Love for Smuggs

[MarzNC]

Vermont public TV thought the news was worth mentioning. Nothing new.

June 2, 2023

Smugglers' Notch and Stowe are exploring a half-mile connector ski lift

Smugglers' Notch and Stowe Mountain Resort are exploring building a gondola-style lift between the two ski areas. That's according to records from Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources.

www.vermontpublic.org

 

[MarzNC]

Stu talked to Stritzler aboutit.

Smugglers’ Notch Plans Gondola Interconnect with Stowe; “No Discussions” on Vail Buying Smuggs

“We have the possibility of creating what we think will be a very unique ski and riding experience by connecting these two resorts” – Smugglers’ Notch owner Bill Stritzler

www.stormskiing.com

" . . .
So Stritzler called Bobby Murphy, who at the time was Stowe’s general manager (Vail recently promoted him to chief operating officer of Beaver Creek). Smuggs would pay for all the environmental studies and the initial designs, would handle the permitting for a lift to cross the state-owned land that separates Spruce from Sterling. Stritzler, who has owned and worked at Smuggs for decades, had long pushed similar plans with Stowe’s former owner, AIG, and the mountain’s various managers. The closest he ever got was a short-lived groomed trail across Sterling Pond. But in Vail Resorts, Stritzler at last found a willing partner.

Planning started six years ago, . . ."

Interesting that the discussion was initiated by Stritzler and is a continuation of ideas that existed before VR bought Stowe. Stuart noted that Alta and Snowbird have been working together for a while, as have Solitude and Brighton. Of course, the skiing culture of Vermont and New England is very different than SLC and Utah. That became pretty obvious when RFID for lift access finally started showing up at resorts in the northeast not that long ago.

 

[SayvilleSteve]

More on the Sterling Pond lift and Smuggs' future...
From VT Digger

 

[NYSkiBlog]

Resorts withdraw connector lift proposal

After fierce opposition from the Agency of Natural Resources, the gondola-style connector lift that Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort hoped to develop has been put on indefinite pause.

www.vtcng.com

 

[SayvilleSteve]

Stritzler is totally going to sell to Vail now. That oughta learn 'em.

 

[tirolski]

Resorts withdraw connector lift proposal

After fierce opposition from the Agency of Natural Resources, the gondola-style connector lift that Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort hoped to develop has been put on indefinite pause.

www.vtcng.com

Please explain this:
“This is the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation and we see a lot of the F and P and not a lot of the R in their commentary, but that’s also understandable, because the main focus of the team is on the effect on the surrounding environment,” Stritzler said.

and this:
“The ease of access and the increased number of users the proposed lift would provide is highly likely to result in undue impacts to these areas and would likely lead to increased illegal cutting of ski glades within the understory and midstory in these communities resulting in alteration of the community structure,” Greenough wrote.

 

[x10003q]

Please explain this:
“This is the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation and we see a lot of the F and P and not a lot of the R in their commentary, but that’s also understandable, because the main focus of the team is on the effect on the surrounding environment,” Stritzler said.

and this:
“The ease of access and the increased number of users the proposed lift would provide is highly likely to result in undue impacts to these areas and would likely lead to increased illegal cutting of ski glades within the understory and midstory in these communities resulting in alteration of the community structure,” Greenough wrote.

Smuggs and Stowe could literally hire Jeannie from "I Dream of Jeannie" to blink in an invisible gondola as a wish and the Agency For Natural resources would not approve it.

I Dream of Jeannie - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The area is located between two giant ski areas that are separated by 2600ft. This area has been used as a skier crossing, including grooming, for decades. There are chairlifts at each end of the proposed gondola. There is snowmaking on both sides of the area. I was up there a few decades ago and I am pretty sure you can see the trails/lifts on Mansfield at some point. There is a road 1200ft below. Thousands of cars are parked within 2 miles of the area. If there ever was a spot ripe for approval, this was it.

The idea that this is some pristine location is laughable.

 

[Harvey]

Smuggs and Stowe could literally hire Jeannie from "I Dream of Jeannie"

If they did this I would buy an epic pass and wait in line all day long.

 

[Low Angle Life]

The idea that this is some pristine location is laughable.

Pay a visit to Sterling Pond outside of peak tourist times, you'll come away with a different opinion.

 

[Low Angle Life]

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. 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.