The weapons of winter being banished for summer storage. 

That was fast. What happened to winter??? Last week, seven days ago to be precise, there was 11 inches of snow at the snow stake behind the inn. From November 16th to April 19th, the ground around the inn has been continuously covered with natural snow. Now we have temperatures flirting with 80. The snow that was in the back yard the last 5 months has poured into the Roaring Brook, on it's way to the Connecticut River and the Atlantic Ocean...Look out below!...So it goes!

Living in Vermont, you have to adjust the weapons in your quiver to quickly adapt to changes in the season. Today is a classic example. The skis and poles that have served me well over the winter months were taken out of the trunk of my car, to be replaced this evening with an appropriate arsenal for summer life in Vermont....golf clubs.

Gone for a while, but not forgotten, are days of screaming down cruisers; hopping down bumps; careening over terrain park features. Instead, we will soon be off in search of pars, birdies, and eagles, although most of the time our card will be posted with bogies. We just hope the dreaded "Snowman" does not visit too many times as we stroll down the lush fairways of golf courses in Vermont. For 'Snowmen" don't belong in the summer...it's just not right.

Around Vermont, golf courses are opening up. Green Mountain National Golf Course opens for the summer season this Saturday, with play on the front nine. The full course is set to open on May 3rd.

Right across the street from the inn, I can look from my office window out over the 4th and 5th holes of the Killington Resort Golf Course. The snow has pretty much cleared the course, except for areas in the shadows just like around the inn. Killington's web site is accepting tee times for the Killington course starting on May 9th.

Assuming the weather holds, I will probably get out this weekend to start chasing the little white ball around the Vermont countryside...Of course, that assumes it's still summer...you never know!

So where ever you may be, dig out the sun screen, find your clubs, and keep the ball in the fairway!

Killington Peak on the last day of
the 07/08 ski season 

Under blue skies intermixed with wispy clouds and unseasonably warm temperatures, the 2007/2008 ski season at Killington is coming to a close today. A respectable crowd made the journey to the mountain to participate in the last day. Many locals, like myself, have made the pilgrimage to the mountain today to pay our final respects for the season.

Around town, snow cover is rapidly melting. The snow stake at the inn, which as late as Friday had 6 1/2 inches of snow surrounding it, is now down to bare ground with spring crocus blooming. Yesterdays temperatures, which flirted with 80 around the inn, was just to much for the snow pack to take. Golf season is clearly just around the corner.

So it goes....

Still plenty of snow in the yard behind the inn. 

When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining brightly and the temperature outside the inn was a balmy 67 degrees. Clearly this was the day to break out the shorts!

I am sorry for the pasty white chicken legs. I am not one for a tanning booth, so they have to make an appearance some time. I am definitely getting into the mood for some summer!

Where ever you may be this weekend, keep it in the snow..er..fairway, and try to find some sunscreen.

Mary working in the kitchen 

The ski season at Killington is not quite over yet, as the resort does not officially close until this Sunday, but the clean up at the inn has already begun. It is a ritual we go through every year to prepare for the next season.

With our restaurant closing last Saturday night, we began the spring tradition of dismantling the kitchen for cleaning and repair. Every piece of equipment, every cabinet, every table...everything gets stripped out so we can completely clean the floor and wash all the walls and ceiling. And then of course the reverse has to happen. Everything that came out of the kitchen some how has to fit back in, after being cleaned or refurbished, depending on the item.

It's not as sexy as skiing a bump line down Superstar, or as seductive as that first round of golf for the season (I was invited to play today...ugh...it's 70 outside...it must be great!), but the work has to get done so we can play later. So it goes.

Salute! 

It 3:30 AM. The restaurant staff has all headed home. Inn guests are off to bed. Mary is sound asleep. It's just me, "Captain Kangaroo", and a toast to great customers and good friends with a snifter of Courvoisier.

Tonight was our last restaurant night of the 2007-2008 season. While the inn will still be receiving guests for another couple of weeks, it's time to close down the kitchen and hopefully catch a few sunny days of skiing before the resort closes next weekend. After some refurbishment, not as major as last year, the restaurant at the Birch Ridge Inn will reopen for the 2008-2009 season with dinner service on Friday June 27th. If you are planning on visiting Killington this summer, keep these dates in mind: Sunday June 29 - "Team Killington Brunch" to benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation; Saturday July 19 - "Killington Wine Festival" Dinner at Birch Ridge; Sunday July 20 - "Killington Wine Festival" "Bubbly Brunch" at Birch Ridge.

In the meantime...here is a toast to all who have helped make our restaurant a success....to "Frizzie", Merissa, Gwen, Mick, Kathie, Reggie, Heather, John D, Annie, Heidi and Mickalyn,...and to our great guests... many of you have become good friends (and you know who you are!). Salute!

Goodnight from Killington....or is it good morning?

Freestyle park moved to Highline 

With Killington closing off terrain at the end of the season, one of there more interesting constructions in a new Terrain Park on Lower Highline, right in front of the K1 base lodge. The Terrain Park features a collection or ramps, boxes, and rails; all set up starting about 3/4ths of the way down Highline.

Whether you use the Queens spelling "Proboscis" or the slang version "Probiscus", one of the more curious features of the park is a giant pipe sticking out of the snow.

Large elevated pipe in the new Highline Terrain Park. (Click to enlarge.)

Like the barrel of a cannon pointed right at the K1 Base Lodge, the pipe extends about 8 to 10 feet out from a ramp. At the end, it drops the rider 7 or 8 feet to the ground, that is of courses assuming they make it all the way out to the end.

Temperatures this morning started out on the chilly side with heavy overcast. As the day has progressed, the overcast has come and gone several times, revealing bright blue skies. Temperatures have climbed into the low 50's. Around the inn, the snow pack is fairly stable, loosing about an inch a day on ground surfaces. It will be a while before Mary can get out into the yard to plant flowers for the summer. So it goes...

Rogue's Gallery on Killington Peak 

Spring skiing and riding has finally arrived at Killington. The last few days have been great with firm surfaces early softening up as the day goes on.

I missed Monday (meetings...bloody meetings...) but Mary represented the inn on the mountain. Today both of us had a chance to take some turns under beautiful blue skies and warming temperatures.

The mountain has become somewhat smaller this week with the closure of Bear Mountain and Rams Head. Showshed was open to support a group of British school kids. It will be shutting down on Thursday leaving Skye Peak via Superstar and Killington Peak via the K1 Gondola being the last mountains at Killington standing for the season.

Today on the mountain we started with laps on Superstar. It was firm, flat, and fast at 9:00 AM. By 9:30 the lower section was starting to soften. By 11:00 it was corning up nicely. Bittersweet and Skyelark were similar to Superstar. We also took an excursion over to Panic Button and Upper Needles Eye which were in great shape with minimal skier traffic.

On Killington Peak, Cascade by 10:00 AM was wonderfully soft. East Falls, which is more south facing, was the same, as was Highline. We did not get a chance to get over to the terrain covered by the Snowdon Quad, but several friends were raving about it when I spoke with them this afternoon.

Let it snow.