Highline at Killington
Making it wider on skiers right. 

Another nice day to be in Vermont. Especially with everything else going on in the world today.

Mary and I took a little drive around town in the early afternoon. The most visible item on the horizon was a large plume of white smoke coming from just above the K1 base lodge up on the mountain. All jokes aside about Killington proclaiming a new pope (the smoke was very white), it turns out that it originated at a burn pile on the Highline ski trail.

As you can see from todays picture, the ski resort has been doing a fair amount of work on skiers right on Highline. Some trees have been cut down and the whole area has been graded out. It is now covered with straw to control erosion.

In addition, equipment was working on Highline in the area of the small trail, Interceptor, that runs behind the Killington Ski Club. In ski seasons past, access to this trail was very limited, as there was significant growth at the trail entrance on Highline. It looks like the resort is cleaning out this area to provide better access. We'll know this winter.

Room 3 - Shaker Room
Birch Ridge Inn 

Just a gorgeous, lazy summer day at Killington today. Temperatures got into the low 50's at the inn last night. Today, temps are in the high 70's this morning with a bright blue sky and low humidity. Just a beautiful day.

Yesterday, I had a chance to go out and play my normal Tuesday golf game. I did not do well, as my left ankle (the one I sprained early last winter) has been acting up. I have been going to physical therapy for about 6 weeks to strengthen the ankle. It now appears that as the muscles have been getting stronger, they are now causing some bone shifting in the ankle, giving me some (minor) mobility problems. The therapist taped up the ankle yesterday afternoon to try to adjust the bone and retrain it to it's correct position. This is one time that life is actually simpler in the winter. A ski boot immobilizes the ankle... where as a golf shoe is almost like walking barefoot by comparison.

Our summer projects around the inn are continuing. Mary has just finished redecorating room 3 at the inn, also know as the "Shaker" room. We added a small air conditioner to the room earlier in the summer. For this make over, the room has been totally repainted and a new ceiling border has been installed. It really came out nice.

One follow up from a story that ran earlier on the blog. Last Friday I reported that Peter Lynch had graduated at Green Mountain National and played the blue tees. In other news from the golf world, one from one of our past bartenders, Billy Mac, reported that our friend, Katharine Sweeney shot a legitimate 99 last Friday from the red tees at Rye Golf Club. This is her first sub 100 score at a legitimate golf course. Congratulations Katherine!

Aechmea Fasciata
Silver Vase Bromeliad Bromeliaceae 

A year or so ago, two guests who have become friends, Chuck and Jane, gave Mary several strange Brazilian plants to nurture, in exchange for a collection of Blue Iris. The plants, Aechmea Fasciata, also know as Silver Vase Bromeliad Bromeliaceae, in many ways resemble cacti. They have broad, rather prickly leaves, comprising one single stalk around 2 inches in diameter. The leaves and stalk form a vase like structure in the middle of the plant.

We have kept the plants in the owners quarters, where they have added some greenery to the surroundings. But this weekend, something different happened. One of the plants "flowered". The flower is a beautiful pink/orange color intermixed with what look like little blue flowers. The bloom is very unusual, looking more like something out of the old movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" than a traditional flower found in Vermont in the summer. At the same time, because it is so unusual, it is also very eye catching and interesting to look at.

If you want to see a larger picture of the flower, double click on the image and the blog will direct you to the pure picture. Enjoy.

Pete Lynch at the "blues"
on the 11th tee at Green Mountain National. Bob Luongo and Walter Lynnemayr look on. 

Today was graduation day for Pete Lynch. He finally stepped "back to the blues" at Green Mountain National.

Pete, who usually plays the white tees, found himself playing with a group of us this morning that normally go off the blues. At Green Mountain National, the white tees play to 5787 yards, while the blue tees are at 6176. The 389 yard difference may not seem like much, but it creates a lot of different situations for driving the ball into trouble on many holes.

Pete Lynch at the blue tees on the 16th tee a Green Mountain National

Pete had a very respectable round going through 16 holes, playing at slightly better than his handicap. However, tragedy struck on the tough par 3 17th and the long closing par 4 18th. In serious danger of braking 100 his first time out on the blues, Pete developed a severe case of the shanks, closing out the round at 107.

All in all, Pete did very well in his first attempt from the blues. Clearly, he will have many opportunities in the future to try them again.

Killington Peak in the haze of summer. 

Hot! Hot! Hot! and I don't mean the song by Buster Poindexter.

Killington is solidly in the dog days of summer. For the first time in several years, I left the air conditioner on overnight in the restaurant. 6 of or 10 guest rooms are also air conditioned, so our summer guests are staying comfortable. Earlier this afternoon, the temperature at the inn looked like it peaked out at 92 with humidity well over 70%. Very unusually hot and oppressive for the Green Mountains of Vermont.

As I write this (4:00 PM) we are expecting a mega thunderstorm fairly soon. The cloud tops over the mountain are huge, being pushed into the back side of Killington all day by the prevailing west to east wind. For the last hour or so there has been a constant rumble of thunder in the distance, announcing the approach of a cold front. When the front passes through tonight, the weather service is predicting a rapid drop in temperature to more tolerable levels. Tomorrows forecast high is 77 degrees. Over the weekend, the forecast looks like highs in the low 80's. Much more like the normally cool mountains of Vermont in the summer.

Aerial View of Killington Base Lodge
from K1 Skye Ship 

Several weeks ago I reported that there was a rumor that Centex Development Properties, brought in by both Killington and SP Land Company to develop the residential component of the Killington Village project was pulling out of the project. In an article in todays Rutland Herald, Centex's decision to not participate in the project was confirmed. No specific reason was given for Centex's withdrawal from the project, just a lot of conjecture. In New England, Centex is currently working on a similar project at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. That project is continuing.

Last week, I did have an opportunity to speak with Allen Wilson on a variety of items. He confirmed to me that Killington, ASC, and SP Land Company were firmly committed to move forward with the Killington Village project, and that another developer was being sought for the effort. From published reports, both Killington and SP Land Co are continuing their efforts to prepare to go through the Vermont Act 250 permitting process. When this occurs, it will be a very public milestone in the process, as an Act 250 application must be completed before any real construction activities begin. It remains to be seen when this will occur, or if Killington and SP Land Co will file for the Act 250 permit without having a new construction partner announced and on board.

Congratulations to all of the people who participated in the "Team Killington" fund raising effort to support the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Vermont-New Hampshire "Race for the Cure" took place yesterday morning in Manchester Vermont. In a post race party, hosted at the home of "Team Killington" organizers Dick and Noel Gluck, it was announced that 135 people participated in the Team Killington effort, raising over $7000 for the breast cancer charity.

The Komen Vermont-New Hampshire Race for the Cure is part of the largest 5k series in the world. A maximum of seventy-five percent of the net proceeds is dedicated to support screening, education and treatment programs for serving Vermont and New Hampshire communities. A minimum of Twenty-five percent (net) of proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Award and Research Grant Program. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36.