The Ki Gondola is on line and running, October 27, 2005 11:00 AM 

The signs are unmistakable, all around the resort. Killington is getting set to open the 2005-2006 ski season at any minute!

In my daily trek to the K1 Base Lodge, what a difference a day makes. Unlike yesterday when the place was very sleepy, today workers were everywhere! Visibility on the hill was very limited due to continuing falling snow, but the place was literally humming. Stealth groomers were moving all over the place. Some were on the hill grooming Killington while others were being used as snow tractors, moving supplies around the mountain. I heard the distinct sound of compressed air bleeding from open valves in the snow making system. But the sweetest sight was that the K1 Skyship was online and running! Cabins looked like they were being filled with material to bring to the peak.

All this activity matches nicely with other activity around town. We have heard from several sources that many locals employed by the resort during the ski season are getting calls to come in to work. The strong rumor among the locals has the mountain open on Saturday and Sunday, then closing next week as the weather is supposed to get warm. All signs point to an opening of Killington in the next day or two. So get your equipment ready..the 2005-2006 Season is about to begin!

A lone snow boarder hiking up Superstar at Killington after big dump on October 26, 2005 

The snow storm spawned by hurricane Wilma continued to pound Killington overnight into early morning. By 10:00 AM, the storm had dropped over a foot of very heavy, wet, snow at the inn (we are at 1870 feet in elevation). As there are still leaves in many trees, there was a lot of damage. Many of our local friends are without power. Some have been told by the local power company, CVPS, that they could be without power for 3 to 4 days. The inn lost power briefly this morning for around 10 minutes, so we feel fortunate.

I traveled up to the Killington Base Lodge to see if there was any activity. At the Base Lodge (approx 2400 feet elevation) there was around 18 inches of snow on the ground. Local rumor has over 2 feet at the peak. There was no real sign of activity at the main base lodge. There were a few snow boarders hiking superstar. I also saw several people on telemark skis cruising the area.

We have received an official fax from the mountain indicating that they are still trying to determine if they will move up their opening date from their plan of November 11. According to the fax we received, "The Key is getting a quality base on the lower portions of the mountain to be able to provide top to bottom skiing". So it is hard to tell when the resort will officially open. Keep positive, get your gear ready, and stay tuned.

In the aftermath of hurricane Wilma, it has been snowing all day at Killington. At the inn as I write this we have approximately 8 inches of wet cement with snow still coming down. Very heavy snow with a high moisture content. We had a large private function at the inn this afternoon which prevented me from going out to get some pictures of the area. Hopefully, I will be able to get to the mountain tomorrow and get some pictures of how much snow fell on the hill.

Low Clouds hang over Killington as we wait for Wilma, Monday October 24, 2005 

It was very gloomy at Killington today. Thick low clouds hung over town. Locals were very busy preparing for something with the approach of Wilma. Depending upon the forecast it will either be a lot of non-crystaline precipitation (full ski season rules about r@ne in effect), or a big dump of heavy wet snow. Many locals (I include myself in this category) were heard and seen hauling out their snow blowers and giving them the ceremonial first start of the season to move them from summer storage. While out and about town today, there was also a very strong rumor about a management meeting to be held at Killington to discuss moving up the start of the official opening of the mountain for winter activities. Currently, Killington is saying on their website that the mountain will open on November 11th. The mountain in Ludlow is saying on their website that they plan to open on November 5th. No one in town believes that Killington management will let the mountain in Ludlow open before Killington, hence the rumor about a management meeting to discuss changing the opening date makes sense (and at least plays into the wishful thinking of many locals eager to make a few turns on the hill.)

Todays picture shows the mountain gloom in all it's glory. It was taken from the Killington Road across the street from the Grist Mill. Not a pretty site, but we are now in twig season in Killington, waiting for the onset of winter.

First Snow 2005-2006 Season, Sunday October 23, 2005 

For those of you who know me, getting up before 9 AM is usually heroic. This morning was no exception. Particularly since we had a complete power failure around 6:00 AM resulting in our inn's alarm system going off in my ear. (We have an alarm panel beside our bed in the owners quarters. When power goes out, we have 45 seconds to figure it out before it calls our alarm company to dispatch people to the inn. It does not set off the general alarm in the inn, so guests were not disturbed. But it is designed to wake us up if something happens while we are asleep.)

But getting up early today was relatively easy as today is officially "First Snow Day" in Killington of the 2005-2006 winter season. I just had to get up and take a look around town.

We have received around 4 inches of very heavy wet snow at the inn overnight. Other than some fallen trees, roads around town were quite passable. I drove up to the mountain to see what was going on at the top of the hill. When I left the inn, the mountain (which is less than 1 mile away) was completely invisible in a dense snow haze. I could not get a clear shot of Killington peak, because it was totally shrouded in clouds. But I can report that Killington, at least at the K1 Base Lodge, had received approx. 6 inches of snow. Not exactly sure what they had at the peak; I am sure that we will get an email alert message on it some time today.

The picture for today was taken looking over the K1 Base Lodge towards SuperStar at approximately 9:15 AM. I was somewhat surprised that I did not see a few people out taking some turns. But that will be soon I am sure. Especially if more snow comes later this week as forecasted.

First Snow 2005-2006 Season, Saturday October 22, 2005 

While much of the nation was watching Roger Clemens getting hurt by the Chicago White Sox, the precipitation falling from the sky at Killington turned crystalline. It's not much, but it is a start. This picture was taken in the parking lot of the Birch Ridge Inn at approximately 10:30 PM. Hopefully we will be able to get a good shot of the mountain with a lovely cap of snow in the morning.

Killington getting ready for the season, Friday October 21, 2005 

We had the first general hard frost in the Killington region last night. At the inn, the roof and cars were covered with a heavy frost build up. When I left about 10:45 AM, the shadows around the inn were still frosted over, so I was optimistic that when I got to the mountain, that I would see white again. However, it was not to be. My partner Mary went up to the mountain around 7 AM to try to take an early morning picture. She reports that the mountain peaks (Killington, Skye, Pico) were all socked in with heavy clouds. Perhaps there was an inversion last night which kept the peaks frost free. It's hard to tell. The only thing I know for certain was that by 11 AM the peaks had no sign of any frost or crystalline precipitation.

The Killington resort is continuing to get ready for winter. This picture shows Snowshed. All of the grass has been mowed to allow efficient capture of the first snow, and facilitate snow making operations. Hopefully that happens in the next week or so. This picture was taken from the Upper Snowshed Parking Lot, looking up-slope with Skye Peak just out of frame to the upper right. It was taken at approximately 11 AM.