Heidi and Ruts on the Sky Peak Quad 

Seasonably cool temperatures, and constant snow flurries, have maintained consistent skiing and riding surfaces all week. With the possible exception that the Super Pipe is now open at Bear Mountain, not much has changed this week at the ski resort. Around town, however, 3 stories in the press have generated a little attention.

"The Mouse that Roared"
In an annual ritual, the Killington Selectboard has filed a request to the State contesting the calculations used by the State to determine local property taxes. Each year, in lieu of a complete physical reassessment, the State of Vermont uses a magic formula derived from property sales to calculate a Common Level of Appraisal to equalize property tax rates state wide. Since the inception of Act 60, which created a state wide property tax to fund education, the Killington Selectboard has had issues with the way the State equalizes the tax rate for Killington real estate. Because very few properties were sold in Killington in 2008 as a result of the current economic downturn, the Selectboard has once again challenged the State's methods.

"Let the chips fall where they lay"
A comment by the Vermont State Auditor, Thomas Salmon, has gotten the attention of more than a few individuals. Mr. Salmon suggested that one of the ways Vermont could possibly make up it's budget shortfall could be to "Consider a state-owned casino in a resort area like Killington, with net profits directly to roads, bridges and infrastructure". The story was picked up by the Associated Press and has since circulated around the globe. Summit Lodge owner, Bill Bauer, was quoted in the story as being in favor of the proposal. Tom Horrocks spokesman for the resort, was also quoted as saying the idea is worth considering. Other than generating some chatter around town, it is too early to tell if this story has legs. State officials were quoted in the story as being negative on the proposal. Conversations I have had with friends around town is mixed. Local business people would clearly like to see more tourists drawn to the area. The concept of giving all of the proceeds to the State, as outlined in the AP story, has raised a few eyebrows however, as the town would undoubtedly take on additional responsibilities and expenses if a casino were placed in Killington.

"Our blizzard trumps your depression"
Bruce Edwards of the Rutland Herald Staff wrote a story about attendance at ski resorts in Vermont over the just past Martin Luther King Weekend. Comments by Parker Riehle of the Vermont Ski Areas Association were subdued. Since Parker's job is to promote skiing in Vermont, subdued comments can be looked upon as neutral at best. The Okemo Resort in Ludlow made statements indicating that skier visits were "comparable with other winter weekends but below skier visit numbers over last year's MLK holiday" Bolton Valley spokesman, Josh Arneson, commented that "business throughout the MLK holiday was even with last year, including day traffic and lodging." Tom Horrocks from Killington said that "Skier visits at Killington... are running 2 percent to 4 percent ahead of last season."

Comments attributed to Tom caught some attention yesterday with local business people I spoke with. In fairness to Tom, tracking overall activity in the resort is fraught with danger as peoples memories are colored by what happened "yesterday". Unless you are using rigorous statistical methods, personal opinions will flavor the results. Many people I spoke with thought business in Killington over the MLK weekend was down. But on the flip side, because the Christmas/New Years holiday period stretched to a full 2 weeks this year, overall business for the season seems like it is an anxiety creating push so far. If the economy were roaring, there would be few concerns. But since no one is standing in line to help businesses in Killington get through the national economic turmoil, daily business upticks/downticks are being examined under a magnifying glass.

Of course, all of these stories are fodder for active minds enjoying libations in any number of Killington establishments and at "water coolers" in offices down country where Killington skiers and riders do their day jobs. The good news in all of this is that the doldrums of January are almost behind us. And since ski conditions on the mountain are great, thats a good thing.......let it snow!

History 

There can be no doubt in anyones mind that today is one of those few moments in a persons life where true history is being made. There also should be no doubt, that as I write this at 11:00 AM, before the transfer of power in the government of the United States, that we are experiencing the last moments of unbridled optimism about the possibilities for the future.

One of the first historical moments I remember in my life is the inauguration of President Kennedy in 1961. Remember is of course a convenient construct of the mind. I was 7 years old. The big event was my father had bought my mother a television, our families first, so she could watch the inauguration. I would be hard pressed to remember a word President Kennedy spoke that day, if I were to rely on my memory from that day only and not the constant replay of his inaugural address. But it does not really matter. I remember history was made that day and I was a witness.

Looking back on that day, and the innocence of a 7 year old, I am struck by the meaning of it all. As a 7 year old, I had no concept of the future. I did not know if it would be good or bad, and yes it was both. But I knew from the look of my mother and father on that day that something special, something significant was taking place. And I had a "front row" seat.

Today, before the oath of office and the inaugural address, we as a nation are once again swept up in a moment of innocence. We can wrap ourselves in a blanket of denial for another hour, firmly pretending that life will become easy once the clock strikes high noon. And after the last 8 years of...(my mother once told me if you can't say something good, don't say it).... having an hour of blissful denial is actually quite peaceful.

Today, of course, the promise of change translates into the hard work of making change happen. The innocence that it will be easy will be replaced with the reality that it is hard work. But as a nation we are ready to work. We are ready to replace the narcissism of I with the selflessness of we. For today is truly a day of history. And we are its witness......let it snow!

That's gotta hurt.. Ruts on the giant proboscis on Mouse Run 

Warming temperatures (it's all relative), light crowds, and great snow greeted skiers and riders to Killington this weekend. The Martin Luther King Birthday week end, usually a bell weather for the ski season, is often accompanied by manic crowds of once a season ski resort guests. This year at Killington, at least, those guests were absent. In their absence the mountain was generally occupied by experienced skiers knowledgeable of Killingtons expansive terrain.

Many of our ski house friends from a past life were out in force this weekend, as they are most weekends. However, today being a holiday, they were afforded an extra day to play in the mountains. I hooked up with many of them this morning at 7:45 in the K1 base lodge, in the same corner they have been meeting at for over 20 years at Killington.

The mountain today was much warmer than my last outing. Temperatures were in the mid 20's. The Killington Cloud was covering Killington Peak during most of the morning, so we started at Bear Mountain, which as usual was in bright sunshine. The Stash, Bear Claw, Skye Burst and Lower Wildfire were all groomed nicely. The couple of inches of light fluff that have fallen over the weekend formed a very soft cover over the base. All of these runs promoted confidence resulting in some very high speed cruising. Of course, at 8:00 AM, our group was virtually it on the mountain, so we had a great time just playing as we headed down the slopes.

Upper Wild Fire was covered in a mixture of soft bumps with slight slickness in the troughs. Our group was about a dozen people when we did Wild Fire, which made matching speeds between good skiers with slightly different bump aptitude interesting. The light on Upper Wild Fire was a little flat, due to it's aspect ratio relative to south. I liked skiers right down the trail. Several of the group took skiers left, which because it has some more sun exposure was probably a little slicker in spots.

From there, we hit Dream Maker, Cruise Control, Needles Eye, Bitter Sweet, Skye Lark, and Superstar. Lower Dream Maker, with its mix of free style terrain features was a joy. Cruise Control was in good shape, although some of the grooming left little golf balls on skiers left. Bitter Sweet, Skye Lark and Superstar were in great shape. The only downer was Needles Eye, and it was not the trail it was the lift. Twice down the trail we entered the Needles Eye Quad corral to have the spinning lift stop. After waiting several minutes, we were directed to the Skye Ship Stage II. It's not a big deal, really, but we would have done some of the trails over again if the lift were operating reliably.

The maze of trails at Needles Eye caused the group break up. With Ruts and the Bagel, I headed over to the Killington Peak side of the mountain. KPeak was still in heavy cloud, so we took the Snowdon Triple for a ride. Upper Mouse Run is also set up as a small terrain park with a collections of hits, jumps, and rails. Mouse Run, Mouse Trap, and Lower Chute were covered in nice soft snow.

We finished up on the Snowdon Quad and a trip down Upper Royal Flush and Highline. I hit a few icy patches under the snow on skiers left on Upper Royal Flush. Nothing serious, but I noticed it. Highline also had a strange look to it. The light was dim from the Killington Cloud. There were red splotches in the snow. It looked like some of the paint from the poles used in a racing course had bled into the snow. Although it had a slick look to it, the snow was quite nice. I went down the far right side near the trees. There was plenty of light fluffy snow to carve turns in. The Bagel went more towards the middle of the trail, he also reported that the surface was soft. So I guess sometimes looks can be deceiving.

The weather forecast for Killington calls for light snow pretty much all week. Assuming that forecast holds, ski surfaces on the mountain should continue to be soft and friendly......let it snow!

View from my office window at the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington 

We are well into the doldrums of January. As if on queue winter has thrown us a cold spell reminding everyone that Vermont can be a harsh place to live sometimes. But perversely, when Mother Nature puts us into the freezer, she also usually gives us subtle reminders about why we choose to live in the "Green Mountain State" when it is draped in white.

As I look out my office window this morning, I see a postcard view straight from "Currier and Ives". The cold temperatures have driven all of the moisture from the atmosphere, leaving a resplendent blue sky to bath the surrounding mountain sides. The old Bates farmhouse, one of the oldest structures in Killington and now the home to Killington Valley Real Estate, sits triumphantly in the morning sun. The Killington Resort Golf Course now just an open meadow covered in snow, forms a backdrop to provide contrast between the red farmhouse, the blue sky, and the snow covered mountains.

We live in an information saturated environment. The view from my office window helps keep it all real.....let it snow!

Note from Bill: Today was to be a triumphant day for fans of Apple in Vermont. The sale of Unicel to ATT Wireless is clearing the way for Vermonters to legally purchase Apple's IPhone. That news is tempered by the announcement from Apple that its visionary leader, Steve Jobs, is stepping down for six months to deal with health issues. I have been using Apple products for over 30 years in both my business and personal lives. Yes I did purchase one of the original Apple Macintoshes in 1984. And I have been using them ever since. This blog, and our inn, run on Apple Mac's. For us, Apple makes great products. "They just work". Thank you Steve. Get Well!

A well groomed and very cold Superstar beckons. 

If you listened to the Weather Channel this morning, you would think that the second coming of the great ice age was upon us. Skiers and riders who were fooled by this obfuscation missed a great ski day at Killington. Yes it was cold, but beautiful sunshine and strategic rides on the resorts Gondolas made this mornings adventure on the mountain quite enjoyable.

When we left the inn a little before 9 this morning, the temperature at the front desk was registering a balmy 4 degrees. The car did rebel a little bit while it warmed up, but once the frost on the windshield melted, we headed off to the mountain. Killington was resplendent this morning; a blue jewel on the horizon bathed in full sunshine.

Of course, long time skiers and riders at Killington know that this time of year the sun only touches the top of Killington Peak on the Basin side of the mountain. Knowing this, the group we were skiing with today decided to start out by taking the K1 gondola to the peak, instead of the Superstar Quad, and traverse across the back of the resort to Bear Mountain.

Last night the resort picked up about an inch or so of new snow. Wind had blown it into small clumps across South Ridge on Bear Trax (formerly Great Eastern) as we traversed from the peak. By the time we got to Bear Claw, the new snow cover was much more consistent, as the trail was minimally impacted by evening winds.

At Bear Mountain, Skye Burst, Bear Claw and Wild Fire were all groomed. Snow making was taking place on lower Skye Burst. The low energy guns were putting out a very fine snow, but they were also creating a dense fog cloud with limited visibility in several sections. Once again the Stash was closed for grooming. I am not sure if this is a new early morning routine, or if the resort is making modifications to the park, but on both Monday and today the Stash was not open at 9:30 in the morning.

After a few loops on the Skye Peak Quad (it was in the sun and warm) we headed down Cruise Control to the Skyeship Stage 2. Cruise Control in the shadows was noticeably colder than any trail at Bear Mountain. This is usually the case as you traverse back from Bear to the Killington Peak area, but today it seemed more pronounced than normal.

Needles Eye was closed for race training (while in the Skyeship we did see a nasty fall), so we took Bitter Sweet to High Road for one more pass in the Gondola. After a quick trip down Skye Lark with a loop on Superstar, we called it a morning.

When we got back to the inn, the temperature had fallen to 2 degrees, which is where it sits in mid afternoon. With no wind and bright sunshine, it almost feels warm...But of course I live here so I am somewhat used to it.........Let it snow.

Temporary eyeglass repair....very temporary. 

Although yesterday was a beautiful day at Killington to ski, before heading out to the mountain one of life's little tragedies struck...my eye glass frame self destructed. My supposedly indestructible Flexon frames broke at the nose bridge, resulting in my pair of eyeglasses becoming left and right monocles....so it goes.

After skiing, I contacted my eye doctor. They could get me new frames in 7 to 10 days...the typical retort for a frugal Vermonter. Having gone through this game before on other purchases, I told the nice lady that 10 days was not acceptable, since I needed to be able to see. For a small $10 fee, I was told, I could get the frames overnight. What a miracle! Who knew you could get anything anywhere in the world in 24 hours, particularly Rutland Vermont! I mock, of course, because this game is played out daily in small towns all over the country. If I were in a city, I could have probably picked up new frames in an hour...but living in Vermont has other benefits, not the least of which is being able to ski frequently. So I opted for the $10 extra shipping charge and the prospect of having instant gratification delayed by only 24 hours.

Yesterday afternoon, needing to see, I did a temporary repair of the eyeglass frames using some shrink tube and a couple of cable ties. 25 years ago, this repair might have lasted for weeks as I was running around the world for Motorola. Of course, 25 years ago I did not need glasses, so I was not faced with this problem. But I saw many engineers working in labs with eyeglasses fixed in this fashion, so I knew I was in good company. Mary, being an engineer herself, was impressed at my handiwork with some reservations. For some reason the bright blue shrink tube and vanilla colored cable ties just drew a little too much attention away from my square English face causing one to focus squarely on the bridge of my nose. I needed to get new eyeglass frames pronto if I were to be seen in public. And as an innkeeper, being seen in public is a daily occurrence... so it goes.

Duitifully at 10:05 AM this morning the eye doctors office called to say that the frames had arrived (I wonder was if it was Fedex or UPS?) and when could I get there to pick them up. Knowing that this would happen, I had already arranged with Mary to do the errands in Rutland today, so just after noon off I went.

As I write this, I can see clearly out of both eyes. I have not needed to twist one lens one way, and the other in the opposite direction. The new frames work, just as they should, with a next day $10 shipping charge added on........Let it snow.

Panic Button at Needles Eye. Nice soft bumps! 

2 beautiful days in a row!

Like yesterday, ski conditions today at Killington were excellent. The fluff that fell Saturday night which made powder bumps on Sunday morphed into either a soft covering on corduroy groomed trails, or nice little soft bumps on terrain left "au natural". It was a delightful day.

Today we skied with some friends, Chuck and Jane, who own a home in Killington. We met up just after 9:00 AM for a ride up the K1 gondola to the peak. Highline looked gorgeous, but we were told that it was already roped for race training, so we decided to head down Cascade. Cascade was softly covered, yet blazing fast. Each turn set a nice edge into a soft covering of snow. What resulted was a power push with propelled us forward at a surprisingly fast but under control pace down Cascade's compound fall line. And when we got to the bottom, we were rewarded for our good form by a lift back to the top on the Canyon Quad (which for some nice reason was running a little early this morning).

While Cascade was a rush, it was decidedly dark, as the sun had not risen over the mountain at 9:30. So from the Canyon Quad we traversed over to Bear Mountain and it's beckoning blue skies and brilliant sunshine.

At Bear Mountain, Bear Claw and Sky Burst were delightful. Both were groomed flat with a soft covering of packed powder. Upper Wild Fire was covered with nice soft bumps which Chuck and I negotiated fairly quickly (Jane and Mary went around on Bear Claw). Lower Wild Fire was groomed flat for the run out to the bottom. We tried to go into the Stash, but it was closed for grooming. We did do Middle Dream Maker, which is set up as a freestyle park. I hit a couple of the features, although I did not take any air. We did see several twin tip skiers take some big air on several of the jumps. Who ever they were knew what they were doing, and they were fun to watch.

Exiting Bear Mountain we took a run down Needles Eye. Panic Button was covered with soft snow whales, the remnants of recent snow making. Needles Eye was soft little powder bumps left over from Sunday as it had not been groomed. It was a nice little work out.

To finish the morning, we did a loop down Sky Lark to Superstar. Sky Lark, including the lower section, was groomed for cruising. There was no hint of any surface scratchiness anywhere down the trail. The same held true for the upper headwall and middle section of Superstar. Lower Superstar had some firm spots created by traffic which required one to stay alert. But I had fun on it and declared a do over before heading in for the day.

Cold temperatures and snow flurries the next several days should keep the mountain nice as we head into the Martin Luther King holiday weekend on Friday. Hope to see you on the hill!.....Let it snow.