Segways on Ski Trails
Smugglers’ Notch brings the unique people mover to the ski hill.
Segway people movers are more and more commonly seen in cities throughout North America and Europe, but now they've appeared on the ski trails of Vermont.
Segway? What's a Segway?
It's best described as-what?-a stand-up semi-scooter for one. It's officially described as "a self-balancing, personal transportation device."
The reason it comes up here is the introduction of Segway tours at Vermont's Smugglers' Notch Resort.
I first encountered this ingenious device in Paris. Friends have toured Montreal riding it. Word has just arrived that its just arrived at Honolulu and Waikiki. It's not uncommon to see small groups of Segway-ers tooling around the Mall in Washington, D.C. And, a quick Internet search reveals Segway tours in cities from San Francisco to Chicago to New York and into many European burgs, as well.
But, to the best of my knowledge, Smuggs is the first ski resort to offer these tours.
Indeed, Bruce Morrisey, who operates the Segway tours for Smugglers', first saw them in action in D.C. "It just seemed to fit the mind-set in Vermont," he told the Burlington Free Press. "A lot of us are stewards of natural resources, and I thought this was a great way to tie things together."
Smuggs' will emphasize natural environment exploration and explanation; Marge McIntosh, activities director at Smugglers' Notch, likens the tours to interpretive nature walks-only on wheels.
Smuggs' tours go out in groups of four, plus a guide. You spend about 15 minutes getting comfortable operating the Segway, and then head out on the Nordic trails along the steam that borders one side of the resort's base village.
Since being introduced just a few weeks ago, the tours, which go out at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, have been fully booked.
Indeed, guests have been known to return for a second ride.
These two-wheeled, motorized devices can move you as fast as 10 miles per hour. While it looks like you'd fall right off, or that it might take a circus acrobat's balance to stay aboard, it self-balances on its two wheels through the use of a complex system of internal gyroscopes. What seems even more strange is that there are no brakes, you stop it by centering your weight.
Having seen these gizmos only in cities prior to this, it was natural that I thought they could only glide along smooth, paved surfaces.
But, according to Segway of Hawaii, "The Segway operates best on a hard, dry surface. However, its unique design and special tires allow it to travel on virtually any surface where a person can walk-roads, sidewalks, grass, sand, gravel, dirt, shallow puddles, uphill, downhill, etc. Caution: Do not attempt to use the on slippery surfaces such as ice, slick roads, wet grass, etc."
Okay, so you can't Segway on a snow-covered ski hill or an ice skating rink. But, that's a minor limitation.
Ski resorts continue to look for new ways to attract guests in the warm months. Now that Smugglers' has brought in the Segway, it'll be interesting to see how many others follow in their footsteps.
