Snowman Christmas ornament waiting to be hung on the Birch Ridge Inn Christmas Tree

Snowman Christmas ornament waiting to be hung on the Birch Ridge Inn Christmas Tree

I don't know what it is, but the holiday season seems to be coming awful fast this year. But then again, it has been many years since we have been able to ski so much open terrain in November and early December. So far this season I have lost 10 half days to the mountain, instead of being at the inn working...and Monday morning looks like it will be the first real powder day of the season! I wonder what I will be doing at 9:00 AM?

All levity aside, the inn is coming together quite nicely for the Christmas season. The Christmas tree that we cut down on Tuesday is now proudly on display, fully decorated, in the inn's Great Room. Mary has done a great job again this year. She has the patience to put on each strand of tinsel individually, and it shows.

I have gotten all of the lights up on the outside of the property. If you were on the Killington Road around 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, you might have noticed a guy climbing a tree in front of the inn...That was me! I only needed to get up into the trees 10 to 12 feet of so. But being decked out in a winter jacket, ski pants and boots (the temperature was pretty crisp for working outside), the climbing was "interesting". I don't think I have climbed trees since I was 10. But with the help of our assistant, Mickalyn, the job got done.

For most of the day today, it has been snowing at Killington.

Snowgun at Superstar Quad leading to Snowshed. (Click to enlarge.)

Temperatures are in the low teens, so the snow that has been coming down is a very dry, light powder. In the early afternoon, when I took the snow stake picture, we had picked up about an additional inch of accumulation. I have not checked since, but gauging from the covering on the cars and walks around the inn, I would say we have gotten another 3 or so inches during the afternoon. I get the real number in the morning when I take tomorrows snow stake measurement.

The resort is continuing to take advantage of the cold weather to make more snow. Snow guns were in operation again today all over the mountain. Many snow guns were very visible making snow between the Superstar Quad and Snowshed, which is the next base area Killington plans to open. And for a little Killington trivia for the mornings coffee discussion, the resort has made so much snow on Double Dipper that there was a small avalanche on Saturday. The slide took place about half way down the lower headwall. A major cut opened up, leaving a huge pile of refrigerator sized chunks of snow at the base of the trail. The good news is that no one was hurt. Ironically, snow making pipe got badly mangled.

From here on in, the activities at Killington will accelerate right into the Christmas Holidays. The week marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Killington Ski Resort. The resort has all kinds of activities planned next weekend to mark the anniversary. If you can make it, it looks like it will be a fun party all weekend.

The following weekend sees the return of the Vermont Holiday Festival to Killington. Scheduled to take place between December 18th and 20th, it is returning for it's 5th year at Killington. Mary is already working to get the decorations for our tree at this years "Festival of Trees" ready. Check out the Vermont Holiday Festival website for additional information.

Until tomorrow.....let it snow!