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Smugglers' Notch
Smugglers' Notch, Vermont
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Smugglers' Notch: Madonna Mountain | Whiteface Mountain
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| Madonna Mountain - 1963 - Open |
The Madonna Double (2004) |
Operating for about a decade as a surface lift ski area on Sterling (Spruce Peak), a multi-million dollar investment plan was put in place in 1963.
The new Madonna Mountain area was opened for the 1963-64 season, featuring a new Hall 6,719 foot long double chairlift. Climbing 2,150 vertical feet, the new chairlift was the largest double in New England.
Three new long trails were opened, including Drifter, Chilcoot, and Shuttle. Additional trails opened in subsequent seasons.
Fresh off this expansion, Tom Watson Jr. of IBM fame purchased and renamed the ski area to Madonna Mountain.
In 1979, a second new Hall 5,155 foot long by 1,065 foot vertical double chairlift was installed on Madonna Mountain, serving intermediate terrain.
In 2002, the Madonna summit lift was refurbished with new CTEC parts.
Madonna Mountain on the 1963 Smugglers' Notch trail map
Madonna Mountain on the 2008 Smugglers' Notch trail map
The Madonna base lodge (2004)
The Madonna Chair (2004)
The Madonna Chair (2004)
The Madonna Chair (2004)
The Madonna II Chair (2004)
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| Whiteface Mountain - 1960s - Cancelled |
As early as 1956-57, plans to expand the then-surface-lift-only Smugglers' Notch ski area north to Sterling Mountain (not to be confused with the so-called Sterling complex on Spruce Peak) were publicized. Known by the ski area planners as "Whiteface Mountain," the peak is nearly the same height as present crown jewel Madonna Peak at just over 3,600 feet.
Ten years later, the ten year plan was announced again, this time under the ownership of Tom Watson. Whiteface was still considered part of the proposed expansion, which called for a total of fourteen additional new chairlifts for the resort. It is thought the expansion was quietly cancelled after the sale of the ski area in the 1970s.
The Whiteface Mountain area on the 1983 USGS topographic map
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| Resources |
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Smugglers' Notch - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com
Smugglers' Notch Official Site
Last updated: October 15, 2010
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