Smugglers' Notch Resort: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Ski area in Vermont, United States}}

{{Infobox Company

{{For|the natural feature for which the resort is named|Smugglers Notch}}

| company_name = Smuggler's Notch Resort

{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}

| company_logo = [[Image:Smugglers-notch-vermont.gif]]

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

| company_type = Private

{{Infobox ski area

| foundation = 1956

| name = Smugglers' Notch Resort

| ___location = Jeffersonville, VT

| logo = Smugglers-notch-vermont.png

| industry = [[Ski resort]]

| picture = Smugglers-2004-0410b.jpg

| homepage = [http://www.smuggs.com www.smuggs.com]

| caption = Smugglers' Notch as seen from the access road

}}

| ___location = [[Cambridge, Vermont|Town of Cambridge]], near [[Jeffersonville, Vermont]], U.S.

| nearest_city = [[Burlington, Vermont]], U.S.

| coordinates = {{coord|44|34|22|N|72|46|34|W|type:landmark_scale:50000_region:US-VT|display=inline,type}}

| top_elevation = {{Convert|3,640|ft|m}}<ref name="map"/>

| base_elevation = {{Convert|1,030|ft|m}}<ref name="map"/>

| vertical = {{Convert|2,610|ft|m}}<ref name="map">{{cite web |url=http://www.smuggs.com/pages/winter/skiride/trail-map.php|title=Smugglers' Notch Vermont Trail Map|publisher=smuggs.com}}</ref>

| skiable_area =

| number_trails = 78<br>19% Easy<br>50% Intermediate<br>25% Difficult<br>6% Extremely difficult

| miles_of_trails =

| longest_run =

| liftsystem = 8 (6 [[chairlifts]], 2 [[surface lifts]])

| fast_quadchair =

| quadchair =

| triplechair =

| doublechair =

| lift_capacity =

| terrainparks =

| snowfall = {{Convert|312|in|m}}

| external_link = [http://www.smuggs.com www.smuggs.com]

|}}

'''Smugglers' Notch Resort''' is a ski resort area in the town of [[Cambridge, Vermont]], United States, located near the village of [[Jeffersonville, Vermont|Jeffersonville]]. Its vertical drop of {{convert|2610|ft|m}} is the [[List of New England ski areas by vertical drop|fourth largest]] in [[New England]] and the third largest in [[Vermont]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://verticalfeet.com/|title=VerticalFeet.com-Accurate Ski Resort Ranking with monthly updates|website=verticalfeet.com}}</ref> [[Smugglers Notch|Its namesake]] is a narrow notch ([[mountain pass]]) running adjacent to Sterling Mountain, which [[smuggle]]rs used in the early 19th century.<ref name="smuggs">{{cite web | url = http://www.smuggs.com/pages/universal/corporate/history.php | title = The History of Smugglers' Notch | access-date = 2009-12-09 | publisher = Smugglers' Notch Resort}}</ref> Smugglers' Notch, nicknamed '''Smuggs''', consists of three mountains: Morse, Madonna, and Sterling. The resort attracts skiers in the winter and summer vacationers during the warmer months.

'''Smuggler's Notch''' is a [[ski]] area in [[Jeffersonville, VT]]. It consists of three ski mountains: Morse Mountain, with terrain geared more towards families and beginners, and Sterling and Madonna Mountains, geared more towards advanced skiers and snowboarders. Its namesake is a narrow mountain road running adjacent to Sterling Mountain which [[smuggle]]rs used many years ago.

==History==

SmugglerSmugglers's Notch was founded in 1956, by a group of Vermont skiers. The first lifts were two pomasPomas (or [[platter liftslift]]s) on Sterling mountainMountain.

Smuggler's Notch never made any money inIn the firstearly seven years of it's exsistence1960s, until it was discovered by [[Tom Watson, Jr.]], who was the Chairman of [[IBM]], atbecame thatinvolved with the timemountain. The site of the Villagevillage today was an open field and logging station. Watson envisioned a village patterned after those found in Europe. Soon, he developed the other mountains,nearby Morse and Madonna mountains. NeverIt tois besaid outdonethat Watson placed the bottom of the Madonna I chairlift several feet below the lodge to getobtain the prizehonor of owning the world's longest bottom-drive chairlift at the time.

After this was done, Watson started on the Villagevillage at Morse that he had envisioned. He hired Stanley Snider of Stanmar, a [[Massachusetts]]-based developer and [[Martha's Vineyard]] resort owner, to create that village. After a heart attack, Watson began to divest in some of his petbusiness projectsholdings and sold Smuggs to Snider and Stanmar, who operated the resort for years. At that time Terpstra and Morrow constructed a large in-ground pool and 24 four-bedroom, four-bath, pool-front luxury condominiums. Terpstra is still a very active property owner at the entrance of the resort. They hired AT&T's Bill Stritzler, who owned a home at Smuggs, as the Managingmanaging Directordirector of the resort. When Snider retired, he sold the resort to Stritzler.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418204432/https://vtdigger.org/obituary/stanley-snider-one-of-vermonts-largest-employers-developer-of-smugglers-notch-resort-great-grandfather/|title=STANLEY SNIDER, ONE OF VERMONT’S LARGEST EMPLOYERS, DEVELOPER OF SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH RESORT, GREAT-GRANDFATHER|work=VTDigger|access-date=2022-04-18|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Area==

SmugglerSmugglers's Notch namesake comes from the smugglers almostof 200the early yearsnineteenth agocentury, who used the thick forest on the mountain range, and the caves and caverns along the Long Trail to transport illegal or embargoed goods across the [[Canada–United States border|Canada–US border]]. The notch was most likely involved in [[rum-running|bootlegging]] during the [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]-era of the 1920s, using the same caves as a cache for smuggled Canadian beer, wine, and spirits. Scenic Smugglers' Notch proper comprises Sterling Mountain/Spruce Peak ridgeline to the east and [[Mount Mansfield]] borderto the west. Extremely steep terrain drops down into the notch where [[Vermont Route 108]] winds through switchbacks below, connecting Smuggler's Notch Resort with adjacent [[Stowe Mountain Resort]] a few miles to the south. The road is closed to cars November–April, but open to snowmobilers and winter sports enthusiasts.

The notch was most likely involved in [[bootlegging]] during the [[prohibition]]-era of the 1920's, using the same caves as a cache for smuggled candadian whiskey, rum, and other liquors.

==Winter==

[[Image:Doc Dempsey's Glades-Smuggler's Notch.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance to Lower Doc Dempsey's Glades at Smugglers' Notch]]

In the winter, the resort centers around skiing and snowboarding. A fleet of [[Hall Ski-Lift|Hall]] double chairlifts service a variety of terrain, including novice trails at Morse Mountain and The Village area, and intermediate and expert terrain on the main mountains, Sterling and Madonna. Smugglers Notch is the only resort in Vermont with a triple black diamond.

==Resort==

Smugglers' Notch Resort is owned by William Stritzler.

==Summer and autumn==

Smugglers Notch has numerous heated pools and organized kids camps during the summer as well as a canopy tour that involves both scenic hikes and zip lines.

==Climate==

{{Weather box

|___location = Smugglers Notch Resort 44.5890 N, 72.7869 W, Elevation: {{cvt|1163|ft}} (1991–2020 normals)

|single line = y

|Jan high F = 24.7

|Feb high F = 27.9

|Mar high F = 36.8

|Apr high F = 50.3

|May high F = 64.0

|Jun high F = 72.2

|Jul high F = 76.7

|Aug high F = 75.2

|Sep high F = 68.2

|Oct high F = 54.7

|Nov high F = 41.9

|Dec high F = 30.4

|Jan mean F = 15.9

|Feb mean F = 18.2

|Mar mean F = 27.4

|Apr mean F = 40.7

|May mean F = 53.8

|Jun mean F = 62.4

|Jul mean F = 66.9

|Aug mean F = 65.4

|Sep mean F = 58.1

|Oct mean F = 45.9

|Nov mean F = 34.3

|Dec mean F = 23.0

|Jan low F = 7.1

|Feb low F = 8.4

|Mar low F = 17.9

|Apr low F = 31.2

|May low F = 43.5

|Jun low F = 52.5

|Jul low F = 57.2

|Aug low F = 55.6

|Sep low F = 47.9

|Oct low F = 37.2

|Nov low F = 26.8

|Dec low F = 15.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.83

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.03

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.96

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.67

|May precipitation inch = 4.83

|Jun precipitation inch = 5.61

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.33

|Aug precipitation inch = 5.04

|Sep precipitation inch = 5.17

|Oct precipitation inch = 6.11

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.91

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.42

|Jan snow inch = 30.1

|Feb snow inch = 31.0

|Mar snow inch = 25.6

|Apr snow inch = 7.7

|May snow inch = 0.6

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 1.9

|Nov snow inch = 11.2

|Dec snow inch = 31.2

|year snow inch =

|source=PRISM Climate Group<ref>{{cite web

|url= http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/

|title= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University

|publisher= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University

|access-date= October 22, 2023

|quote= To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking ''Coordinates'' (under ''Location''); copy ''Latitude'' and ''Longitude figures'' from top of table; click ''Zoom to ___location''; click ''Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp''; click ''30-year normals, 1991-2020''; click ''800m''; click ''Interpolate grid cell values''; click ''Retrieve Time Series'' button.}}</ref>

|source 2 = NOAA (Jeffersonville snowfall)<ref name = NOAA>

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00434261&format=pdf

|title= Jeffersonville, Vermont 1991-2020 Monthly Normals

|access-date = October 22, 2023

}}

</ref>

}}

==References==

Scenic Smuggler's Notch proper is comprised of the Sterling Mountain/Spruce Peak ridgeline to the east, and Mount Mansfield to the west. Extremely steep terrain drops down into the notch where VT route 108 winds through switchbacks below, connecting Smuggler's Notch Resort with adjacent Stowe Mountain a few miles to the south. The road is closed to cars November-April, but open to snowmobilers and winter sports enthuisiasts.

{{Reflist}}

==ConditionsExternal links==

* [http://www.smuggs.com Official website]

"Smuggs" is blessed with the second highest snowfall average in [[Vermont]] behind [[Jay Peak]]. A fleet of old double-chairs accesses the terrain. While these antiquated lifts are slow and low-capacity, they manage to keep the on-hill crowds well regulated on the descent. While Morse Mountain and The Village area are geared toward the family market, the main mountains- Sterling and Madonna- pack a punch. Very steep, rocky terrain and glade skiing prevails on the upper reaches of these mountains, spilling out on to classic New England intermediate cruisers below.

* [http://www.smuggs.com/pages/winter/snowReport/ Smuggs snow report]

* [http://www.smuggs.com/pages/winter/skiride/trail-map.php Ski map]

{{Authority control}}

Smuggs primary drawback is ___location for those coming from regions to the south. Thus, only during peak vacation weeks are there any noticeable crowds. With proximity to [[Burlington]], locals enjoy its classic feel, challenging terrain, and good snow coverage- and weekend crowds, though nothing compared to southern VT, can exist to some degree after a big dump.

[[Category:SkiBuildings areasand ofstructures in Cambridge, Vermont]]

[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in Vermont]]

[[Category:Timeshare]]

[[Category:Tourist attractions in Lamoille County, Vermont]]

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lamoille County, Vermont]]