Lower FIS?
Madonna I in the sun.
Seth on Upper Drifter.
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Top to bottom on all 3 mountains

Posted at 4:54 pm
This trail is not on the trail map. It is from the pump house on Garden Path down to the bottom of Snow Snake.

We received 4 inches of wet snow on top today and some liquid sunshine at the base. Currently, it is 30 degrees at the summit of Sterling with wet snow falling. The temperature will be falling throughout the night with another 1 to 2 inches of new snow possible. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for mostly cloudy skies with a chance of a snow shower, a high of 23 degrees at the base, and 18 degrees at higher elevations. Tomorrow we plan to have 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna I Lift. We have 73 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 25 trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Smugglers’ Alley, Dixie’s Knoll, and Upper Chilcoot for a grand total of 102 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions will be machine-groomed and variable with average base depths of 8 to 30 inches.

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Let it snow

Posted at 8:12 am

44.56°N 72.75°W (Elev. 3343 ft)

Today: Snow likely, mainly before 2 pm. Cloudy, with a high near 24 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 70%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches is possible.

Tonight: Snow likely before 4 am, then a slight chance of snow showers after 5 am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 60%. A new snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches is possible.

Tuesday: Snow showers likely, mainly between 11 am and 3 pm. Cloudy, with a high near 25 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches is possible.

We received 4 inches of new snow in the past 24 hours and 13 inches in the past 4 days. Currently, it is 23 degrees at the summit of Sterling with flurries and winds of 0 to 5 mph. Today we plan to ski and ride on all 3 mountains with 6 lifts operating, including the Madonna I Lift. We now have 67 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. Sterling Mountain is 100 percent open. 25 trails have been groomed for today, including Smugglers’ Alley, Upper Chilcoot, and Dixie’s Knoll for a grand total of 105 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are packed powder and powder with average base depths of 8 to 28 inches. Yesterday we made snow on Upper FIS.

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 Zero Gravity, Powder Jones.

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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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99 acres of freshly groomed terrain for Thursday

Posted at 4:41 pm
Summit of Sterling Mountain
Lower Morse Liftline

It was pretty foggy today, with mixed precipitation turning to snow. The temperature was slowly falling throughout the day. Tonight we plan to make snow on Upper Chilcoot and Waterfall. We received a dusting to an inch of new snow on the top of Sterling. There is a winter weather advisory starting late tomorrow afternoon and ending late Friday afternoon. We could see a storm total of 6 to 10 inches of accumulation possible! Currently, it is 26 degrees at the summit of Sterling with flurries and winds of 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast is calling for partly sunny skies with a high of 28 degrees at the base and 26 degrees at the summit of Sterling. Tomorrow we plan to have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains. We plan to have the Madonna II Lift, Sterling Lift, Village Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, Morse Highlands Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider all operating. We have 38 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 22 out of the 38 open trails will be groomed for tomorrow, including Smugglers’ Alley, Magic Learning Trail, and Lower Madonna Liftline for a grand total of 99 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable with average base depths of 6 to 24 inches.

The Nordic Center is open with 9 km of cross-country skiing and 15 km of snowshoeing.

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

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Uphill Access

Posted at 8:24 am

Morning uphill will be available on Sterling starting Thursday from 5:30 am to 7:30 am.  We expect it to be available for the remainder of the season barring weather interruptions. It is imperative that participants check the snow report prior to heading out for status updates. The Sterling uphill route is Lower Rumrunner to Upper Rumrunner, descend on any open trail. Please review the uphill policy on the website and get refreshed on the rules (no dogs!).  Evening uphill on Morse remains open from 5 pm to 10 pm but will likely close in the future for several days to complete snowmaking operations. Evening uphill on Madonna and Sterling will remain closed pending the completion of snowmaking operations on those mountains.

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New snow

Posted at 11:20 am
Nick Anastasi of Smuggs TV enjoying the great conditions

We received an inch of new snow overnight with more on the way. Today’s forecast calls for snow showers with another 1 to 2 inches of accumulation possible and a high of 31 degrees at the base and 26 degrees at the summit of Sterling. It is snowing and 19 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 15 to 25 mph. We are presently making snow on Lower FIS and Mulcahy’s Link. We have skiing and riding on all 3 mountains. The Madonna II Lift, Village Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, Sterling Lift, Morse Highlands Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider are all operating. We have 20 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 19 out of the 20 open trails have been groomed for today, including Smugglers’ Alley, Dixie’s Knoll, and Lower Chilcoot for a grand total of 84 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 Fiddlehead.

Uphill travel is open on Morse Mountain from 5 pm to 10 pm Friday through Wednesday. Morse Mountain is closed Thursday evenings due to fireworks and Cat Trax Tours.

Madonna and Sterling are presently closed to uphill travel until we have more trails open. Stay tuned for updates.

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Snow, sleet, freezing rain, and mixed for tomorrow

Posted at 4:15 pm
Upper Rumrunner
Lift Operator Chad Kibbe’s custom snowboard with Smuggs trail map on the base
Can you see the top?

Currently, it is foggy and 31 degrees at the summit of Sterling with winds of 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow’s forecast for the summit of Sterling is snow showers, freezing rain, and sleet before 1 pm, then snow showers and freezing drizzle after 2 pm. Mostly cloudy and breezy with a high of 31 degrees. Tomorrow’s forecast for the Village is a chance of snow showers and rain before 3 pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 3 pm and 5 pm. Mostly cloudy and breezy with a high of 34 degrees. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible. Tomorrow we plan to have Sterling Lift, Mogul Mouse’s Magic Lift, Village Lift, and Sir Henry’s Glider all operating. We plan to have 16 trails open with terrain for all ability levels. 15 trails will be groomed tomorrow, including Smugglers’ Alley for a grand total of 69 acres of freshly groomed terrain. Surface conditions are machine-groomed and variable with average base depths of 8 to 24 inches. Be aware surface conditions may change throughout the day.

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Calm before the storm

Posted at 2:38 pm
View from the Sterling Lift

Due to the predicted high winds and possible power outages lift services will be closed on Friday, December 23rd. We plan to reopen on Saturday, December 24th. There will be delayed openings on Saturday, please check the snow report for the latest information. Happy Holidays and we wish you safe travels.