Ki Gondola Station engulfed in snow squall 

It is a somewhat messy pre-winter day at Killington. Temperatures have dropped to the near freezing mark. Very heavy snow squalls have been moving through the area randomly. They have not had much of an impact on the lower elevations, other than if you are trying to drive through one of them, but they are coating upper elevations white.

On the mountain, the resort has resumed snow making operations on Killington Peak along great Northern through Rime and Reason. Snow guns and snow cannons look like they are set up on Lower Bunny Buster for the return to the K1 Gondola, but they were not operating when I visited the mountain at noon. With any luck the resort will get favorable weather through out the week to allow them to resurface the necessary terrain to open again for the season later this week. Let it snow!

Neatly stacked wood pile at the Birch Ridge Inn 

Last weekend there was a palpable excitement to Killington. The election was imminent, with all the controversy and passion that it generated in the local establishments. The resort opened early, providing a nice diversion for many of the local residents, myself included. The economy was clearly in the tank, but who cared...we were skiing and riding again!

This weekend, unfortunately, we are back to twig season. If you want to buy a Chevy, you might be able to negotiate a good deal. The messages of fear and hope that we were inundated with on the television and radio for months have been replaced by Cha Cha Chia! (oh dear...talk about going cold turkey!) The spring temperatures we basked in during the week have melted most of the lower terrain snow the mountain hand crafted with care, resulting in a temporary suspension of the 2008/2009 ski season...so it goes!

But all is not lost in this the most transitional of seasons at Killington.

I did ski 2 days this week. One was longer than the other, but hey, I was on the mountain on skis! Mary tried out her new ski boots. She brought them down for some adjustments. She is ready again to give them another shot. The warm weather allowed us to finish most of our pre-winter outside work. Most of the leaves are all raked up. (I don't think you can ever get all the leaves raked in Vermont!). The white lights which frame the inn were installed this week for the winter season. The wood pile was moved from its' summer habitat to the front of the Great Room and a fresh cord was delivered. And after a week of warm weather, it's starting to get cold again.

The weather forecast for the week indicates that more seasonable temperatures will return. It looks like it will be cold enough for the resort to start making snow again. And with the promise of snow, the buzz will resurface in anticipation of resuming the ski season. Excitement for the coming winter will return!

Winter is coming! Twig season is doomed! Let it snow!

I'm melting.....melting.... 

Unfortunately, the Killington Resort will be temporarily suspending skiing and riding operations with the close of business on Thursday. The unusual warm temperatures we have been experiencing this week have caused Resort management to make the decision to close down the resort until more favorable weather conditions return....so it goes!

When they opened last weekend, the team at the resort was hoping to be able to sustain operations without requiring a temporary shut down. The resort team had said all along that they would operate only if they could provide a hight quality top to bottom product. Unfortunately, daytime temperatures in the 60's and night time temperatures in the 40's have created an environment where that is not possible. The reality is that the worlds largest snow making system can't function with temperatures consistently above freezing, which we have experienced at Killington this week.

The current long range forecast indicates that temperatures will return to more seasonable levels late Sunday and into early next week. The resort is hoping that conditions will be favorable enough to resume snow making operations to allow a re-opening of the resort by the planned season opening date of November 14th.

With the presidential election now over, ladies and gents, it's time to fire up your snow dances if you please!......let it snow!

I Voted stickers handed out by
poll workers in Killington 

No Excuses.....

If you have not already gone to your local polling place and voted, stop reading this blog, quit your internet browser, close your email, turn off your computer, and GO TO VOTE!

If you have already voted....Thank You!

.....let it snow!

Mary taking her first turns of the 2008/2009 ski season. 

Day 2 of the Killington 2008/2009 ski season saw my partner, Mary, take her first turns. Snow coverage continued to hold, but weather conditions were very different from what I experienced on Sunday.

The very top of Killington Peak was cloud covered to just below the top terminal of the North Ridge Triple. Snow surfaces were holding up well, although if Sunday was powder (and it was not), then Monday was heading towards mashed potatoes. Temperatures at the top of the mountain through noon time were just at the freezing level. At the K1 Base, temp's at noon were in the mid 40's.

The weather forecast for the next couple of days at Killington is unseasonably warm. Temperatures Tuesday and Wednesday are predicted to touch 60. So it goes!

Remember on Tuesday to go and vote (if you have not already).....let it snow!

Killington Peak in all it's glory just before noon today. Taken from Killink. 

Sweeeet!

The Killigton Ski Resort opened for the 2008/2009 winter season this morning under beautiful blue skies and seasonable cool temperatures. Scheduled to open at 10:00 AM, the resort pulled a final trick for Halloween visitors to the resort. They opened at 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time. Of course, where we set the clocks back an hour last night, that translated to 9:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. Trick or treat!

The time shift, of course, played mind games with the opening day crowd. Those who arrived very early were rewarded with first dibs on the goods. For the rest of us, due to continuous snow making operations, we still got nice soft surfaces, albeit with a few fresh tracks underneath. One thing that the early opening did accomplish, however, is that it spread out the crowds, which made the first runs of the season all that much nicer.

As part of the opening day, the resort was operating with 1700 feet of vertical spread out over a variety of trails. Great Northern was open from the top to Lower Bunny Buster. Lower Bunny took skiers and riders back home to the K1 Gondola. Rime, Reason and Upper East Fall were open, leading to the North Ridge Triple. A small terrain park was set up on Reason for those interested in getting the first hits of the season.

Snow surfaces were man made machine groomed packed powder, over a natural base. Base depths were more than adequate for the opening day of the season. Coverage was fairly broad and very consistent with few exposed surfaces. Rock skis were not required. (I was on my normal winter equipment.)

Snow making continued during the 2 1/2 hours I was on the mountain. (I got there at 9:30.. Left the parking lot about 12:15). Guns were running almost the entire length of Great Northern, where the resort wants to stockpile snow to allow continued operation, especially during the warmer weather anticipated during the week. Guns were also running on Upper Downdraft. That trail was closed for skiing and riding, but should be able to open soon based upon the amount of snow that was being made at the top of the mountain.

All told during my time on the mountain, I did about 12 lifts. Most were on the North Ridge Triple. When I arrived at the mountain, because they had already been loading people for 30 minutes, I was able to walk right on the K1 Sky Ship. Lift lines at the North Ridge Triple were variable. When I first arrived, because I was skiing before 10:00 AM, the singles line was running with about a 2 minute wait. By around 11:30AM, the singles line had about a 10 minute queue.

The crowd on the mountain seemed like a good mix of locals, season pass holders, and North East Skiers and Riders looking for first runs of the season. On my lift rides up, I spoke with locals, people from Burlington VT, Boston MA, Hartford CT, New Haven CT, New York City, and Long Island. Many of the people I spoke with specifically travelled to Killington to purposefully attend opening day. Unscientifically, I would say that about 2/3rds of those in attendance had a season pass product of some kind. The other third bought day tickets from the resort. Todays lift ticket price was $65.00.

I did take a bunch of pictures presented below. I must admit, I had intended on just taking 1 or 2 runs. I figured I would set up a few places and just take pictures. But it was so nice to be back on skis again, and conditions were so good, that my original plan was quickly modified to just skiing and taking random pictures when I stopped.

Great Northern looking back to K1 Top Terminal. (Click to enlarge.)

Rider emerging from guns on Great Northen at junction with Downdraft. (Click to enlarge.)

Skiers and riders on Great Northen at junction with Rime and Reason. (Click to enlarge.)

Looking up the North Ridge Triple lift line up Rime towards Killington Peak. (Click to enlarge.)

The queue at the North Ridge Triple. Notice the high concentration of brain buckets helmets. (Click to enlarge.)

Full North Ridge Triple. Even full, the pace of the chair leaves from plenty of empty space on the trails. (Click to enlarge.)

Chute. Snow making operations in full swing with new low energy guns. (Click to enlarge.)

Lower Bunny Buster with low energy snow guns at work. (Click to enlarge.)

One last look at Killington Peak under azure skies and snow guns operating everywhere. (Click to enlarge.)

The Killington Resort does plan on being open for skiing and riding from now thru next spring. The next couple of weeks will be very weather dependent, as is usually the case during the early season. But if today was any indication, the 2008/2009 ski season at Killington is off to a great start!.....let it snow!

Killington Peak ready for early season skiers and riders 

The ski season at Killington has arrived! Killington has provided skiers and riders some Halloween Candy to enjoy later this weekend!

I received a call early this morning from Tom Horrocks, Communications Manager for the resort, informing me that Killington will open for top to bottom skiing and riding at 10:00 AM this Sunday, barring any last minute unexpected change in the weather. The mountain plan is to continue to be open through the week, with lifts turning Monday thru Friday starting at 9:00 AM. The Killington Resort will stay open for early season operations as long as they can provide a quality on snow experience for their early season guests.

The current operating plan is to run 2 lifts, the K1 Gondola and the North Ridge Triple. While snow has been made top to bottom on Great Northern, aided by Mother Nature, from what I understand, I would recommend that people focus their turns on the upper reaches of the mountain, taking laps off the triple. I was told that on Rime and Reason and the upper trails of the mountain, the snow making team has laid down a base of about 6 feet. As conditions were less favorable on the lower mountain, the surface conditions running back to the K1 Gondola are on a thinner base. As temperatures allow, the Resort will continue to make snow on all of the trails they can to continue to improve snow surfaces.

Of course, this early in the season, only advanced skiers and riders are encouraged to participate. Novices and beginners should probably wait a little longer to give the mountain time to expand operations to easier terrain.

Ski Season at Killington is here. Happy Halloween .....let it snow!