Killington turning white to start the ski season. 

Stunning! Beautiful! Gorgeous!

No, I am not talking about some young lady that visited the bar last night.. I am talking about how the mountain looked this morning as I drove on to Killington Road to take my morning pictures. At a ski resort, there is nothing that can get your level of anticipation up more than to see a mountain covered in a frosty white blanket, snow guns blasting, lifts turning....Just beautiful!

Today's picture is a panorama taken around 9:45 AM. Double click on the picture to display it full size in your browser window.

The Killington Resort is pushing hard to get open. Current public statements indicated that they will be open for top to bottom skiing and riding starting Thanksgiving day at 8:00 AM. The ski season is almost here at last!

Solitary snow gun in operation at K1 Base Lodge 

When I went up to the mountain this morning, I had this strange feeling of deja vu. Perhaps I have done too much reading in life, so my mind races to create connections, but the scene at the K1 base lodge this morning could have come directly from a ski town version of "The Mouse that Roared".

In a brave act of defiance, the Killington resort has declared war against Mother Nature. For those of you who need an update on "The Mouse that Roared", it is a story about the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. This little principality decided that the only way for it to get out of it's economic woes was to declare war on the United States. It knew that in any battle that it would lose. But it also knew that in the process it's economy would be rebuilt due to the American peoples largess to provide economic assistance to any country suffering from the ravages of war. Such is the stage that has been set this morning as Killington wages a similar battle with Mother Nature.

When I arrived at the K1 base lodge, the temperature in my car read 34 degrees. The air was thick with a very cold overcast. The cloud deck was down below 3000 feet. Heavy frost is forming on all of the trees only a couple of hundred feet higher than the base lodge. And here was this solitary snow gun just blasting away. The noise from it was fantastic; the air pressure blasting the water stream seemed to be set incredibly high, probably to compensate for the high relative temperature at the base lodge.

The one solitary snow gun will not do much in the short run to get the resort open. But it clearly was putting a marker down. It clearly was a statement of defiance to Mother Nature that Killington is committed to have snow to open, no matter what it takes at this point. It will be an interesting week as we see how the story of opening the ski resort for the 2006/2007 season unfolds. Will Killington's massive snow making machine allow it to overcome, at least in the short term, the torment thrown it's way by Mother Nature? Or will Killington lose the battle, only to have Mother Nature relent and provide us with a blanket of natural snow? An interesting week indeed!

Killington resumes snow making operations 

The race between Mother Nature, the Calendar, and the Killington Ski Resort is on!

Last night, snow making operations resumed on Killington peak. Wide spread snowmaking was clearly visible from the base of the mountain this morning in the North Ridge area(formerly know as the glades.) Killington resumed resurfacing the area they had blown snow on previously in a race between the resort and the calendar to prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday.

Mother Nature had not cooperated very much in the last few weeks. Snow making operations on lower elevations depend on a couple of items. First, there is a lot of water running off the mountain from the last 2 weeks storms. That has to run before surfaces will hold much snow. Second, temperatures need to continue to chill down to firm up the terrain and allow efficient snow making. The weather forecast indicates cold temperatures will continue to infiltrate the area of the next day or two, allowing lower elevation snow making to begin. Needless to say, the race is on! We should be skiing (or riding) at Killington very soon!

Keep double clicking on todays picture to reveal a full panorama of snow making operations at Killington Peak. The scope of it, when you look at the whole peak, is amazing. And it is only the beginning efforts.

Repairing Casa Cassella 

The weather is in the process of making an abrupt change at Killington. The last several days have seen some very wet weather, punctuated last night by torrential r@!n and high winds. Our dumpster enclosure, nicknamed Casa Cassella because our dumpster is serviced by Cassella Waste Management, had it's doors blown off their hinges by a strong gust of wind during the evening. The wind was that strong.

This morning, the storm pattern of the last couple of days is clearing out. Temperatures started out in the mid 60's this morning, but they are rapidly dropping. Temperatures will be solidly below freezing by early evening.

All eyes in town will be turned towards to mountain as the resort restarts snow making operations. Killington has publicly stated that they will be open for skiing and riding over the Thanksgiving holiday period. It should be quite a show the next couple of days as they create a man made blizzard on the slopes.

Fax received from Killington LTD concerning Resort Opening 

Without question, there has been no early November ski season. Yes, Killington did blow a ton of snow on the upper elevations of Killington peak. Yes, many people hiked up their to take in the sights (yours truly) or "earn their turns". But from a practical standpoint, the commercial business collectively called the "Killington Ski Resort" has been effectively stymied by weather more appropriate for early May than early November. With the Thanksgiving Holiday in sight, the communications manager for Killington, Tom Horrocks, issued the following communique this morning:

"In an effort to maintain clear communications among our staff and the community and how we collectively communicate to our guests, please use the following message until further notice:

Killington Resort will be open for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Forecasted colder temperatures will arrive late this weekend, enabling snowmaking to return.

Killington Resort is committed to opening with top to bottom skiing served by the K1 Gondola and will take advantage of every opportunity to produce snow. Killington's competitive advantage of elevation, extensive snowmaking system, superior grooming and dedicated staff will provide the best possible experience for our guests as we kick of the season very soon.

Updates will be posted on www.killington.com"

Currently at Killington, the weather is a cold, dull grey. The near term forecast shows temperatures falling throughout the week, with temperatures suitable for snowmaking by the weekend. While it is impossible to predict with absolute certainty what conditions will be like Thanksgiving week, I am certain that Killington will do everything they can to offer the best skiing product in New England for the holiday period.

Snow Cannons are silent at Killington 

Oh Lord, hear our prayer.

The majesty which is your creation in the middle of a small state named Vermont in the small town of Killington seeks your love and understanding. The glorious landscape, which you created, has transformed with the seasons from a lush green paradise filled with life to a dull grey protrusion into the heavens.

Oh Lord, hear our prayer.

Oh Lord, many of your servants have climbed the mountain, searching for signs that you have not forgotten us in our time of need. We seek the cold mountain air, to free us from the shackles placed upon us by those who seek us to serve them instead of you. We seek the white, pure snows, to raise our spirits, and cleanse our souls; to divert us, how ever briefly, from the purgatory of our existence and surround us in the mountains with your glory.

Oh Lord, hear our pray.

In our time of need we ask of you, our Lord, a humble favor. We pray to you , oh Lord, that you give us cold weather. We beseech you to look down upon your majestic mountains and grace them with a blanket of snow. For, dear Lord, we know that before the lush green glow of the mountains returns next spring, the pure white snow of winter must bath us in your glow.

Oh Lord, hear our prayer!

Clouds lifting at Killington 

It's another great day for outside work around the inn. I what I hope is not a pyrrhic gesture, the snow blower at the inn was started and moved from it's summer resting place to it's winter home. We are ready. Are you doing your snow dances?

I took a ride up to the mountain to see the results of the precipitation and warm weather we have had the last couple of days. Killington is still topped by a cloud, but it had lifted to expose most of the mountain. Needless to say, all of the natural snow that existed at the lower elevations is now running free towards the Atlantic ocean. Snow on the upper elevations is visible on snow making trails only. I labeled today's picture with trail names so you can see where snow exists on the mountain. (Double click on the picture for a larger view.) It does look like the mountain did maintain snow cover all the way down to the entrance of Highline on Great Northern. Of course it is hard to tell what surface conditions are, but it is promising that significant snow cover is still visible. Think Snow!