Glorious sunshine, warm temperatures, soft snow....

Glorious sunshine, warm temperatures, soft snow....

It is time to officially say that spring skiing and riding season has arrived at Killington. For the 3rd day in a row, temperatures have been slightly above freezing allowing snow surfaces through out the resort to soften up nicely.

Yesterday was my first day on the mountain without a coat since last season. Just my normal shell pants, a turtleneck, a vest, and some light gloves were all that I required to spend almost 4 hours on the snow. And yes, the goggle tan is just beginning to appear.

South facing trails were the softest at Killington. Bear Mountain trails including Skyburst, Lower Dream Maker, Lower Wildfire, and Outer Limits were soft and creamy. The temperatures were warm enough to eliminate any vestiges of sandy snow, resulting in a very smooth, forgiving surface.

Outer Limits was nice and soft with little bumps developing. It was so user friendly, that Mary decided it was her day to take Killington's signature spring skiing trail for a run.

Mary on Killington's signature trail of spring...Outer Limits.

At the Basin side of the resort, conditions were beginning to soften on most of the trails. East Falls, Bunny Buster and Mouse Run were delicious. Cascade, Downdraft and Double Dipper were still showing some winter firmness, but even on these trails the surfaces were softening up to the point that setting edges to carve sweeping turns was never a problem.

Off Skye Peak, Needles Eye was a delight. The bumps on skiers right were still icy firm at noon time. It might take several more days for them to release. Bittersweet, High Road, Sky Lark, Superstar and Upper Ovation were all superb. The crunchy ground up snow cookie effect on Superstar has beginning to relax with the warmer temperatures. But the overall surface still had a mid-winter feel to it.

All in all... just a beautiful spring day on the slopes of Killington.

Last night we saw mixed precipitation traverse the area. At the inn, it was mostly a light wet snow which coated all surfaces. Nothing significant, but better than r@!n. This afternoon, the forecast is calling for showers changing to snow followed by a cold front (temps in the high 20's to mid 30's) descending across the area. It should be a great weekend to visit Killington to ski and ride.

Let it snow!