Snow guns operating at junction
of Rime and East Fall at Killington 

Late yesterday afternoon, the Killington resort started to make snow for the 2006/2007 ski season. Snow guns are operating on upper trails at Killington peak. Snowmaking is visible from the K1 base lodge on sections of Great Northern, Rime, and Reason. Killington is not currently blowing snow on lower trails leading to the K1 Base Lodge.

Killington has not made any comments yet about when they will open for skiing and riding for the season, other than to say that they will open only when conditions allow top to bottom skiing. At the K1 base lodge, I did observe various food and beverage vendors delivering supplies, which would seem to indicated opening day is near.

Temperatures at the K1 base lodge this morning at 10 AM was 30 degrees. The key to opening would appear to be making snow on lower trails, which could start any time now. Get your equipment ready, because opening day is not far away!

Killington Peak covered in clouds 

A small low pressure system passed over Killington last night. Precipitation started as r@!n but turned to snow in the early morning hours. At the inn, at 10:00 AM the snow stake measured 1 1/2 inches of very high moisture snow. Temperatures are in the high 30's, with snow melt taking place. It is unclear if the snow cover will last the day around the inn, without the temperatures getting colder.

On the mountain, the temperature at the K1 Base lodge, when I went up to take pictures this morning, around 10:15 AM, was 34 degrees. Conditions were very similar to what I was seeing around the inn; a couple of inches of heavy wet snow that was melting into puddles. Killington peak was covered in a dense cloud bank, probably due to all of the humidity from the melting snow.

Snowmaking operations were not in progress when I visited the mountain this morning. Killington operations has put out the word that they will be making snow as soon as the temperature and the humidity drops to reasonable levels, perhaps as early as this afternoon assuming the peak clears. I would guess from looking at the mountain, that temperatures were close at the peak, but the r@!n and wet snow from last night have created too much humidity for snow making to be successful. What ever happens, it is clear that the resort is very close to starting up their snowmaking system, and close to starting their push to open the resort for the ski season.

Halloween 2006.
What are you going to be??? 

Although the ski season is still a few days away, today is the official start of the party season at Killington. Tonight, the Wobbly Barn starts the ski season party going with their 42nd annual Halloween Party. Joey Leone's Chop Shop is the featured band. Costumes are required (it's a Halloween party...get it!). What are you going to be?

Wind whipped snow on Killington 

Early this morning, the Killington resort turned on it's snow making system for the traditional early season test. I ran into Dave Rathbun, Killington's VP of Brand Management, while we were both getting a sandwich at the Killington Market (that's how things really happen in a small town), and he told me that the system was tested earlier today. 14 new low energy guns were tested on an upper trail named 'Reason". So the traditional "blow the mice out" test is now done...check!

Dave went on to tell me that Killington is watching the weather closely, and as soon as the situation is favorable, the mountain will be lit up with snow guns to push to get the season opened. The next couple of days do not look good as temps in the high 50's are due on Tuesday. However, that is all due to change. Late Wenesday/early Thursday, according to Dave, Killington is expecting temperatures in the teens at the peak. The only question about opening day is when can they blow enough snow to get skiing and riding from top to bottom? It will be a day by day thing, as the run up begins to the opening of the 2006/2007 ski season at Killington.

Driving Snowstorm at Killington Peak 

Whoa! Today was one of those days... just plain nasty.

The back side of the torrential rain storm which drowned the area on Saturday has produced a wind driven snow storm all day at Killington. Many trees are down in the area. We lost power this afternoon for more than 3 hours after a large pine tree snapped and fell across the Killington Road at the "Little Buckhorn", taking out the power lines as it fell.

The snow that is falling around the inn has been the heavy and wet variety. Because it is so high in moisture content, it is not accumulating much. It is basically compacting itself as it falls. What snow is falling is being whipped around by very high winds. I do not have a wind speed indicator, but the local weather people on TV are saying that winds in Vermont have been gusting over 70 MPH, and from what I have seen and heard outside, I believe it.

Because we have received measurable snow, I have started the "Snow Stake" pictures for the winter season. Today's picture was taken around 2:00 this afternoon. If your browser is compatible with "AJAX" technology (Asynchronous Javascript and XML), you will also see the beginning of a running Snow Stake photo gallery, so we will be able to get a view of how the winter is progressing.

Temperatures in the area the next couple of days are headed towards the mid 50's, so I doubt the wet snow will survive for long. However, the forecast calls for much lower temperatures towards the end of the week. Word around town is that Killington will turn on their snowmaking system on Wednesday if conditions are favorable. Skiing next weekend anyone?...It's way to early to tell, but as they say, hope springs eternal.

Killington Peak, 10 AM, October 27, 2006. 

No, that is not a picture from last winter posted with todays entry. Todays photo was taken at the entrance to the Rams Head parking lot at approximately 10:00 AM this morning. The temperature at the base lodge was 28 degrees, the sun was bright; not a cloud in the sky.

Although Killington Peak looks like mid winter conditions, it's just a little early season frosting to taunt us with the potential of the ski season to come. Yesterdays snow squalls have left the peaks of Killington and Pico covered in several inches of snow. Probably not quite enough to take many turns on, but very tempting to look at on a late fall day.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast for tomorrow is calling for a wind driven rain storm with temperatures in the 50's. The weather channel is calling for over 2 inches of rain, with larger amounts possible in some areas. The peak probably should be colder than 50, but it is unlikely that the system would be snow at the top, based upon current reports. Sunday, on the back side of the storm, could be different.

Where ever you may be this weekend, it is time to fire up your favorite snow dance, of make a sacrificial offering to Ullr, the Norse god of snow, to help Killington get some snow to get the ski season going.

Killington Peak, shrouded in snow
squalls at the 3000 foot level. 

It's cold outside.

Earlier this afternoon, I returned to Killington from the Boston area. I had been in Massachusetts playing in a charity golf tournament to support the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund. The Ouimet group provides college scholarships to people who work at golf courses in Massachusetts. It is named after Massachusetts golfing legend, Francis Ouimet, who won the US Open as an amateur at "The Country Club" in Brookline MA in the early 1900's. I used to caddie at Belmont Country Club, near my childhood home in Arlington MA when I was a teenager. I was fortunate enough to have received a Ouimet Scholarship to attend Northeastern University growing up. For the last few years, about 50 former Belmont caddies get together and play at Belmont, making a donation to the Ouimet Scholarship in the process. My brother from New Jersey and my other brother who lives in Massachusetts, and I teamed up to challenge the course. Needless to say, the course won (it always does). Surprisingly, as we discovered while talking on the course, it was probably the first time in 20 years that my brothers and I have been able to play a round of golf together as a threesome. We definitely need to do better at that in the future, as we are not getting any younger.

While the temperatures were in the Mid 50's in the Boston area, it was very different when I returned to Killington. When I got home, I drove up to the Killington Base Lodge. The temperature was a brisk 34 degrees with light snow in the air. Some pretty nasty snow squalls were plainly visible on the upper reaches of the mountains, probably around the 3000 foot level. While I saw no evidence yet that Killington had begun snow making, it was very obvious that the top of the mountain was taking on some new snow. How much is hard to tell, but everything helps to start the process of chilling the ground and building up an early season base.

The next few days looks like more of the same...dull gray, cold winds, and snow showers in the air. Twig season in Vermont... just beautiful!