Strike a pose.... on Mousetrap. 

The clouds and showers of the last couple of days have given way to a beautiful spring day in Killington...just perfect for a few turns on the mountain.

When we spun off the Snowdon Quad this morning, the clock was striking a resounding crack-o-10:30. In the spring, you do need to let the sun work it's magic you know....plus a few extra zzzz's are not a bad thing either! The mountain was resplendent in full sunshine. Soft bumps were developing everywhere. It was just a nice day to be out on the mountain.

Snow conditions were "interesting". The showers of the last couple of days combined with warm spring temperatures have left surfaces very soft. Today's surfaces went right past cream, through corn, all the way to Slurpee. (What's your favorite color?) Trails that still had groomed corduroy (and yes, at 10:30 there was still groomed corduroy visible on some trails like Killink from Snowdon to East Fall) were squishy under foot. Trails compacted by skier traffic were wet with slush bumps in abundance.

Surfaces on Sky Peak off the Superstar Quad were firmer, given the north facing aspect of the trails. But even here, the snow is feeling the effects of spring. Superstar itself had small bumps developing up and down the slope. There was still evidence of it being groomed. I would guess that the resort will give it one last flattening for this weekend and then let nature take its course. (Only conjecture....not inside information.)

Tonight the temperatures in the area are due to go down to the low 20's. Surfaces for Friday should firm up substantially in the early morning hours, allowing the groomers to smooth out any surface imperfections created over the last couple of days by the warm temperatures and high moisture.

With plenty of snow on the mountain, spring skiing conditions should hold up quite well. The last hurrah for the 2010/2011 ski season is quickly approaching. With the mountain scheduled to close on May 1, if you want to make any more turns this year, now is the time.

With spring snow, and bright sunshine...don't forget your sun screen!

Killington Peak set against a brilliant sky from Superstar 

I am really not sure where to start...The combination of bright sunshine, blue sky, deep snow, and warm temperatures just made for a fantastic day on the mountain. It was just the perfect combination for a great day of spring skiing at Killington.

We started the day with a couple of laps on Superstar at the crack of 9. Superstar was groomed flat and it was still firm as skiers and riders had not yet cut it up. The basic method down the trail was put your legs together and go as fast as you dared. With virtually no one on the trail, the first 2 runs were exhilarating.

We next climbed over the top of the mound on the upper Superstar headwall for a visit to the "far reaches" of the resort. As is usual this time of year, there are only a few lifts running, but many of the normal ropes and road blocks directing skiers and riders down certain pieces of terrain have been removed.

We crossed under the wind screen and the Skyship Gondola for a peek at Sky Burst. Oh the creamy goodness! I believe we were the first ones to visit Sky Burst this morning, other than a Ski Patroller taking a reserve run. We were greatly rewarded.

Upper Sky Burst for the taking. Click to enlarge..

Even at this early part of the ski day, being south facing Sky Burst had been sitting in the sun for several hours. Being totally flat, the surface churned up like soft butter with every turn. And unlike Superstar, which begged you to go fast, Sky Burst gave each turn its own special kind of love. I am sure that later in the day, Sky Burst will be whipped into a frenzy of bumps by skier traffic, but catching it first this morning was one of the highlights of the day.

Of course, the mountain giveth, and the mountain taketh away! Because there are no lifts running on Bear Mountain, our run down Sky Burst was terminated at the Snowshed Crossover. On the current resort trail map, you will not find this trail anywhere as during mid winter it is blocked by tuna nets. But instead of pretending it does not exist, in the spring the nets are dropped allowing access to upper mountain terrain, followed by a long traverse back to the Superstar Quad. In addition to Sky Burst, the Snowshed Crossover allows the resort to keep open Upper Cruise Control, Panic Button and Upper Needles Eye, plus the Vertigo Headwall. And they were all worth doing today.

By about 11, we had done enough laps on the Sky Peak side of the resort so we headed to the K1 Gondola for some runs off the Canyon Quad. By now, East Falls had been whipped into a runny ice cream state, requiring attention to turns down its fall line. Double Dipper, still in partial shadow, was still firm but very edgeable. Cascade was generally soft, with a few slick spots on its lower headwall.

We took Ridge Run (formerly West Glade) down Great Northern to the Snowshed quad. Chute had nice snow cover. Great Bear was still a little chunky (I would bet that by 2:00 PM this afternoon it would have been great!). Upper Royal Flush had some gooey softness to its small bumps. Mousetrap offer you a choice of cruising of bumping. I found the seeded bumps course to be nicely soft around noon, while Mary just cruised down to meet me before heading down for another ride on the quad.

We finished up on Highline. By mid day it had been totally churned up with soft wet bumps developing on the lower sections. After a ski season on the slopes, our legs were more than up to the task presented by the suns work on Highline. It just sealed the deal on a beautiful spring day to ski Killington.

Sunshine leads the group on the corduroy at Killington. 

The calendar may say spring, but winter is still in full effect at Killington. Temperatures in the area have been hovering at the freezing mark with a very un-spring like cold combination of snow and drizzle falling most of the day.

Mary ventured out on the slopes today. I spent my time finishing our tax package to provide to our accountant for our 2010 income taxes. I finished collating all of the paperwork around 3:45 this afternoon; just about the time Speaker of the House John Boehner (R, Ohio) gave his riveting speech (not!) on how well the politicians we send to Washington are working together to craft a federal budget. Makes you sort of wonder, doesn't it? But I digress....

Mary reported that surface conditions today were a mix of groomed terrain and fresh powder from overnight snow. Skiable terrain at the resort has shrunk from recent weeks, as the resort begins its spring shut down process. Lifts operating today included Snowshed, SuperStar, K1, the Canyon Quad, and Snowdon.

The weekend forecast calls for warming temperatures and spring skiing conditions. With our tax package prepared, and my all important Masters picks made, I plan on taking a few runs myself over the next couple of days.

Hope to see you on the slopes.

Beautiful Sunday out on the mountain. 

Very rarely do we go out on the mountain on weekends. We used to be weekenders on the mountain all the time, but since starting the inn 14 years ago, we spend most weekends at the inn meeting and greeting inn guests. But when I got up this morning to bright blue skies and temperatures cracking the 40 degree mark, there was no doubt that instead of taking a walk around the block, we needed to take a few runs on the mountain.

With temperatures above freezing, most trails on the mountain were developing a nice spring cream. South facing trails were corning up slightly in the warm sun. North facing trails had skid patches where firm surfaces were exposed between little moguls of soft snow. No matter where we were, however, it was all good. With sun on our faces, and strategic lift decisions taken to have the wind at our back, it was just a nice day to be skiing at Killington.

And with feet of snow for base depth, and being only April 3rd, hopefully we will get quite a few more sunny spring days to enjoy playing on the mountain in the snow.

Gary, Chuckles, Ruts and the Bagel on Killington Peak in the snow. 

While not quite living up to the hype broadcasted by the Weather Channel and local TV weathercasters, Killington was blanketed today in a solid covering of heavy, dense, snow. With temperatures hovering around freezing, the snow coming out of the sky is perfect to continue skiing and riding at Killington well into the spring.

We started our excursion today with a K1 Gondola ride followed by a traverse across the top of the resort to Bear Mountain. Some problem kept the Superstar Chair from operating at 9:00. Taking advantage of the situation, we found ourselves staring at Wildfire with not a ski track on the trail to be found. Such tough luck...

Snow on the trails was heavy. The perfect consistency for making snow men or throwing snow balls. The proverbial phrase "Keep your tips pointed down hill you chicken s#!t" was the order of the day, as any time you strayed from that mantra your skis were pulled fiercely to the side by the newly fallen snow.

We got several runs down trails at Bear Mountain before other skiers and riders figured out to cross the top of the mountain. Even then, the terrain got chopped up very quickly, as the stickiness of the snow promoted the development of moguls at every turn.

Most trails had been groomed overnight, so they were very receptive to the newly fallen snow. Trails that were groomed early displayed a tendency to have a frozen surface below the new snow, making it important to pay attention to your turns and avoid skidding and sliding.

At Bear Mountain, we skied Wildfire, the Stash, Bear Claw, and Dream Maker. We stayed away from Outer Limits, letting the bumpers getting ready for this weekends Mogul Challenge have a clear slope to play on.

From Bear Mountain, we then did Needles Eye, Bitter Sweet, Sky Lark, Superstar and High Road off of Sky Peak. Superstar was solidly encased in cloud cover till the lower headwall. All of the other trails skied well, although the further we went north on the resort to the Killington Basin area, the worse the visibility became.

Off of Killington Peak we did Cascade, East Fall, Rime, Reason, Great Northern, and Highline. Snow coverage on all of the trails was pretty good, although the low cloud made for some interesting runs, most notably down Cascade.

Snow has continued to accumulate at Killington all day with about 4 inches of new snow recorded at the snow stake at the inn this afternoon. While it is not the foot predicted by various weather outlets, it is white. It should make for a great weekend of skiing and riding at Killington....Let it snow!

Oxymoron-Walter and a "Slow Sign" with Killington Peak in the background. 

Finally....spring arrived at Killington.

Beautiful sunny skies complimented temperatures in the low to mid 30's to bring spring skiing to the Killington resort. From Bear Mountain to the Canyons below Killington Peak, bright sunshine bathed the region; softening up snow surfaces in the process.

High speed cruising was once again the methode du jour with few bumps to be found around the resort early this morning. The situation should change later in the day, but with minimal skier traffic it is unlikely that big spring bumps will form before the weekend.

Superstar, Outer Limits, the Stash, Bear Claw, Wild Fire, and Skyburst were all groomed flat. All were rated do overs. Outer Limits was developing a soft cream in the full on early morning sun.

Upper Dream Maker and Needles Eye were flat and fast with small skier created bumplets. Neither trail had been groomed overnight, yielding a crisp finish common to spring skiing on trails with little skier traffic.

At Killington Peak the Canyon Trilogy was in all it's spring glory. East Fall with it's southern exposure was creaming up nicely. Double Dipper was softening up with some light corn. Cascade, in the shadows due to it's north face, was firm with a machine groomed granular surface down it's double fall line. Rime, Reason, and Ridge Run were skiing nice. Ridge Run had firm bumps in the shadows down skiers left, but due to the slight pitch they were easily navigable.

Winter Storm Watch issued for Killington Vermont
KILLINGTON ... 306 PM EDT WED MAR 30 2011

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BURLINGTON CONTINUES THE WINTER STORM WATCH...FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.

* LOCATIONS...ALL OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VERMONT...AND THE NORTHERN ADIRONDACKS OF NEW YORK...INCLUDING THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY

* HAZARD TYPES...MODERATE TO HEAVY WET SNOWFALL.

* ACCUMULATIONS...6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN VERMONT.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT AND BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES ON FRIDAY BEFORE TAPERING TO SNOW SHOWERS FRIDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY DURING THE FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE HEAVY WET SNOW...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS.

* WINDS...NORTH 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 20S TO MID 30S DURING THE STORM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

With fresh snow on the way, and the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge this weekend, it is time to get to Killington for some late season skiing and riding. Let it Snow!

Killington Peak - bright sun - cold temperatures. 

The calendar reads March 28th. The thermometer reads January 28th. So it goes....

The combination of a low pressure system in the gulf of St Lawrence and a high pressure system to the west of the Laurentians is streaming arctic air down the Green Mountains of Vermont putting Killington into a relative deep freeze for late March. Temperatures are struggling to get into the mid 20's in the face of a brisk 20-30 mph northwest wind. The beautiful sunshine of this morning thru a sucker punch at those who were not paying attention and did not dress in the proper armor for the cold temperatures.

Once again the mountain was set up flat and fast. Most trails started this morning with groomed corduroy, giving way to several inches of machine groomed loose granular as skier traffic broke up the surface.

With so many trails set up as groomed cruisers, it is hard to pick the run of the day. I would give the edge to Outer Limits with the caution that it is not the Outer Limits of old. The constant grooming has left a beautifully flat surface, which purists who want OL to be the premier bump trail in all of skiing would find abhorrent. But when all you have to choose from is groomed cruisers, OL when it is groomed flat can be very good indeed, and today it rated multiple do overs. But bumpers take note: the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge is this coming weekend so the bumps on OL by definition need to return, or somebody at the resort will have a lot of explaining to do!

Once again Vertigo was the most technical run of the loop we pursued today. It was not groomed. The upper headwall was the proverbial slide for life which was to be avoided at all costs, unless out of control down hill rocket rides are your thing. Middle and lower Vertigo were very firm with irregular residual little bumplets (not really bumps but hard piles of snow) left over from weekend skier traffic. I enjoyed it as it was a distinct change from the high speed runs on the groomed cruisers, but then again some people might think I am crazy as well.

With the inevitable decline in midweek skiers and riders brought on by the arrival of the cherry blossoms down south, the resort has started it's spring contraction. Today both Rams Head and Sky Ship Stage 1 to Route 4 were closed, along with the trails that they service. It begins a long process which happens every spring, as the mountain starts to change gears. But there is so much terrain with feet of snow cover open around the resort, that few, if any, of the skiers and riders on the mountain today really noticed.

As we head into spring, don't forget your sunscreen.