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Rumors and responses about Killington's
winter operating plan
Note from Chris Nyberg
Where's Killington? While abundant color is on display on Lower Rams Head, Killington peak is hidden in dense clouds.
Where's Killington? While abundant color is on display on Lower Rams Head, Killington peak is hidden in dense clouds.
In 10 years living full time at Killington, I can not remember a summer that was so dominated by rumors and innuendo concerning how the Killington and Pico Ski Resorts would be operated the following winter. Of course, when ever a group of residents get together, the conversation always drifts towards the resort; it so dominates life in Killington. But this year has been particularly brutal with the demise of the American Skiing Company and the purchase of the resort by SP Land and Powdr Corporation.
This past Columbus Day weekend, Mary and I had the good fortune to be visited by many of our regular winter restaurant guests who own second homes at Killington. (Columbus Day Weekend is the traditional weekend in Killington for second home owners to visit the area and prepare/open their houses for the winter.) To a person, everyone asked about what rumors we were hearing on the mountain. My response was always the same...For each and every rumor we have heard, there is invariably an equal and opposite rumor. The only way that we will really know how the Killington resort will be operated next winter, because the resort has new owners, will occur when the resort opens for the season. At that time, resort operations will be plainly visible for all to see, dispelling any rumors.
My pithy remarks generally stimulated more conversation (after all one of our businesses is a bar in our Great Room). I did point out that while I can not say how the new owners would run Killington, that I have been impressed with the new president, Chris Nyberg. Mary and I have run into Chris around town several dozen times over the summer and early fall. He has always been very direct and accessible in answering questions. He may not give an answer you would like to hear, but so it goes in the give and take of a resort community.
Very late Thursday evening, I received a note from Chris concerning a very hot topic in town, the operation of the Killington Skye Ship from Route 4, also know as Skye Ship Stage 1. A note from Chris's office was recently released telling people that the Stage 1 would only be operating basically on weekends and during holiday periods. Needless to say, with all of the Ski On, Ski Off properties serviced by Stage 1, this message was received about as well in Killington as a 6 inch rain storm on Christmas eve.
In the note I received, that was also sent to several others, Chris responded to feedback he got on the Skye Ship operating schedule, and other rumors circulating around town. He wrote the following:
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"I understand the release of the Skyeship Stage 1 operating schedule has not been received very well. As a result we revisited the schedule today and will be making an adjustment. Skyeship Stage 1 will now operate Thursday through Monday, plus daily during holiday periods, from December 27 to March 30. Skyeship Lodge will be in full operation Friday through Sunday and every day during holidays. On Mondays and Thursdays, partial services will be available including parking, bathrooms, and kiosk-vended lift tickets. The schedule will be monitored and evaluated, like every other part of our business, and will be subject to modification and change as circumstances dictate.
While on the subject of lift and lodge schedules, I want to address the rumor mill. We'll be operating the same number of lifts midweek this year as we did last year, with the exception of Tuesdays and Wednesdays non-holiday, when Skyeship Stage 1 and the lifts at Pico will be idle. K1 Lodge and Bear Mountain lodge will be open daily, with partial services Monday through Thursday non-holiday, through the regular season. Partial services will be parking, bathrooms, kiosk-vended lift tickets, coffee counter, Waffle Cabin, pay phones and house phones. Snowshed Lodge will become our main base lodge Monday through Thursday non-holiday, from December 16 to March 28. Our new approach is to have Snowshed in full operation, generating energy and a critical mass of activity on less-busy midweek days. As you know, Skyeship Stage 1 is not the only change that we have made. Frankly, there may be more changes in the way we will operate Killington and Pico in the future. We understand the issues and concerns that arise from change; however, it is important to keep in context, the changes we are making are intended to bring Killington and Pico back from the decline in business and profitability that it has been on. Our decisions soundly align with our business plan and the plan is to make Killington and Pico more successful in the future." |
With talk of snow flurries at Killington this weekend, the lifetime of current rumors about how the Killington and Pico Resorts will operate this winter should dramatically shorten. Nothing will kill or confirm rumors like several feet of snow on Killington Peak.
I, for one, am hopeful for the coming ski season. In some of my conversations with Mr. Nyberg, we have done a little dance about "knowing how to run a ski resort". I have chided him several times on the topic, some times in jest, and other times very seriously. I still don't "know" how Chris will "run the resort". (I have taken a show me approach.) But I am convinced from my interactions that Chris is very serious about delivering a quality product this coming season while working to inject the resort with new vitality in the long term. It will be an interesting winter.
Let it snow! (after most of the leaves fall off the trees of course....)
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