Love for Smuggs

[x10003q]

And outside of the environmental argument, increasing access to the notch is going to result in a search and rescue nightmare. The notch is backcountry terrain, like real backcountry terrain, full of caves, cliffs, rocks, boulders of all sizes and plenty of other terrain traps. Slides are becoming incredibly common in the notch due to inconsistent temperatures and access is already too easy for the un and under prepared via the Stowe gondola.

Hence a gondola. Get on the gondola in a controlled area on the Stowe side and get off the gondola in a controlled area on the Smuggs side.

I had a friend who is a Jeffersonville native, EMT, SAR and extremely competent backcountry skier who broke his femur in the notch a few seasons ago, it took hours to get him out, someone less prepared likely would have gotten frostbite, bled out or far worse.

Anybody can still get in there like your friend and there is no gondola.

 

[Low Angle Life]

The issue is not with people trying to traverse from Spruce Peak to Smuggs on the existing groomer route, it is with people dropping down to access the terrain into the notch. An additional gondola or lift means clearing and cutting trees creating an even greater ease of access. Not to mention the increase in visibility from anyone riding the lift seeing all that open terrain for the first time and thinking I should really go check that out. Same issue exists with Slide Brook and the Slide Brook Express at Sugarbush, people who have absolutely no business getting in there see skier tracks from above and inevitably go and check it out, difference being Slide Brook is mellow terrain in comparison to the east side of the notch which has more ice climbing routes than BC ski zones. The Tusk is going to be unrestrained if this all goes through, I get that this is all USFS land and wide open to any brave soul that makes the trek but increasing the visibility of this BC zone is only likely to increase instances like this,

This Weekend's Tragic Rescue

Two skiers were lost and one body was found at the bottom of a cliff in northern Vermont. Here's what happened.

vtskiandride.com

 

[takeahike46er]

The notch is lovely and all, but the terrain and the potential for danger in there isn’t particularly unique globally. There are quite a number of ski areas with lift access adjacent to complex terrain.

People do stupid sh*t. A lift won’t change that.

 

[Capt_Planit]

"The notch is lovely and all...complex terrain"

Complex terrain

I turned back here, about half-way to Stowe. Ski down was very short. Need to go back with more time (and light).

 

[raisingarizona]

The notch is lovely and all, but the terrain and the potential for danger in there isn’t particularly unique globally. There are quite a number of ski areas with lift access adjacent to complex terrain.

People do stupid sh*t. A lift won’t change that.

One could argue that helping people get a better view of the terrain could help them from getting into trouble dropping into unknown terrain blindly.

That could be a stretch too though….f if I know