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Smugglers Notch lift opinions
- Thread starter Tin
- Start date
steamboat1
New member
HG & North Lynx = triple chairs, Summit quad at Ellen is well "a quad". Smuggs all doubles. By the way how many routes are off the top of Mt. Ellen summit with it's quad. Considering not many ski Black Diamond or FIS I count "one" just like they don't ski Liftline or FIS at Smuggs yet Smuggs has two routes. Think they get a little wind up there too being it rises right out of the Champlain Valley. Heavier quad chairs are perfect for that. Guess what happens when that one route off Mt Ellen summit finally does break off into other trails. There's a HSQ unloading at that point dumping more people. Saying Madonna peak can't handle a quad is BS. Besides I didn't say anything about a HSQ. Think it was me who mentioned a carpet loaded fixed grip quad would be ideal. I didn't say anything about a HSQ not working at Sterling either. Would be about time Smuggs installed a high speed lift. The kiddies down at Morse could use one too. There's no excuse for Smuggs except they refuse to invest money into the mountain period.
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I said I'd be fine with a Fixed Grip triple on Madonna. Numerous other people in this thread agree with me that they wouldn't want to see much of an increase in capacity if any on Madonna. I said I'd be fine with Sterling having a HSQ. Numerous other agreed that that's a good option to.
Not sure why you wish to keep arguing with me.
Not sure why you wish to keep arguing with me.
steamboat1
New member
Maybe because they are the main lifts. Just like M1 is the main lift at Smuggs.
steamboat1
New member
Most have said the liftline for M1 is unbearable on weekends. Just like you've complained about the lines for the single at MRG.
Great dude. You done arguing?
steamboat1
New member
Just disagreeing. You're not always right you know even though you think so.
Neither are you old man. Neither are you
raisingarizona
Well-known member
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Why not make Sterling and M2 hsq's and shorten the summit lift M1 so it doesn't start at the base. It would shorten the ride time by quite a bit, you wouldn't have to ski the runout, and the lines would probably stay shorter since it would then be more of an experts only lift. The int runs would still be there but it would take two chair rides to ski laps on one of them making it less attractive to use. If the alignment has wind issues maybe realign it into the Free Fall/FIS area (I think that was what they were called but it's been over 20 years since I have skied there). The bottom terminal being somewhere just below where Upper Liftline mellows out into a blue.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
Perhaps not, but when the snow is good I think lapping Shire into Bermuda on crowded days is a ton of fun.
Sterling should be a HSQ. It's not economically sensible in their plans to make M2 a HSQ, because they dont run it that much as is. Not sure what you thikn shortening the M1 lift a bit would accomplish though.
machski
Well-known member
M1 shortened=less lift length=less ride time. I think that was the thought.
dlague
Active member
Shortening M1 is not a bad idea!
Without the base of M1 close to the lodge people would be unable to flock to it. They would have to take the M2 HSQ (considering if that change was made) which would be extended a little further down to where the M1 base terminal used to be. M1 would not have to be shorten by much but new trails would have to be cut since much of the area on the lower section of the M1 lift line is surrounded by glades. While many here many do not have issues with skiing through glades there are many many others who would.
BenedictGomez
Well-known member
The best lift change at Smuggs would be a chair from the "top" of Morse to the real top. Never done it, but I've talked to people who hike it, and apparently it's awesome ski terrain.
MadMadWorld
Active member
Most people don't ski FIS at Smuggs? Huh? It probably gets skied more than Drifter not mention it doesn't start from the top (Christmas tree chutes are not part of FIS despite what the trail map says). If you skied there you would probably know that. You sound like someone who has never skied there. The only routes from the top are Chilcoot, Drifter, and Liftline.
MadMadWorld
Active member
It's impossible to access the M1 midstation from M2 or Sterling so if they were to shorten it then it wouldn't be by much.
raisingarizona
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There isn't a some what substantial run out at the bottom?
raisingarizona
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It looks like you could knock off at least a third of it on Google Earth. That's a lot of sitting time and extra skiing on the flatter terrain that it sounds like a lot would prefer to skip. We sort of have something similar here at the Snowbowl. I'm not a fan of our top to bottom lift and I wish we had an upper mountain chair and the current chair stopped at midway. It would help on wind hold days and it would better separate the different terrain.
I also added a run to connect Morse and an extension off of Robins. I thought it would be sick if Robins ran that whole section, it would get my vote for one of the gnarliest trails in the east.
Also, I didn't realize this before but you could ski everything off the top and get back to the M1 chair.
I also added a run to connect Morse and an extension off of Robins. I thought it would be sick if Robins ran that whole section, it would get my vote for one of the gnarliest trails in the east.
Also, I didn't realize this before but you could ski everything off the top and get back to the M1 chair.
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MadMadWorld
Active member
The problem with Robin's is its exposure along with the fact that it is pretty much all ledge. Best time to hit it is after a storm or in the spring. I think your map is good but I would take it offline since one of those locations is maintained and thinned out already. I can fill you in by PM if you want.
I recall some overzealous locals cutting a "lower Robins" about 15-20 years ago that was almost as bad as "the gash" on Big Jay and needed to be roped off for regrowth.
MadMadWorld
Active member
More like Robin #2 but yea it was bad. Such a horrible spot and it can still be seen from Sterling
