Daffodils in bloom in Killington

Daffodils in bloom in Killington

Although Edgar Allen Poe wrote his iconic poem about a bleak December, he could have easily been commenting about the weather we have been having all over the Northeast this May. While we watch with angst the television reports of the Mississippi River overrunning it's banks, many in Vermont and New York along Lake Champlain are facing the same problems. In Killington, aside from the local pond or two that is beyond it's normal high water point, the primary disease afflicting those of us calling Killington home this May is probably some form of Vitamin D deficiency, caused by lack of sunshine striking the area.

While there is still a patch of snow on Superstar, the ski season is quickly receding into long term memory. The immediate tasks of cleaning up from a very snowy winter are foremost on many of our minds, as we prepare for the summer months in the Green Mountains.

Around the inn, there are a number of projects that have been completed this spring; with an equal number still to go. Mary had begun her annual battle to get the gardens around the inn in shape. It will be several months before the results are truly visible. But a little work now, brings a lot of results when the warm sun of July hits the gardens.

Much of the immediate work around the inn was repairing damage sustained during the winter from all the ice and snow. The slate roofs on the restaurant and Great Room aframes are particularly susceptible to damage. The beautiful snow bridges that form between the aframe roofs and the ground when we have multiple feet of snow on the ground raises havoc with the bottom courses of slate shingles on each roof.

Slate roof repair is an art. Click to enlarge..

Of course, many buildings in the area are slate covered. As long as they are maintained properly to repair any weather damage, their lifetime is virtually unlimited. We made out trek this year over to Poultney to acquire reclaimed slate shingles for the repairs. It is a work of art, matching repaired sections to the existing roof. We are very fortunate to have skilled craftsmen in the area who understand how to do it.

In the realm of "you've got to be kidding", we also had a very large sink hole open up in the parking lot in front of the inn. We have had a couple of small sink holes in the past. The asphalt section of the parking lot dates back to the early 1970's. Every time we get a sink hole, we discover rotten wood as the culprit. It appears that when the parking lot was originally created, a lot of fill with tree stumps and other organic products was used. As the organic material decays over time, voids are created. In the winter months, the voids get filled with water ice, which is a good thing because we don't want the parking lot swallowing guests cars during the dark of night.

Sink hole being repaired Click to enlarge..

But as soon spring hits and warmer temperatures greet Killington, the ice filling any voids melts setting the stage for a surprise. This years surprise was created by a propane truck making a u-turn in the parking lot. The good news is that the truck did not get stuck. The great news is that it happened when the parking lot was empty.

Our excavator was able to clear the hole and pack in some fresh soil. It will take a month of so for the soil he used to settle, before a top coat of hard pack is applied to level out the driveway. It is just one of those things that make running your own business never a dull moment.

The web site for Birch Ridge, birchridge.com has been updated to our summer colors. If you are planning a trip this way, our golf package calculator has been updated with rate information from both the Killington and Green Mountain National Golf Courses.

Keep in mind.....Summer is just around the corner at Killington. The rain will stop. The sun will shine, and the Green Mountains will turn a luscious shade green. Now if I can get all my work down around the inn so I can go out and enjoy it...that would be great too!

Wherever you may be, hopefully you don't need a raft, and you need some sun screen!