Solitary Snow Gun working diligently at Bear Mountain

Solitary Snow Gun working diligently at Bear Mountain

(Ed note: I am not exactly sure what date to call this post, as I am actually writing it at 2:15 AM on December 23rd. But since most of the activity took place on December 22, I will stick with that headline date.)

Today was a day of wacky contrasts in Killington. Earlier in the day, the sun was out, temps were in the high 20's to low 30's. Killington was making snow all over the front side of the mountain. As today's picture shows, they even had a lonely snow gun running at Bear Mountain to begin getting that mountain segment open.

All around town today, delivery trucks were zipping up and down the road. Almost every local I spoke with had a manic level of optimism, brought on by a sense of deja vu... or is it just wishful thinking... it is hard to tell. One thing was very certain in my comings and goings around town today: Christmas week is at our door steps. One of the most important weeks of the ski season is upon us, and the landscape is a dull grey except for the beautiful ribbons of white carefully painted on the mountains.

Our inn is very busy this weekend, so I went to get changed for dinner a little early this afternoon. Usually I am working away until around 5 before I change, today, I stopped at 4. When I left the front of the house at 4, the sky was a dull grey. The weatherman had predicted a storm was to move into the area around midnight. By the time I returned to the front of the house at 4:30, almost 1/2 inch of ice was encasing our front walks and driveways...the weather changed that quickly.

Tonight the weirdness continues. The temperature outside the inn while I write this is 27 degrees. By all rights, we should be in the middle of a howling snow storm, as the wind is swirling around the inn. But it is coming down liquid and freezing over everything. In the grand scheme of things, frozen is better than nothing. The walks can be salted, the drive way sanded, and the snow surfaces can be groomed. And tomorrow when the weirdness blows over, the resort will be at it again, expanding the ribbons of white on the mountain, to spread some Christmas cheer for all those planning on visiting Killington during the holiday season.