Ah, the glory of being Number One. For years, Smugglers’ Notch has taken home the prize for best family ski resort from scores of magazines. In fact, Smuggs (as it's known) has won surveys for Best Family Programs in North America a total of seven times. As the accolades roll in, Smuggs just gets more family friendly.

Treasures, the resort’s state-of-the-art child-care center, built alongside the bunny slope and surrounded by a 4,000-square-foot outdoor playground, is a beautiful facility with a staff trained in first aid, CPR, child development and behavior management. Smuggs understands small children—and their sometimes nervous parents—very well. Kid-level fish tanks, one-way viewing mirrors, radiant floor heating, and remote-access cameras are just a few special touches here. Treasures joins a long list of family amenities at the resort that include a tubing hill, outdoor ice rink, indoor pool, hot tubs, three fun centers with indoor miniature golf and organized dances for teens—even a weekly study hall for kids who need to keep up with their schoolwork.

At Smuggs, “family fun” means fun for every member of the family. In fact, the resort guarantees it: if any family member fails to have fun in one of the resort’s programs, Smuggs will refund the entire program portion of that family member’s stay. And how often does it have to make good on the deal? Rarely.

There’s plenty here for adults too, starting with the resort’s three mountains. The big one, Madonna, has a 2,610-foot vertical drop and has glades, bumps and really steep steeps. (Anyone with the mistaken impression that Smuggs is just for kids needs only to peer over the ledge of the trail named F.I.S. and take in the 41-percent gradient.) To the west, Sterling Mountain offers a wide range of terrain for skiers of all levels, while Morse, to the east, is more friendly for first-timers.

Some visitors may be discouraged to find that, in an age when many resorts are adding high-speed lifts that seat six, Smugglers’ still relies on slow double chairs to take riders to the top. Management says this is a deliberate choice designed to keep crowds off the top of the mountain and to preserve the resort’s “classic mountain feel.” For the skier, it’s a tradeoff: there are occasionally long waits at the lift loading area on weekends and holidays, but the trails are rarely crowded. The Madonna I lift has been reconditioned for a smoother ride, and the lift has been lowered below the treeline to screen the chairs from the wind, making for a somewhat warmer ride and fewer wind outages. It’s still a slow ascent. Just sit back and enjoy the prospect of the excellent downhill ride to come.

SMUGGLERS' CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Smugglers' Notch Ski Resort Facts:

Summit elevation: 3,640 feet
Vertical drop: 2,610 feet
Base elevation: 1,030 feet

Expert: ++++
Advanced:++++
Intermediate:+++
Beginner: ++++
First-timer: +++++

Dining: ++
Apres-ski/Nightlife: +
Oher activities: +++

Address: 4323 Vermont Rte. 108 South, Smugglers’ Notch, VT 05464
Area code: 802
Ski area phone: 644-8851
Snow report: 644-1111
Toll-free reservations and information: (800) 451-8752
Toll-free from the United Kingdom: 0800-169-8219
E-mail: smuggs@smuggs.com
Internet: www.smuggs.com

Number and types of lifts: 8—6 double chairs, 2 surface lifts
Skiable acreage: 318 acres marked trails; access to 740 acres of woods
Snowmaking: 60 percent
Uphill capacity: 7,100 per hour
Parks & pipes: 4 parks, 1 pipe
Bed base: 2,800; 621 condominiums
Nearest lodging: Walking distance, condos
Resort child care: Yes, 6 weeks to 3 years
Adult ticket, per day: $60 (07/08 prices)