Today is my eighth day skiing Smuggs and the mountain still gives me the warm and fuzzies. A month ago, I reported that The Honeymoon Still Isn’t Over. Nay, I think it has barely just begun. And I would be hard pressed to say when it might end.

The phrase of the afternoon was “one more run.” I took a half dozen “one more runs” — I couldn’t tear myself away from the mountain. The skiing was just too good. I continually pushed through physical soreness to keep going until mental fatigue started to set in near the end of the day.

Weather varied tremendously throughout the day ranging from warm and sunny at the base to full on winter with two inch per hour graupel and hail. Visibility ranged from miles to feet but clouds were always nearby even when things started to clear. Every run seemed to feature a completely different weather pattern than the last.

Snow conditions were also quite variable though generally pleasant despite occasionally being a challenge. Water saturation was quite high but mank/chunk levels were moderate and controllable so long as visibility would allow foresight in planning turns.

One of today’s highlights was back to back (minus a lunch break) runs down the full length of Liftline. Yesterday, patrol opened the upper part of the trail but kept the steepest middle section closed. I was absolutely delighted to be riding the lift when patrol dropped into middle Liftline. To be skiing New England’s premier in bounds non-gladed trail in mid-April was incredible.

The upper section’s main challenge was low visibility. The middle section got really spicy, especially during our second run as snow conditions had deteriorated due to traffic which exposed more dirt and rock. My first run down the middle section of Liftline involved some of my most inspired skiing of the season. Not so much on the second run but it was still a blast.

Bootlegger really delivered on the fun factor with a steep pitch and soft pillows of mank to slide through and jump turn off of. The pitch of this trail is a total winner and its semi-narrow nature and consistent fall line really appeals to me. The fun factor of launching off the mounds and bumps at high speed and digging in for another turn was great.

The woods to the right of Smuggler’s Alley also really delivered, as they often times do. I was concerned that the snow conditions would make tree skiing a poor option but I was dead wrong and waited too long to make that call. I found a few exceptional lines in these trees including a roller coaster section with multiple banked turns. I threw my hands in the air, whooped it up, and just went with where ever the banked turns took me.

We finished off the day with a pair of runs down Highlander Glades which were both excellent. This was my first time skiing this glade and it amazes me how much of Smuggs I have yet to explore. An on map glade or two have still escaped me due to my focus on off map lines! And of those, I have just scratched the surface.

Bump lines within Highlander were very good and occasionally awesome. My first run was better than my second. Or rather, I should say that my third “one more run” was better than my fifth “one more run”. But eventually, I finally did take “one more run” and meant it.

Smuggs closes for the season today and it is a damned shame more skiers don’t come out and enjoy some of the best skiing of the season. Base depths are still very deep with ample coverage in all but the lowest elevation woods. Many upper elevation trees are still skiing well. When Liftline at Smuggs is open, you know the snow is solid.

Smuggs continues to amaze me. The trees are just so beautiful. They speak to me in ways no other trees do. And they are telling me something. I hear what they are saying and I agree completely. “There’s no place like… Smuggs.”

🙂