The K1 Base Lodge and Killington Winter Sports Club bracketed by fall color.

The K1 Base Lodge and Killington Winter Sports Club bracketed by fall color.

This day was just too nice to be trapped inside in front of a computer terminal. With fall colors popping all around us, and with beautiful sunshine and nice temperatures, it was the perfect day to take a walk about on the mountains of Killington.

We started at the K1 base lodge from the bay 1 parking lot just as if it were a mid winter day and we were heading off to ski. We even put our boots on in the car, changing from comfortable day shoes to serious hiking boots to climb up the mountain.

We started our ascent up Lower Bunny Buster. The ski trail had been mowed recently, so we did not need to bushwhack through tall grass. There were a few spots where water was still running off of the mountain, but in general the climb up Lower Bunny was methodical and rhythmic. We have learned from doing this many times over the years that a steady pace is required over the first 800 feet of the climb to allow your body to get acclimated. But even then, we are always surprised by the heavy breathing it induces.

Reaching the top of Lower Bunny Buster we turned straight uphill and climbed Mousetrap to the exit of Racers Edge. Water flow out of Racers Edge had carved a channel down Mousetrap. In some instances, where large rocks were exposed, it was like climbing stairs. In other cases, where the surface was loose and granular, it was somewhat slippery underfoot, requiring a little care to maintain balance.

Foliage pictures from the mountains of the Killington Resort taken September 27, 2011 Click image to stop rotation. Click again to resume rotation.

The entrance to Racers Edge was all chewed up and rock strewn. Normally it is a little rough on the best of days, but I would guess that it suffered some erosion from Tropical Storm Irene which "freshened up" the surface. When Racers Edge is not being used for mountain biking, it is a nice walking trail through the forest. The surface is mostly grass covered so it is easy on the feet. It also provides a nice mix of forest and field hiking, as Racers Edge traverses Conclusion, Highline, and Royal Flush on its way to the base of the North Ridge Triple chair.

Colors along Racers Edge were quite nice. Most of the maple trees along the way were a mix of red and green. The birch trees were starting to yellow and the oaks were beginning to rust; but overall the colors still have a way to go before peak.

At the top of Racers Edge we emerged at Ridge Run. Where Ridge Run and Great Northern merged, we were joined briefly by some visitors to Killington who had followed the road on their ascent to the peak. They were amazed that we were just "cutting through the woods", but we told them that we ski Killington all the time and knew the "shortcuts". We also knew to stay off the road and out of the sun on the hike to the peak. Walking up through a wooded path is preferable to walking on hard pack if you have the option.

We did not continue up Great Northern on the road, choosing instead to take one of the side routes near Powerline. The group we met did not venture in with us. Once again we encountered the stair case effect caused by water eroding the trail surface. But it made the cut through the woods quite easy, and because it was out of the sun, quite pleasant. We emerged from the woods at the last lift tower on Rime just below the Great Northern junction.

We had decided today we were not going to go to the summit. Instead our goal was the Vista Deck on Bear Mountain for a lunch break. So, instead of looping up Great Northern to the peak, we traversed across to Launch Pad for a down hill stroll across Ovation, Superstar, Sky Lark, Bitter Sweet, and Needles Eye before coming out on Cruise Control. Launch Pad is similar to Racers Edge. In the summer it is a little more than a path, but a lot less than a road. Most of the walk was sheltered by trees, interspersed with the glorious vistas presented by each ski trail along the way.

For lunch, we took a break at the Vista Deck on Cruise Control. The deck is not open for lunch service, we hiked in with our own picnic in my back back. We had some beautiful ciabatta bread, some Vermont Cheddar from the Crowley Cheese Company in Ludlow, and a nice apple for a little sweetness to give lunch some balance. The deck itself was a perfect place to stop. The views were nice, as the name would imply. Also, the resort has the deck set up with nice picnic tables which provided an inviting place to sit after hiking across the mountain for a couple of hours.

Hiking out of the Vista Deck was straight forward. We went from Cruise Control to the Snowshed Cross Over, in the process traversing Needles Eye, Vertigo, High Road, Low Road, Bitter Sweet and Skylark before returning the K1 Base Lodge and the car. We were away from the inn roughly 3 1/2 hours on a glorious day for a hike through the mountains.

Fall Foliage season is underway at Killington, and winter is just around the corner. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.