First real snow of the 2008/2009 season falling at Killington.

First real snow of the 2008/2009 season falling at Killington.

Over the last month, Mary and I, as well as several of our friends, have spent a few days hiking in the mountains of the Killington Resort. While the primary reason for the hikes was to get a good leg work out to prepare for the coming ski season, we were also very curious about the work being done by Killington/Pico Ski Resort Partners, LLC, (the official name of the company running the Killington Resort) as they prepare for their second season operating the resort.

Much has been made of the resort spending over $8M on capital improvements this year. During our hikes, we saw evidence all over the resort of crews out repairing the facility, painting lifts and ancillary buildings, mowing trails, cutting back brush, working on the snow making system. This of course is the unsung work that goes on in the background to prepare the resort for winter....and if the level of work being done on the mountain is any indication, the current resort operators take this work very seriously.

But the bulk of the money being spent to improve the area this year is being spent on the Bear Mountain/Sky Peak side of the resort, 2 of the 6 interconnected mountains of the 7 mountain Killington/Pico resort. Press releases by the resort have mentioned the installation of a new high speed quad from the Bear Mountain Base Lodge to Sky Peak. They have also mentioned working with Burton Snowboards to create a new area at Killington called "The Stash". But the press releases don't do the level of work being completed justice. Simply put, the amount of work we saw being done on the mountain is stunning. The work will forever change the way people ski or ride at both Bear Mountain and Sky Peak, and how skiers and riders negotiate getting around the whole resort.

Over the next several days, I will focus my blogging on the major changes we witnessed during our hikes. Tomorrow, I will focus on our route on the soon to be abandoned "Snow Shed Crossover". Subsequent posts will present work being done on Lower and Upper Stash, the redesign of Sky Peak, the new route off the Skyship Gondola, modifications of Great Eastern to make the trail "Green" and modifications to Lower Bittersweet to make the trail "Blue".

On a side note, the first real snow of the season is currently falling at Killington. Not enough to ski on, mind you, but it is a sure sign that winter is not far away.

Enjoy the hike....let it snow!