Skylark holding up well in wet weather 

Yesterday we and our guests had a nice day of skiing at Killington. Today... well....

The town of Killington right now is divided into two camps.... thoses that can see the mountains, and thoses that can not. Like King Kongs legendary Skull Island, the mountain is draped in a low cloud. Multiple cloud layers are restricting visibility.

The first cloud layer is at roughly 2000 feet. From the Killington Road in front of the inn, the mountain is completely obscured in the cloud. A veritable wall of cotton is obscuring visibility for all of those driving to the resort. It is not a fog layer, as at the ground visibility is pretty decent. In driving the Killington road past the Basin Ski Shop you travel through this ephemeral layer to the ah-ha moment where the mountain is revealed.

The second cloud layer, at least when I journeyed out, was around 3500 feet. The tops of Sky Peak and Killington Peak were obscurred by the clouds. The bottom of North Ridge at the top of East Fall proper was just barely visible from the K1 base lodge. While you could see snow on North Ridge, assessing it qualitatively from the K1 lodge would be out of the question due to the cloud.

What I could see, however, leads me to believe that at least for today the resort is holding up. Most of Sky Lark was clearly visible (todays blog picture). As the picture shows, it is still fully covered. Lower Bunny Buster and parts of Great Northern were visible and also appeared well covered. In a graphic display of the effects of snow making, Mouse Trap was a stark dichotomy. Skiers left, under the snow making fan gun, was very well covered. Skiers right, which we skied yesterday, was a pockmarked mess where the natural snow provided on Sunday was being eaten away.

The Resort has still not moved snow around on either Caper or Vale with large snow making whales clearly visible. This is clearly a strategy the Resort took to preserve their snow making product. I am certain it will be spread around and flattened out once this spell of wet weather breaks.

We will be watching each day to see how the mountain manages during this period of El Nino derived weather just before the holidays. If today is any indication, the strategy of the Resort to lay down a considerable amount of man-made snow rolled compressed flat on the slopes by grooming machines appears to be the right one in the face of the inclement weather of today. We will just have to keep our fingers crossed to see what tomorrow brings.

Where ever you may be, we hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly. Think Snow!

Mary at the top of Mouse Trap 

After operating continously for over 2 full days, the Killington Resort, at least temporarily, shut off it's snow making system. As warmer temperatures crept back into the region, one by one the snow guns of Killington became silent. In their place, grooming machines in the early morning hours traveled across the snow covered slopes of Killington, packing down the snow gun's product to form a think , and hopefully resilient, layer of machine made packed powder for all to enjoy.

In hopefully(?) what is not the last excurson onto the slopes of Killington for us in 2015, we headed off to the resort to meet up with friends at the K1 base lodge. At 8:50 this morning we all gathered in the lodge with a mix of anticipation and resolve. When we exited some of the first gondola cars of the morning, we were greeted on the top of Killington Peak with what can only be described as a "Winter Wonderland". With trepidation we struck out down Great Northern, not knowing what we would encounter as we made the turn around Killington Peak. What we found was acres and acres of flat and fast corduroy to be enjoyed. In this El Nino driven early winter, where "Powder Storms" are but distant memories of seasons past(2014/15), corduroy is good. No Corduroy is Great!

From our excursion on the mountian, Killington had made miles of snow on Great Northern, Rime, Reason, Upper East Fall, Bunny Buster, Mouse Trap, Chute, Mouse Run, Killink, and the various incarnations of Sky Lark. Not open to the public yet were Caper and Vale, serviced by the Rams Head Lift. Large snow piles were seen stockpiled on these trails, to be groomed out in the next couple of days to allow more terrain to be opened for skiing and riding.

Skiers and riders starting their day at the resort on Great Northern at the top of Killington Peak.

Snow throughout Killington was packed down tight. Most of the time when the Resort makes snow, there is a residual softness to it. The Resort usually lets freshly made snow sit for several days before hitting it with a grooming machine. But, alas, that is not a luxury they had this time around. With snow presevation first and foremost on their minds with the holiday weeks upon us, the Resort opted to roll snow surfaces down tightly. This approach will definitely minimize snow losses due to wind (high winds were expected at the peak this afternoon). I would presume it will also help conserve surfaces as temperatures rise the next couple of days; of course that remains to be seen.

Snow covered North Ridge at Killington Peak.

As far as the trail specifics are concerned, Sky Lark was probably the ROTD. Wind blown hardpack greeted us at the top of the Superstar quad, but once that was dealt with, Sky Lark in general was well covered supporting edge to edge carving. Lower Sky Lark had some residual bumps from snow making, but they are easy to negotiate.

Killington Peak was flat and fast. North Ridge, Rime, Reason, and Upper East Falls were firm machine groomed packed powder. Generally the slopes were devoid of any features with the exception of an errant snow making bump here and there. Wet snow guns were still making snow along Great Northern after Rime, into Ridge Run for the turn back to the North Ridge Triple. Our guess was that the resort was purposefully leaving these guns on to firm up the surfaces in what is usually a high traffic area of the resort.

Bunny Buster (Upper and Lower) were well covered. Mouse Trap was slick just at the crest of the hill. It then transitioned into small bumps; the aftermath of the Fan Gun at its base operating continiously these last few days. Lower Chute back to the Snowdon Quad was not open when were were on the mountain this morning, but it looked like the rope was dropped before noon and the chair was loading people as we were leaving the Resort.

All in all, we had a nice ski day at the Resort. With terrain that is for advanced and experts only, beginners will find some challenges until the resort opens Caper and Vale. And we all have our fingers crossed that Mother Nature is kind to us these next few days before Christmas. But no matter what, we live in a beautiful place and get to play all the time in the out doors.

If your travels bring you to Killington over the holidays...stop in!. Our restaurant will be serving dinner nightly starting Tuesday the 22nd right straight through Saturday January 2. But where ever you may be....have a great holiday season and Think Snow!

Snowmaking operations creating man-made blizzard at Killington 

Finally some natural snow has fallen at Killington. In addition, cold air has settled across the area, allowing the Killington Resort to resume aggressive snowmaking operations to prepare the mountains to receive holiday guests.

The El Nino fall is slowly giving way to winter. Lake effect snow travelled across New York State to deposit some white stuff across the area. A little over an inch accumulated at the inn, with marginally larger amounts at higher elevations.

More importantly, an early winter chill has descended across the area. Temperatures on Sunday hovered in the mid to upper 20s allowing the Resort to continously operate their snow making system across wide swaths of the mountain. Resurfacing operations were observed on Sky Lark, Rime, Reason, Great Northern, Bunny Buster, and Chute as well as the learning area on Snow Shed and the Magic Carpet area on Rams Head. New snow making was observed on Caper and Vale to allow the Rams Head Quad to be added to the lift mix over the upcoming holiday.

Cold temperatures are due to stay in place into Monday to allow the Killington Resort to continue making snow. We plan on skiing on Monday to get a first hand look at the activity taking place to secure skiing and riding on Killington during the holiday season.

Where ever you may be, we hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly. Keep up your snow dances! Think Snow!

We actually did get snow overnight in Killington! 

No matter what Killington looks like right now, the holiday season is upon us. The innkeepers and the staff at the inn have all been pulling together to prepare to greet guests during the Christmas-New Years period. Only Mother Nature knows if we are acting out a scene from the holiday classic "White Christmas" or will we have a real white Christmas. The inn needs to be ready no matter which scenario plays out.

This years holiday menu's are now online. Both the Christmas Eve - Christmas Day menu and New Years Eve menu are 3 courses. Prices for Christmas Eve - Christmas Day are based upon the entree selected, with dinner on New Years Eve is at a fixed price of $89 per person. Reservations are, of course, required to participate in these dinner. Reservations can be made either online, or by calling the inn at 802.422.4293 or 800.435.8566.

With the holidays right around the corner, it is hard to believe that we will be hosting the last "Small Plate Thursday" of 2015 this Thursday night (December 17, 2015 at 6:00 PM). Both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve in 2015 are Thursday nights with special dinners. So join us this week to get into the holiday spirit before the holiday week hits.

Last Small Plate Thursday of 2015 this week.

Speaking of small plates.. Our Small Plate menu has taken off. People talk about the "Sharing Economy" with UBER and Lyfte... but we are actually seeing the sharing economy in action as people trade bites from their small plates with each other in the Great Room at the inn.

We also had a glimmer of good news last night as we head into the holiday season. In this El Nino year, we got cold enough overnight to chase the r@in away and deliver some small white flakes. The cold weather has also seen the resurgence of snowmaking operations at Killington as we all prepare to enter the holiday period.

If your travels bring you to Killington...stop in!. But where ever you may be....Think Snow!

Killington Peak open for skiing and riding 

Dear Mother Nature :

Thank you for the wonderful weather you have given us in the North Eastern United States over the last 10 weeks.

Our Fall Foliage season here in Vermont was long and strong. So strong in fact that we got a little behind in doing all of the outside yard work that needs to be get done each year before the onset of winter. But you took care of us...Thank you Ma!

Instead of hitting us with a debilitating hurricane in September or October, you gave us nice comfortable weather. Just great to allow the trees to gracefully change from the summer green canopy to their magnificent pastel hues.

And as the leaves were falling from the trees like they do every year, instead of whacking us with a heavy snow storm burying the leaves till next summer, you gave us a stretch of beautiful weather to allow all of the summer yard debris to be picked up. Thank you also for a few very windy days... It sure is a big help to blow a lot of those pesky leaves off of the lawn directly into the forest... Way to go Ma!

While we are at it, thank you for providing Killington with many warm days and cold nights. The cold nights have been great to allow the Killington Resort to make snow on many of their trails so some of us could go skiing. And the warm days have meant that if we ventured out on the mountain, we did not need to bundle up like Eskimos to stay warm while we were enjoying the resorts snow....Nice Job Ma!

But while you have been giving us generally brilliant weather, we are starting to hear from our friends in the western part of the United States. They have been sending us private emails and posting pictures on Facebook telling about all of the terrible snow storms they have been having the last few weeks. While we understand that they need the snow pack to be able to fill all of there reservoirs in the spring with melt water, you have trained them over the last few years to not expect this much snow so early in the snow season. Their shoulders are just not strong enough to shovel all of that snow off of their sidewalks at their homes (those that don't have heated sidewalks of course... but you have a special place for them anyway.) We are hearing that the ski shops out west are also suffering. Much of their early season business revolves around repairing core shots caused by skiing over rocky terrain. Maybe they have made up some of that lost business selling more equipment, but it is hard to know.

We are also very concerned about our friends. We are hearing rumors of face shots taking place at an accelerated rate. Most of our friends are used to playing golf this time of year at lower elevations. Risking hypoxia so early in the ski season at the higher elevations of the western ski resorts, combined with the burning cold of powder snow covering their faces, limiting visibility, and just plain making it dangerous to their health and safety, has us out east very worried for our friends.

It is just so unfair of you to have all of the brutal snow storms taking place out west, putting our friends at risk. Out east, we are more than happy to "take one for the team" to help protect our western friends from the early onset of winter.

So Mother Nature... think about this. Over the next week, as you prepare to hit our friends out west once again, we are hearing reports from the Weather Channel that you are thinking about sending some of that cold wintery air and snow out east as well. That's ok with us. We are used to snow and cold during December. We thrive on it. Our friends need a break so they can plan for their Christmas and New Years holidays. You have given us good weather for so long, that we are ready for the holidays. We can take a few days of hard work shoveling, snow blowing, and plowing snow so our friends out west can share in the holiday spirit. We are more than happy to suffer through the hardship of finding the ski slopes covered with foot deep freshies, if our friends out west can be spared the horror of it all.

So while you are finishing putting together your naughty and nice lists to text over to St. Nick for his Christmas Eve ride-about, remember that we are nice. We are loving and caring towards our friends out west. Spare them their misery by moving the storms a little east. We are all adults here... we can take it....and you, Mother Nature, can make it so...

Thank you Mother Nature for all that you do.

Your humble servants, the innkeepers at the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington

And to our dedicated readers...Where ever you may be, we hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly. Think Snow!

Holiday season in Killington 

There may not be snow on the ground around the inn, but that does not slow down preparations for the holiday season

The Christmas Tree is fully decorated in the Great Room. Standing 13 1/2 feet, it is decorated in crystals with white bows.

In the kitchen, in addition to our regular menu, we are finalizing both our Christmas and New Years Eve menus. They will be posted online in a day or so after we finish discussions with our purveyors.

This Thursday, and every Thursday this winter, we are celebrating "Small Plate Thursday". This week we are pairing our small plates with either a glass of wine or beer for $15. It is a great way to come out, share a little food with friends, and get into the holiday spirit. "Small Plate Thursday" service begins at 6. But if you came a little earlier, I am sure we could pour something nice for you.

Where ever you may be, we hope your holiday preparations are going smoothly. Start your snow dances! Think Snow!

The Birch Ridge Inn 2015 Christmas Tree awaiting decorations. 

Traditions are important to maintain the stability of life. One of the more important traditions at the Birch Ridge Inn is Christmas Tree Monday. While some people are busy online shopping on the Monday after Thanksgiving, Mary and I, together with some of our friends, spend the day together preparing for the coming holidays. Over the years the tradition has gone through some evolution, but the denouement is always the same....we all come together to raise the Christmas Tree in the Great Room at the Birch Ridge Inn.

This years tree was procured from a farm near Springfield Vermont. It stands 13 feet over the Greatroom. It is hard to tell how much the tree weighs, but the running guess is between 300 and 499 pounds. It took 6 of us to lift the tree and haul it through the door into the Great Room.

Rogues gallery enjoying the traditional Christmas Tree Monday chinese lunch at Sushi Yoshi.

The Christmas tree is now resting comfortably in the front of the Great Room at the inn. It will need to rest in place overnight to allow the branches to acclimate to the warmth of the Great Room. Decorating starts tommorrow when the first strings of lights will be placed on the tree. If all goes well, it will be fully decorated by the end of the week for the first "official showing" over the week end.

If you need a little jump to get you into the holiday season, stop bye the inn during the week as we decorate the tree. And as always this time of year....Think Snow!