Secret Gondola Plan Exposed To Connect Smugglers' Notch With Stowe, VT
I had to double check my calendar when I saw the article by News & Citizen that was posted this morning. I confirmed that today was not April 1st and clicked with apprehension.
The day has finally come. A day I have been dreading for years.
The News & Citizen has just exposed through a public documents request that my beloved, low-key, usually uncrowded, and charming Smugglers' Notch Resort, VT is officially in talks with Vail Resorts about building a gondola to connect with nearby Stowe.
The parties intended for the information to be kept secret.
For those unaware about Smugglers' Notch (Smuggs) and Stowe, allow me to enlighten you on why this proposed gondola is such a big deal.
We'll discuss the details of the gondola as exposed by The News & Citizen afterwards.
Smuggler's Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort are two of the largest ski resorts in Vermont.
They sit just a couple of miles away as the crow flies, but driving between the two resorts takes about an hour. This is because the road that connects the resorts in the summer is closed during the winter.
Vail Resorts, the corporation that owns 37 resorts across the world, purchased Stowe back in 2017. Even before the acquisition, however, Stowe and Smuggs couldn't have been more unalike.
For example, Stowe is fitted with high-capacity, state-of-the-art lifts while Smugglers' Notch has held onto their original slow, two-seater lifts that were built in the 1970s.
The mountains are visible from one another, but they can feel like a world apart. This has caused deeply loyal Smuggs and Stowe communities to form over the last few decades.
Any Smuggs regular will tell you that they have no desire to ski at Stowe, and vice-versa.
That's exactly why the Smuggs faithful panicked when Vail purchased Stowe.
Vail has a track record of snatching adjacent ski resorts and connecting them with a gondola (ex. Park City and Canyons, UT). What would stop them for trying to do the same thing with Smuggs and Stowe?
What would stop Vail Resorts from creating another mega-resort?
The Smuggs diehards feared that combining the resorts would change the entire vibe of their beloved resort, and deviate from its rich history.
The gondola, as exposed by The News & Citizen article, is planned for a similar spot that an interconnect trail between the two resorts once stood.
The proposed gondola is far from approved, but The News & Citizen reports that the deal has been ongoing for several years:
"Documents received in a public records request made by the newspaper revealed that discussions around a shared lift between the two resorts have gone on for six years, since shortly after Vail Resorts purchased Stowe Mountain Resort."
Just as I feared.
A meeting on March 13th, 2023 shows that the sides are coming closer to a deal.
Smuggs owner Bill Strizler met with state forest official Brad Greenough and Stowe Mountain Resort general manager Bobby Murphy about the gondola:
"According to meeting minutes, the resorts chose to go with a small gondola-style ski lift to minimize the environmental impact of the project, which will be built through a designated “natural area.”
The lift would contain 26 carriers across nine towers with a capacity of 1,200 passengers an hour with the estimated average trip from peak to peak lasting just over five minutes."
The meeting minutes and article did not mention how much riding the gondola would cost, when they plan to break ground, when it is expected to be finished, nor how it will change the skiing experience at both resorts.
Again, this deal is far from over, but it seems like the two sides are nearing an agreement.
I feel a pit in my stomach as I write these words.
Smuggs is where I learned to ski, and I have long hoped that I would bring kids of my own someday to learn in a similar environment.
It might sound dramatic, but I, along with thousands of others, are worried that an interconnecting gondola between the two resorts could be the first domino to fall.
Smuggs will most likely then invest in bigger and faster lifts to keep up with Stowe.
That might sound like a good thing to outsiders, but believe it or not, the charm of Smuggs is rooted in their preservation of old school chairlifts.
A full-on acquisition/takeover from Vail Resorts could be on the table as well. I wouldn't doubt it for a second.
Today is a sad day, but the gondola isn't a done deal just yet. You can bet your butt that I'm going to do whatever I can to fight it.
Hit me up if I can help.
Click here for the full article by The News & Citizen.
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