Snow Guns blasting at junction of
Chute, Great Northern and Lower
Bunny Buster 

Killington's snow making system has been fired up into overdrive to cover as much territory as possible prior to the arrival of Christmas guests to the region. Mary was out on the hill today skiing and trying out her new camera. She reported that conditions at the upper elevations were firm while lower elevations were still on the soft side. Overall coverage on snow making trails was good. Terrain expansion off the back of Superstar into the Needles Eye area looks like it is taking place, although it is not open for skiing yet.

While it was sunny and cool today, tonight we are having a howling wind storm at Killington. No precipitation at the Inn is evident, but we are receiving very strong winds which must be blowing snow around on the mountain. The forecast for snowmaking the next couple of days looks promising. There does look like a weather system will move in briefly on Saturday with a "Wintry Mix" predicted. Let it Snow!

Several items today happened which will impact the Killington resort over both the near and far term. Locally, winter is making an attempt to return. The area has been dusted with snow the last couple of days. Nothing that I would consider measurable, but the ground is trying to become white again. On the mountain, and I am sorry I don't have any pictures - work has gotten in the way, the resort is trying to blow snow every where on the Killington Peak side of the resort as they get ready for the very important Christmas Holiday week.

Also today, it was announced that the American Skiing Company, owner of Killington, has sold the Steamboat Resort to Intrawest in a deal valued at $265 million. Earlier today Killington senior management sent a message to all Killington employees about the sale. This evening, the Reuters News Service is also reporting the deal. The deal is set to close in March of 2007. It is being reported that after closing, it is anticipated that net proceeds from the sale will be used to repay all existing senior debt and outstanding revolver balances under ASC's senior credit facility and certain other indebtedness. That will certainly help the improve the financial condition of ASC, and by association the Killington Resort.

Christmas Tree for 2006 at the Birch Ridge Inn 

It may be rather warm and green outside, but the Holiday Season is in the air at Killington, at least at the Birch Ridge Inn. Mary visited her family in Boston this week and came back to Killington with a car load of presents for under our Christmas Tree. One of those presents she let me "open early": a new Canon 7 megapixel PowerShot camera I can slip into my ski jacket for pictures while on the hill. Todays Christmas Tree picture was taken with it last night.

Guests at the inn are also getting into the Christmas mode and doing their best to support the local Vermont economy. Guests have come back to the inn with shopping bags full of presents. The local ski shops including Aspen East, Basin, Forerunner, Darkside, and Peak Performance all seem to be doing well with our guests. Several have taken shopping excursions to Manchester Vermont with the requisite stop at the Vermont Country Store in Weston. And of course the local gift shops including the Boutique, the Green Brier and Cabin Fever Gifts all seem to be doing well.

Of course, I am continuing to encourage our guests to do their snow dances. Are you doing yours?

Haze over Killington Peak at Noon Time 

Weather today at Killington has been unseasonably warm. Temperatures this afternoon at the inn are in the low 50's. Most of the snow around the inn, except for piles by the A Frame roofs, has begun it's trip to the Connecticut River Valley.

On the mountain, it is a tale of opposites. Trails that did not receive snow making over the last couple of weeks are heading from snow covered back to mud. Trails that saw significant snow making seem to be holding up fairly well. I have not skied since Monday. Mary has been in Boston visiting her parents on a pre-holiday trip, so I have been manning the inn 24-7. However, we do have several ski pro's staying with us who are attending the PSIA Pro Jam at the resort this week. They have reported that surface conditions, while obviously softening up, have held up quite well. So there is reason for optimism. Let it snow!

Looking up the K1 Gondola line towards
the cloud shrouding Killington Peak 

While I was growing up, my mother often told me that if I could not say something good, then I should not say it. Well...I don't always follow my mothers advice, but today is one of those days in Killington. Today's picture says enough about the weather we are having. But this too shall pass....must stay positive...must stay positive...Time to restart the Snow Dance! Please!!!!

Christmas Caroling at the Glucks
Foreground : Hostess Noel Gluck
with guest Charlotte Lange
Background: Rich Rzasa on Guitar,
Nina Tasi and Host Dick Gluck
Out of frame left : Dr. George Lyons
leading the party in song. 

Last night Mary and I had the opportunity to attend a very nice Christmas Party hosted, at their home, by our good friends Dick and Noel Gluck. We had a great night out of the inn socializing with many of our good friends and customers from the Killington community.

In addition to the great food and libations supplied by Dick and Noel, the highlight of the evening was a Christmas Caroling session lead by Dr. George Lyons. George worked the piano with accompaniment by Rich Rzasa on guitar. To start of the caroling, guests were given copies of "Silent Night" in German to serenade long time Killington resident Walter Linnemayr.

Dr. George Lyons (right) leads the party in "Silent Night" Yours truly and Walter Linnemayr join the chorus

Walter originally came to Killington as a ski instructor from Austria. Walter also has his own construction business and did much of the work over the years to remodel and expand Dick and Noel's home. Hence Mr. Gluck requested the caroling start with the german rendition of Silent Night in Walter's honor( also to help Walter brush up on his mother tongue).

K1 Gondola station in the falling snow. 

Here is a question to ponder... as we get older... does a loop down Bunny Buster with a pull up on the Poma count as one run or two?

I got to the K1 base lodge this morning around 8:50. A good collection of the local Killington crew were already there, assembling their bits and pieces to go out and assault the hill. It was a good mix of people today. Some had already been out several times. For some, it was their first day. But with a light snow falling, there was a sense of anticipation about being able to get out doors onto the mountain to begin skiing.

Weather conditions this morning were less than ideal. A light, moist, snow was falling...Temperatures were in the high 20's.. the cloud deck was just above the K1 base lodge at no more than 3000 feet. At least it was not cold and it was snowing!

We took the K1 to the peak and did some laps in the North Ridge area. Snow surface conditions were good. By our 4th lap, the center of Rime was getting a little slick, but on skiers right near the woods, and skiers left under the lift, conditions were great. There were some nice, soft, little bumps on the right and left, just spaced every so often that you needed to pay attention, but no so often that you would work up a sweat.

We then did the previously mentioned loops off of the Poma lift on Bunny Buster. Bunny Buster itself was closed for race training, but Mouse Run to Great Northern was in good shape. Worth doing over on early season legs.

The comical part of the day occurred on the Poma lift. The lifty was a nice foreign gentleman, probably new to the job. He had a problem on his timing releasing the lift grips which attach to the lift cable. On both loops through the lift, when I got on the lift the launching was like a fighter plane off a carrier flight deck. Instead of timing the lift release with my entrance to the lift, the lifty waited for me to ski out, grab the lift pole, and come to a complete stop before engaging the lift gip. Both times the lift engaged I went airborne, getting about 3 feet into the air with about a 10-12 foot flight before landing. It was actually quiet amusing. I stuck the landing both times. (And the second time I was ready for it!) One young lady snow boarder, who was obviously many pounds lighter than I, was in front of me the second time through. She was launched about 25 feet in the air, carrying quite a way up slope before landing. She was not expecting it and landed in a heap. But she quickly regained her composure, slid back down to the starting gate, and got launched for a second time. Of course she knew what was coming so she was able to hit the landing and hold on the the lift at the same time.

We then took a run over the the Superstar chair for a run down Skye Lark and Bitter Sweet. Snow surfaces were ok if not a little choppy, but visibility was still pretty sketchy. We only did one run here. This week is Pro-Jam week at Killington. Ski Instructors from all over the North East are at Killington for on snow training. By the time we go to Skye Lark, the trails were starting to get crowded with the visiting instructors. It seemed like a good time to go.

Killington is continuing to blow snow. We saw guns going on Powerline at North Ridge and Bitter Sweet off Skye Peak. Even with the poor visibility, it was a pretty good day to be out on the slopes.