You know winter is coming around this part of the world when 2 things happen. You get the first frost (last night); and the Killington Resort releases Ski Ticket Pricing.

Via a press release yesterday, Killington announced their winter multi-day ski ticket programs for the coming winter. New this year is a change in operating policy allowing people to by a multi-day ski ticket product which includes a grace day, allowing for non consecutive day skiing and riding. Under the old ticket plan, if a guest were at the resort for 5 days, they would typically purchase a 5 day ski ticket, and wind up skiing only 4 days (usually taking the 3rd day off). The ticket plans announced yesterday allow a guest to purchase a 4 day ticket good for skiing and riding over a 5 day period, allowing for the normal "grace day" which occurs in many ski vacations.

Pricing is higher than previous years, but I did a check on multiday pricing versus last year and discovered that the pricing seemed to compensate for the grace day. For instance this years 4 day with a 1 day grace period ticket is priced at approximately the same price as last years 5 day ticket. While this will raise the cost of skiing and riding for those who would plan on skiing all 5 days in a ski week, for the average person on a ski vacation, the impact would be nominal. Further information about Killington's Ski Ticket Pricing can be found at http://www.killington.com/summer/media/pressrelease.html?pressrelease=pressrelease10.

Birch Ridge Inn, Killington Vermont, Friday September 14, 2007 

Fall foliage season is coming! Once again this year, we will be posting a fall foliage picture of the Birch Ridge Inn regularly on Killingtonblog.com so visitors can track the changing colors of the trees in the Killington area.

The photos of the inn are taken from a tripod mounted camera placed in the same spot each day looking at the front of the Birch Ridge Inn. The front door of the Birch Ridge Inn is at an elevation of 1870 feet above sea level, about mid range for the average mountain top in the area. (Killington peak is 4241 feet for example). The trees at the back of the inn have their roots at approximately 1925 feet, with the tree tops approaching 2000 feet.

The pictures will be taken, weather and time permitting, at approximately 10:00 AM. Time permitting, they will be posted on killingtonblog.com by early afternoon. For those of you who are technically inclined, the pictures are being taken using a simple Canon Digital Elph SD550. Multiple images (3-4) are then being level corrected and stitched together in Adobe Photoshop on an Apple Powermac.

We hope you enjoy, as we do, watching the change of seasons as Summer marches into Fall in the Green Mountains of Vermont at Killington.

Chris Karr, president of the Killington Chamber of Commerce, address chamber members at the 2007 annual meeting. 

Last night, at a sell out event at the Inn of the Six Mountains, the members of the Killington Chamber of Commerce held their 2007 annual meeting. Featured speakers at the event were Dave Rathburn, Director of Marketing, and Chris Nyberg, President of the Killington Pico Ski Resort.

The presentations made by the Killington Management Team were very up front and straight forward to the assembled chamber members of the Killington business community. Chris Nyberg put it succinctly when he outlined the mission of the Killingon team "... to exceed customer expectations, be innovative, profitable, and environmentally responsible...". Mr. Nyberg went on to tell the crowd that in preparation for the upcoming season, that the resort is spending $3.3M on a variety of capital improvement projects designed to begin the rehabilitation of the resort. "...and that money does not include the expense of painting the lift towers..." Mr Nyberg joked. That, of course, was a veiled reference to the practices of the past resort owner, the American Skiing Company, who promoted basic maintenance expenses as "capital improvements" to the community for the last several years. Mr. Nyberg finished his presentation to the chamber members with a semi scientific presentation on what he feels is Killington key product "Snow". While some of the community members glazed over at this point, as it was a long evening, I though it provided more insight into the attention to detail that the new management team is bringing to operational planning at Killigton. It should be an interesting winter.

In addition to the presentations by the Killington team, several members were honored for their service to the Killington Chamber. Mike Blow, of Farrell Distributing and local Attorney Dan Ewald are departing board members who were honored for their service. Mike has been instrumental in launching the Killington Wine Festival over the last 6 years. Dan has been a board member of the chamber for 15 years, donating countless hours of his time to a variety of chamber projects. Charlie Brunnel, formerly the innkeeper of the Fox and Pheasant Inn, was honored for his volunteer efforts in the chamber office. And finally, Kim Harris, executive director of the chamber, received a standing ovation from the assembled members for her efforts at moving the chamber forward.

Several members were newly elected to join the Chambers Board of Directors. New board members Phil Black of the Lookout Tavern, Robert "Sal" Salmeri of Moguls Sports Pub and Howard Smith of Killington Snowmobile Tours join current board members President Chris Karr of Pickle Barrel Nightclub, Vice President Andy Reid of Deli at Killington Corners, Immediate Past President Ray Rice of Surefoot, Secretary Christine Young of Basin Sports and other current board members Sue Burgess of the Spa at The Woods, Haley Destafino from the Mountain Times, Brian Halligan from Inn of the Six Mountains, John King of Gramps Shuttle, Kara Kacmarcik from Wise Vacation Rentals, Bill Miller from the Summit Lodge, Dave Rathbun from the Killington Resort and myself, Bill Vines, from the Birch Ridge Inn.

Mary teeing off on the par 3
13th hole at Green Mountain National.
Notice that fall foliage color is starting to appear. 

There are a lot of things going on around Killington. This weekend sees the return of the Killington Classic Motorcycle Rally. In addition, many locals have gotten involved in the Grow Killington Initiative. And of course, the area is entertaining late summer guests, preparing to receive fall foliage visitors, and trying to figure out how to work with the new owners of the Killington Pico Ski Resort for the upcoming winter..in other words, there is a lot going on...

I was lucky enough to play golf on Thursday and Friday. As you can see from the picture of Mary on the 13th hole at Green Mountain, the trees have started to change color. This time of year is very pretty in Vermont. While on the course, because so much is going on around town, I got to thinking about how you can learn a lot about life in a round of golf. Of course, some times too much thinking can get in the way of having a good round; but anyways...here is my list:

10. Golf is a game of rules. But it is also a game of "Ladies and Gentlemen". Always remember the golden rule...Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

9. If a person cheats at golf, which is only a game, what does that say about a person when they have to deal with more serious topics?

8. You are handicapped, not haunted, by your past performance. To influence future results, you must keep focused on the present.

7. The ball you have just hit, is already out of your control.

6. Only the preparation you do before hitting the ball has any influence on where the ball may land after you strike it.

5. There is no such thing as a good bounce or a bad bounce. There are only bounces. Our interpretation of a bounce molds our psyche about it's quality. My good bounce may be a bad bounce for my playing partner.

4. It is easier to hit the ball off the fairway than out of the rough. Stay in the fairway.

3. Golf is a worldwide game played with standard rules. Golf technology and physical conditioning regimes are ever changing. Build on the knowledge of others who play the game around the world. Integrate their knowledge of the game into your own.

2. Even though golf is a worldwide game, it is still played on local courses. Those who ignore local knowledge, or reject it thinking they know better, are doomed to make mistakes that locals learned long ago to overcome.

1. You are the one that is swinging your club to strike your ball. You, and only you, are responsible for the outcome of your swing.

Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway, and don't forget your sunscreen.

Somewhere on "E Trail" near "Julio" 

Although this may sound heretical to some, all of our free time is not spent wandering around the golf courses of Killington. Yesterday, we spent our free time wandering through the woods while climbing to the top of Killington.

We started our climb from our normal winter parking spot at the Killington Base Lodge in Bay 1. From there, we hiked up lower Bunny Buster to Mouse Trap and the bottom of Racers Edge. Racers Edge in the summer is used as a single track mountain bike trail, of what I would guess is fairly moderate difficulty. Normally we would be hesitant to hike it,trying to avoid bike traffic, but as there were only a half a dozen bikers on the mountain it was not a problem. Racers Edge is below and roughly parallel to the "C" trail on the Killington Hiking Map. "C Trail", know as "Great Northern" in the winter is a broad road, where as Racers Edge is a little wider than a path through the woods. A much more interesting hike.

We came out at the base of the "Glades" and meandered about on our way to the top. We did stop for a nice lunch at the Peak Restaurant. While we were there, we kept asking ourselves why we did not do this earlier in the summer, as the lunch at the peak was very nice.

While we were at the peak, we noticed a lot of maintenance work had been completed, with a lot more underway. The peak building has been completely repaired from the late spring storm damage. We also saw crews put painting the South Ridge Triple station, in addition to various pits of snow making plumbing repair around the mountain.

For our trek down, we followed the "E Trail" listed on Killington Hiking Trail Map. "E Trail" cuts through the forest between "Launch Pad" and Flume. In the process it cuts through the tree skiing trail "Julio", and across the primary trails Ovation, Old Superstar, Super Star, Skye Lark, Bitter Sweet, High Road, and Low Road, before coming out in the woods opposite the base of the Super Star Chair Lift. 'E Trail" was almost totally in the forest, away from bike trails and lifts. It was a very quiet, secluded hike through the woods, if you are into that sort of thing. Lions, tigers, and bears...oh my!

Several words of caution if you decide to hike up Killington. First, make sure you have proper foot wear. (No sandals or flip flops) Good athletic shoes (ie sneakers) are sufficient. Hiking boots over the ankle are better. Also bring plenty of water. Mary and I both consumed over 3/4 of a gallon of water each during our hike up and down the mountain. Yesterday was a warm day, so your needs may vary...but you will be much happier if you stay hydrated during your hike. Also, this time of year the weather on the peak is highly variable. Even though it may be warm at the base, you should bring a jacket or wind breaker with you in your pack incase the weather changes. And finally... have fun. You are not on Hannibal's forced march across the Alps... Stop and look around. The mountain is filled with interesting trees, flowers, rock formations, views.... Take in the sights... It is a beautiful place to be.

Where ever you may be this holiday weekend don't forget your sunscreen.

"Sentinel Tree" announcing the start of fall foliage 

While I was playing golf this morning, at Green Mountain National, I could not help but notice that many of the trees which had been a resplendent green last week were taking on decidely red and orange hues. Nothing major yet, mind you, but the change was evident.

It peaked my curiosity. So on my way home, I started looking for a collection of fall foliage "Sentinel Trees"; the trees who change color first to announce the arrival of the fall season. Sure enough, many of these first trees of the season were already showing color. Right across the street from the inn is a swamp maple that is already bright red.(See todays picture).

Now before I get too far a field here, you may be thinking...gee it sounds like fall is coming early!. I know I had that thought in the back of my mind myself as I was driving back to the inn this afternoon. But blogs are a beautiful thing. It turns out that last year, on August 28, I posted last years first post announcing the beginning of the 2006 fall foliage season. Pure coincidence mind you from a blog posting stand point. But an interesting marker about the season.

It is way too early to tell how the fall season will turn out. When peak foliage will occur in Killington? How long the foliage last? Will the colors be vibrant or muted? But one thing I do know with absolute certainty....the colors of fall will be upon us again this year in fairly short order. I have my camera ready. Do you???

Where ever you may be, just remember to keep it in the fairway, and don't forget your sunscreen.

Green Mountain National Golf Course
2007 Ladies Club Champions.
(l-r) Carol Kostelnik - Low Net,
Mary Furlong - Runner Up,
Lida Wilson - Club Champion 

In a 2 day tournament last Thursday and Firday, the ladies of Green Mountain National battled it out for the title of 2007 Women's Club Champion.

Mary, who usually does not like to play golf 2 days in a row, did very well. She came in as first runner up 3 shots back from Lida Wilson who took the top spot. Carol Kostelnik won the low net honors for the ladies annual tournament.

Congratulations ladies!

Where ever you may be, just remember to keep it in the fairway, and don't forget your sunscreen.