VTKilarney
Well-known member
Hmm... I never thought about going through St. Johnsbury. Google Maps says that taking I-89 to Richmond is a few minutes faster. But they are pretty close.
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Saddleback
- Thread starter soposkier
- Start date
You know, I haven't timed out the Richmond route before. That's a good way as well. I just know typically when I go to Smuggs I go up to St. J and over. When I go to Stowe, it's 89 to 108.
dlague
Active member
I have gone that route coming from Nothern VT and never thought about that from the south. Yes, I generally get off the same exit on 89 as Stowe and drive around.
steamboat1
New member
I'd love to see him make it in 40 minutes from that point. To be fair of course.
dlague
Active member
We followed the GPS to Smuggs which took us on 108 then had to drive around and it took us about 45 minutes. Get the damn cars off the road and I will do it in 20 from Stowe Center.
Not 20 minutes, but 35 is doable using Stagecoach road to skip driving through Morrisville and only marginally breaking the speed limit. Google maps has it at exactly 45 going through Morrisville via 100 to route 15. Not sure why Steamboat thinks 40-45 minutes from Stowe center to Smuggs is difficult. He must be misremembering the drive time.
steamboat1
New member
Possibly,being our lodge is on the western side of the Greens when I do go to Smuggs I'd normally drive up rt.7 to Burlington & cut across from there. Been awhile since I drove there from the other side. I just remember it being quite a long drive seeing the two areas are right next to each other. Didn't know the short cut avoiding Morrisville which can get quite congested. On the other hand it's quicker to go over Brandon Gap & up rt.100 to get to Stowe.
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dlague
Active member
I never realized, until we took the wrong path to Smuggs, just how close together they are. Is it even a half mile between Spruce Peak and the top of Sterling?
steamboat1
New member
Sterling is the other side of Spruce Peak. They are both on the same mountain. Years ago we'd use a single ride coupon to ride the Big Spruce chair at Stowe & traverse across the top of the mountain & ski down into Smuggs or Madonna as it was called back then. There's a lake on top that's frozen in winter you have to traverse across.
dlague
Active member
Looks like the you can take the long trail to sterling pond then cross the ice followed by an uphill to where the sterling lift is.
steamboat1
New member
dlague it's been at least 40 years since I did the traverse. I really don't remember it that well. Perhaps someone else has done it more recently & can chime in. I do remember doing it several times with both my entire family & with my brother a couple of times. I believe the trail is still there with the entrance being just a short hike up from the Sensation quad. Back in the day we skied down to the entrance from the old Big Spruce double which went higher than the present Sensation quad. Since you can no longer purchase single ride coupons at Stowe the cost of having to buy a ticket for both Stowe & Smuggs makes the trip cost prohibitive now.
skiberg
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I've done the traverse a few times but last was about 20 years ago when they had Jt. Stowe/Smugs lift pass. I don't remember the traverse being all hat bad. Had a couple nice lunch breaks while at it.
steamboat1
New member
I don't remember the traverse being bad either but of course I was much younger then.
I made the traverse from Smuggs to Stowe in 2014. http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php/129270-Northern-Vermont-Trifecta-3-20-2014-3-23-2014 Without it being groomed and breaking through fresh snow the trip across the lake can be workout as it's a good distance and flat as a pancake. The trip from Stowe over to Smuggs is much easier. Both routes remain very passable!!
Last time I checked you are still able to purchase a single ride ticket at Smuggs which would allow you to utilize the crossover without too much financial damage, well until you bought your ticket at $towe.
steamboat1
New member
Yes but being that most others & myself are coming up from the south the whole idea of doing the traverse to Smuggs was to save the drive time getting to Smuggs.
dlague
Active member
And ski Smuggs for nearly twice as much
chuckstah
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I frequently made the trip over to Smuggs from Stowe, back in the Spruce double days. The run was on map, called Snuffys I believe. We would park at the base of the double, bribe the lifty with some smoke or a few bucks and head on over. Short traverse, and it was often groomed at the time. Ski smuggs for the day and back down Spruce to the car. Saved a lot of driving. Never found it very difficult in either direction, but there was a lot of flats, and a bit of uphill.
steamboat1
New member
LOL, back in the day a single ride coupon at Stowe was a couple of bucks at best (probably much less). There were 10 single ride coupons in a book. MRG also sold single ride coupon books back in the day. When I was 20 a full day ticket at Stowe was $12 & I think I was less than 20 when I used to do this. Like I said earlier today the cost is prohibitive.
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In 2001 Smuggs would give you a free voucher good for 1 ride up the Sterling chair. You had to get it from guest services in the Madonna lodge. If you skied over a second time you were on the hook for a full day tickets. I bet 50 days that season I started my day parking at the Spruce Chair and would ski the the birthday bowls down to Smuggs. Now because I only ski Stowe once a year I don't bother.
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