Sterling

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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.

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Making Snow and Sliding Where It Goes!

Posted at 3:17 pm
Snowmaking on Sterling Mountain
Snowmaking on top of Sterling Mountain

We’re blasting snow! Mother Nature is giving us some cooler temps and we’re taking full advantage. Our hardworking snowmaking and grooming teams are setting us up for a great weekend of skiing and riding. Lower Rumrunner is officially open with more trails to follow in the coming days.

It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful weekend. Keep thinking snow!

Skier enjoying some fresh turns on Upper Rumrunner
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Snowmaking Symphony

Posted at 7:33 am

Our Snowmakers are working around the clock to make the stuff that makes us happy! Snowguns were in action up and down Sterling Mountain this morning and will be throughout the day. Snowmaking Ops will soon move to the Village to prepare beginner terrain. And you couldn’t have snowmaking without grooming. Ski you soon!

Snowguns at the base of Sterling Mountain.
Director of Mountain Ops, Mark Delaney is driving the Cat this morning.
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Snowmaking Returns Tonight!

Posted at 3:43 pm
December 8, 2022 Rumrunner
Rumrunner on December 8, 2022

Nothing like starting the day off with a little bit of a refresher from Mother Nature. From the moment I got on the lift and so far through the afternoon, a light dusting of snow has fallen. I’ll take it!

The conditions are carvable thanks to our award-winning snowmaking and grooming teams laying down some beautiful corduroy. Down below it’s nice and granular, perfect for making some nice turns.

With cooler temps returning, our snowmakers are eager to get those guns firing again. Sometimes Mother Nature needs a little help and our team is more than up to the challenge! Our snowmaking efforts will continue tonight on Sterling focusing on Black Snake and Lower Rumrunner. We plan to have Lower Rumrunner open for the weekend, weather permitting. The lower mountain and beginner terrain is up next.

Stay tuned and think snow!