Smugglers' Notch Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smugglers' Notch Resort |
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Smugglers' Notch as seen from the access road
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| Location | Town of Cambridge, near Jeffersonville, Vermont |
| Nearest city | Burlington, Vermont |
| Coordinates | 44°34′22″N 72°46′34″W / 44.57278°N 72.77611°W |
| Vertical | 2,610 ft (796 m) |
| Top elevation | 3,640 ft (1,109m) |
| Base elevation | 1,030 ft (314m) |
| Runs | 78 19% Easy 50% Intermediate 25% Difficult 6% Extremely difficult |
| Lift system | 8 (6 chairlifts, 2 surface lifts) |
| Snowfall | 7.9 m/year (312 in./year) |
| Website | www.smuggs.com |
Smugglers' Notch Resort is a fun place to visit in Cambridge, Vermont, USA. It's close to the small village of Jeffersonville. This resort is famous for its big mountains and exciting activities.
Smugglers' Notch is also known as Smuggs. It has three main mountains: Morse, Madonna, and Sterling. In winter, people come here to ski and snowboard. During warmer months, it's a popular spot for summer vacations.
The resort's name comes from a nearby mountain pass called Smugglers Notch. Long ago, people used this narrow pass to secretly move goods.
Contents
The Story of Smugglers' Notch
How Smugglers' Notch Began
Smugglers' Notch was started in 1956. A group of skiers from Vermont created it. The very first ski lifts were simple "Poma" lifts on Sterling Mountain.
Building the Village
In the early 1960s, Tom Watson, Jr. became involved. He was the head of a big company called IBM. Watson imagined a village like those found in Europe. He wanted a special place for people to stay.
He helped develop the nearby Morse and Madonna mountains. It's said that he made the Madonna I chairlift extra long. He wanted it to be the longest bottom-drive chairlift at that time!
New Owners and Growth
After building the ski areas, Watson started on the village at Morse. He hired Stanley Snider to help create it. Snider was a developer from Massachusetts.
Later, Watson sold Smuggs to Snider and his company. They ran the resort for many years. They added a large swimming pool and luxury homes. Eventually, Snider sold the resort to Bill Stritzler. Stritzler had owned a home at Smuggs for a while.
Why is it Called Smugglers' Notch?
The name Smugglers' Notch comes from its history. In the early 1800s, people used the thick forests and caves here. They would secretly move goods across the border with Canada. These goods were often forbidden at the time.
Later, in the 1920s, during a time called Prohibition, the caves were used again. People hid forbidden items like certain drinks there.
The actual Smugglers' Notch is a beautiful natural area. It's between Sterling Mountain and Mount Mansfield. A winding road, Vermont Route 108, goes through it. This road connects Smugglers' Notch Resort to Stowe Mountain Resort. The road is closed to cars in winter. But snowmobilers and other winter sports fans can still use it.
Winter Fun at Smugglers' Notch
In winter, Smugglers' Notch is all about skiing and snowboarding! The resort has many chairlifts. These lifts take you to different types of trails.
- Morse Mountain has easy trails for beginners.
- Sterling and Madonna mountains have trails for intermediate and expert skiers.
Smugglers' Notch is special because it has a "triple black diamond" trail. This means it's one of the most challenging trails in Vermont!
Summer and Autumn Adventures
Smugglers' Notch is also a great place in summer and autumn.
- There are many heated swimming pools.
- Kids can join organized camps.
- You can go on a "canopy tour." This includes scenic hikes and exciting zip lines through the trees!
