Trail from Smuggs to Stowe

[njskier]

Planning on a trip to Smuggs this season. Heard there was a trail at Smuggs that took you over to Stowe. Anyone have any info on this. Thought I saw somewhere that the trail was closed last season. Would really like to ski over to Stowe and avoid a 45 min. ride. Thanks

 

[millerm277]

You're going to need tickets to both areas to get up to the trail, or you're going to have to hike up to it.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Let's say you don't mind the $130 to ski both hills......let's compare times assuming you are staying at Smuggs on a weekend.

10 min wait for the lift from Smuggs to top of Madonna, 20 min hike to Spruce, 10 min to ski down and get up to the gondi platform in the new hotel, 20 wait for gondi, 20 min wait for lift at Mt Mansfield......all this time before your even on the lift at Mt Mansfield........80 min

or

60 min drive time is more realistic to get to the the resort from Smuggs, assuming the roads are clean and their isn't slow moving traffic on Rt 108. 20 min wait to get on lift that's 80 min. Doing the Smuggs thing is not saving anything plus you have to do it again to get back. Be hell of an adventure tho, would definately read that trip report.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Let's say you don't mind the $130 to ski both hills......let's compare times assuming you are staying at Smuggs on a weekend.

10 min wait for the lift from Smuggs to top of Madonna, 20 min hike to Spruce, 10 min to ski down and get up to the gondi platform in the new hotel, 20 wait for gondi, 20 min wait for lift at Mt Mansfield......all this time before your even on the lift at Mt Mansfield........80 min

or

60 min drive time is more realistic to get to the the resort from Smuggs, assuming the roads are clean and their isn't slow moving traffic on Rt 108. 20 min wait to get on lift that's 80 min. Doing the Smuggs thing is not saving anything plus you have to do it again to get back. Be hell of an adventure tho, would definately read that trip report.

WTF..your numbers are crazy..first of all the lift you take from Smugglers to get to Stowe is on Sterling mountain..not Madonna. If you start first thing there's no line. It's not a 20 minute hike to Spruce..It's a couple hundred yards of poling across a frozen lake..then you can ski down Sterling at Spruce to the Sunsation quad which never has a line..then all the way down to the transfer gondola which never has a line..then up the Gondola at Stowe which rarely has more than a few minute wait..then down to the quad, double, or triple on Mansfield..best of all is that Snuffys..the trail back to Smugglers notch is mainly downhill so it's a quick 2-3 minute ski back to the top of Sterling peak. Skiing from Smuggs to Stowe and back is awesome..I used to do it from time to time in college and I was never hassled by the lifties at Smuggs..when I'd pop over for a few runs but times may have changed since then..But where do you get all these 20 minute waits from????????

 

[njskier]

Skiing from Smuggs to Stowe and back is awesome..I used to do it from time to time in college and I was never hassled by the lifties at Smuggs..when I'd pop over for a few runs but times may have changed since then.[/QUOTE]

That was one of my questions. I really don't want to buy lift tickets for both mountains on the same day. Anyway around this?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Skiing from Smuggs to Stowe and back is awesome..I used to do it from time to time in college and I was never hassled by the lifties at Smuggs..when I'd pop over for a few runs but times may have changed since then.

That was one of my questions. I really don't want to buy lift tickets for both mountains on the same day. Anyway around this?[/QUOTE]


At Stowe they check lift tickets at every lift...I don't know about Smuggs..so you have the risk of getting nabbed for theft of services..

 

[ski_resort_observer]

WTF..your numbers are crazy..first of all the lift you take from Smugglers to get to Stowe is on Sterling mountain..not Madonna. If you start first thing there's no line. It's not a 20 minute hike to Spruce..It's a couple hundred yards of poling across a frozen lake..then you can ski down Sterling at Spruce to the Sunsation quad which never has a line..then all the way down to the transfer gondola which never has a line..then up the Gondola at Stowe which rarely has more than a few minute wait..then down to the quad, double, or triple on Mansfield..best of all is that Snuffys..the trail back to Smugglers notch is mainly downhill so it's a quick 2-3 minute ski back to the top of Sterling peak. Skiing from Smuggs to Stowe and back is awesome..I used to do it from time to time in college and I was never hassled by the lifties at Smuggs..when I'd pop over for a few runs but times may have changed since then..But where do you get all these 20 minute waits from????????

:lol: As I was writing the post I had a feeling I had the wrong mountain but I said "what the hell, it's just a crazy post for giggles". But I counter with what about if you don't get to the lift at Smuggs till 10AM., what about if it's snowing hard and you get lost cruising over to Spruce, what if a busload of Japanese tourists are touring the new hotel construction and taking the gondi just as you get there...lot's of what if's.

 

[RISkier]

FWIW, I'm not sure Stowe checks much at the Sensation quad but you wouldn't be able to ski anything at Mansfield without a Stowe lift ticket. And you'd have to hike up a bit from the Sensation lift cause it doesn't go as high as the old big pig. It's too bad Stowe and Smuggs don't formalize some kind of agreement cause linking the resorts would be pretty easy and it would be pretty cool if they were linked. Somehow I think that's very unlikely.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Oh man I forgot that the new Sunsation doesn't go as high as the old Big Spruce double so that would make an uphill slog to Snuffys,,,

Ski Resort Observer..you're funny...busloads of Japanese tourists and someone not getting started until 10:00AM in a snowstorm...lol..

 

[njskier]

Here's the deal: I was planning on skiing Stowe for the day. I would buy a lift ticket at Stowe. As I'll be staying at Smuggs I'll be starting out the day there. I was just looking to avoid a long drive not avoid paying for a lift ticket. Also the wife would not be into alot of hiking.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Here's the deal: I was planning on skiing Stowe for the day. I would buy a lift ticket at Stowe. As I'll be staying at Smuggs I'll be starting out the day there. I was just looking to avoid a long drive not avoid paying for a lift ticket. Also the wife would not be into alot of hiking.

You're better off just driving to Stowe...especially if your wife doesn't want to do any hiking..plus Big Spruce might not even be open during your trip..

 

[ski_resort_observer]

Oh man I forgot that the new Sunsation doesn't go as high as the old Big Spruce double so that would make an uphill slog to Snuffys,,,

Ski Resort Observer..you're funny...busloads of Japanese tourists and someone not getting started until 10:00AM in a snowstorm...lol..

Actually we had a a couple of buses drop off 100 Japenese tourists, at the front of Claybrook, the other day, crazy things can happen. I know it's early fall and they probably had a really bad travel agent but I am sure everyone on this board have seen some pretty crazy things at ski resorts.

 

[Oak22]

Smuggs trail

The trail from Smuggs to Stowe or vice versa goes across Sterling pond at the top of Sterling Mountain(Smuggs). Ski down the big pig(Spruce Peak) on the Stowe side. The trail is open depending on the ice conditions of the pond. There have been incidents of snowcats breaking through in the past!

It has been a few years since I last skied these resorts, I worked at both at one time or another. Last I knew you could get at least one free ride back up with your lift ticket from either mountain.

Stowe is awesome. Ski the front 4. At Smuggs try Doc Dempsey's!

 

[JD]

No easy way without significant walking.

 

[deadheadskier]

On this subject, and I'm sure the Smuggs loyalist would die if it happened, I always thought it was a crying shame that the two areas weren't interconnected. A simple two way surface lift along the trail that runs from Spruce to Sterling as an interconnect would suffice.

What would be even better, but would NEVER happen due to environmental concerns is a Gondola going from the Spruce Village at Stowe over to the Village at Morse, running into the evening so people could go back and forth to experience the different restaurants and night life.

The former is a realistic option and even with that, boom, there is no arguement any more as to what is the best resort in the East.

The latter, I think would guarantee skier visits rivaling Killington, if not more. Obviously not a good thing for those who want empty slopes, but it would be a HUGE boost to the local economy in the regoin.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

On this subject, and I'm sure the Smuggs loyalist would die if it happened, I always thought it was a crying shame that the two areas weren't interconnected. A simple two way surface lift along the trail that runs from Spruce to Sterling as an interconnect would suffice.

What would be even better, but would NEVER happen due to environmental concerns is a Gondola going from the Spruce Village at Stowe over to the Village at Morse, running into the evening so people could go back and forth to experience the different restaurants and night life.

The former is a realistic option and even with that, boom, there is no arguement any more as to what is the best resort in the East.

The latter, I think would guarantee skier visits rivaling Killington, if not more. Obviously not a good thing for those who want empty slopes, but it would be a HUGE boost to the local economy in the regoin.

Totally it would be like the Haute route in Europe..but Stowe doesn't have any nightlife..it's all town in/near town...I'm unfamilier with nightlife at Smuggs..I don't know about beating Killington in skier visits due to the longer drive. I wish Smuggs updated their snowmaking and lifts..it's a great mountain but doesn't get as much snow as Stowe..and the lift situation stinks on busy days..

 

[deadheadskier]

Totally it would be like the Haute route in Europe..but Stowe doesn't have any nightlife..it's all town in/near town...I'm unfamilier with nightlife at Smuggs..I don't know about beating Killington in skier visits due to the longer drive. I wish Smuggs updated their snowmaking and lifts..it's a great mountain but doesn't get as much snow as Stowe..and the lift situation stinks on busy days..

I definitely disagree on the snow comment. Smuggs I think gets equal to or more snow than Stowe in my experience except for the Chin area. Right now, yes the nightlife at the base of Spruce is non-existent, but that is certainly going to change in the near future with development of the village. Smuggs nightlife is pretty limited, but far more so than what is currently at Stowe. You put a condi between the two areas though that runs into the evening hours and I think both would explode in activity in the winter. Unfortunately, probably so much that it would harm the villages of Stowe and Jeffersonville.

The reason I would suggest that it would rival Killington is because not only would I think such a combination would draw people further north, but it would also draw people south. Tremblant, as long as the exchange rate still remains good, would take a HUGE hit. People forget how big Montreal is and that's only two and half hours tops from Stowe/Smuggs. It's the thirteenth largest Metro area in US/Canada.

 

[ccskier]

There has been a deal on the table for years. I have a bunch of friends on both sides of the mountain (some people never leave the area after Johny state, not a bad thing) there was talk a few months ago that the ante had been raised with the development of Spruce. The Snider family owns Smuggs and I heard that AIG is using their bottomless pockets to try and see what they can do. The rumor flies out every few years, who knows. It would be pretty sweet if it did happen. AIG does have the influence to make things happen. In reference to nightlife, Stowe is much better than smuggs. There is only 3-4 bars in Jeff/Cambridge area, generally more pubish I would say. Stowe's night life is pretty spread out on the Mountain Road, the Matterhorn is pretty far down the mountain road, Pie-Casso is now a hotspot, of course the Rusty Nail, and a night cap at Ladies. Personally I think the Rusty Nail sucks unless there is a decent band. Anyways, this thread is about Stowe/Smuggs, sorry for getting off track.

 

[JD]

The thing with smuggs is it's the windy side of the notch, and it also the dark side of the notch. Stuff blows thru from smuggs and fills in the gullies on the stowe side from my experience.

That being said, smuggs has great trees and terrain. Great resort.

 

[skibum1321]

WTF..your numbers are crazy..first of all the lift you take from Smugglers to get to Stowe is on Sterling mountain..not Madonna. If you start first thing there's no line. It's not a 20 minute hike to Spruce..It's a couple hundred yards of poling across a frozen lake..then you can ski down Sterling at Spruce to the Sunsation quad which never has a line..then all the way down to the transfer gondola which never has a line..then up the Gondola at Stowe which rarely has more than a few minute wait..then down to the quad, double, or triple on Mansfield..best of all is that Snuffys..the trail back to Smugglers notch is mainly downhill so it's a quick 2-3 minute ski back to the top of Sterling peak. Skiing from Smuggs to Stowe and back is awesome..I used to do it from time to time in college and I was never hassled by the lifties at Smuggs..when I'd pop over for a few runs but times may have changed since then..But where do you get all these 20 minute waits from????????

It is way more than a couple of hundred yards poling across a lake from Smuggs to Stowe. You pole across the lake and then hike up to Spruce for a good 10-15 mins.