Twig Season at it's best

Twig Season at it's best

Ah...twig season at Killington....

The leaves have all fallen off the trees leaving in their place dull grey branches reaching skyward.

Cold air has infiltrated the region from the northwest. As the cold air sweeps across the Great Lakes, the temperature difference causes large amounts of water vapor to be lifted into the atmosphere. Dull grey clouds get produced in copious quantities. When you look at the ridge lines all around Killington today, the naked tree branches are holding up the clouds in the air. One shade of grey blending into another....but this is all a precursor of things to come.

The air is starting to get colder. A few snow flurries are being teased out of the overcast. Not enough to be meaningful, but if the atmosphere gets just a few degrees colder, the moisture ladened clouds will start giving up some serious white stuff.

And on the mountain itself, it is already winter. Albeit a man made winter, but it is winter just the same. Snow guns are pumping out snow from Killington Peak down Great Northern to the K1 gondola terminal. Base building to prepare for the opening of ski season a week from now is underway with a vengeance.

At the inn, we have started to break out our winter clothes. (I am dressed in a turtle neck today, having decided a golf shirt was just not quite warm enough.) We are starting to check over our ski gear in anticipation. The snow blower will get moved from it's summer resting spot this weekend. Mary and I will be heading out into the woods to pick out a christmas tree some time next week....

Winter is coming... Bring it on! Let it snow!