On the road to Killington Peak. Snow guns in operation are visible all over the mountain.

On the road to Killington Peak. Snow guns in operation are visible all over the mountain.

Sweeeet!

We are skiing and riding again at Killington!

Under partly cloudy skies and very chilly temperatures, the Killington Ski Resort reopened today for the 2008/2009 season. Today the resort was operating 2 lifts, the K1 Gondola and the North Ridge Triple, servicing the upper sections of Killington Peak. Surface conditions on the trails was variable. Most of the trails were firm machine groomed packed powder. The operating snow guns, as temperatures were in the high teens and low 20's, were putting out relatively dry, fluffy, powder.

The big difference between today's reopening and early November was the quantity of snow guns in operation all around the mountain. The resort is clearly in base building/terrain expansion mode. In addition to blowing snow on open terrain including Great Northern, Mouse Trap, Chute, and Bunny Buster, the resort was also making snow on a number of "closed" trails to prepare for this coming weekend and next weeks Thanksgiving Holidays. Snow guns were visible making snow on Upper Bunny Buster, Mouse Run, MTS, Highline, Upper Skylark, parts of High Road, and Lower Bittersweet.

Below are a few pictures from today.

K1 Gondola Terminal. (Click to enlarge.)

Lower Rime. (Click to enlarge.)

Reason. (Click to enlarge.)

Upper East Fallk. (Click to enlarge.)

Upper East Fall looking towards bottom of North Ridge Triple. (Click to enlarge.)

Mouse Trap. (Click to enlarge.)

Lower Chute to Snowdon Quad. (Click to enlarge.)

Snow making on Highline (Click to enlarge.)

Great Northern at Downdraft with Pico in the distance. (Click to enlarge.)

It's cold outside. Chair on Canyon Quad covered in rime. (Click to enlarge.)

.....Let it snow!