Outer Limits at Bear Mountain. Still some foliage color on lower elevations.

Outer Limits at Bear Mountain. Still some foliage color on lower elevations.

The fall foliage along the Green Mountains that make up the Killington Resort is just about done for 2007. Lower elevations, I am guessing sub 3000 feet, still have some trees showing color, but the twigs are definitely winning. By late next week, the locals will be starting their snow dances in the hope that the weather will change. Eyes will be focused on the sky, looking for the first snowflakes of the coming winter season.

Our inn guests returning form their adventures yesterday reported solid fall foliage color on the western side of the Green Mountains (Route 7 corridor) to just about Middlebury Vermont. Guests reported that the western slopes of the Greens on the lower mountain gap roads including the Brandon and Lincoln gaps had beautiful color. The great thing about being in Killington is we are located smack dab in the middle of Vermont, So even though fall color is now getting long on the tooth in the immediate Killington basin area, great color is still only a short drive away.

Killington skiers will recognize todays picture a Outer Limits at Bear Mountain. In my foray over there this morning, the area was very quiet. But upon closer examination of Outer Limits I realized that the resort has totally cleared all of the brush on the slope in preparation for winter snow. I looked through my picture library to see if I had a similar photo of O.L. devoid of snow for comparison purposes (I don't), so I can not tell if what the new owners of the resort have done on O.L. was normal. But if memory serves me correctly (and some times I have senior moments), I am fairly certain that the old resort owners never cut back O.L. to a clean state in comparison to what I saw today.

With regard to the onset of snow season at Killington, I will politely say "Not Today". Temperatures are once again approaching the 70 degree mark. For comparison purposes, last year we saw our first white in the area on October 13th. Just a dusting, but clearly visible on pictures of the mountain I took that day.

Let it snow!