Killington Peak awaits first snow
behind a freshly painted Killington Base Lodge. 

How about those Red Sox!

It is a very quiet week in Killington. The fall foliage visitors, who descended upon the area from all over the world, have moved to the south. Local business owners, Mary and myself included, are busy preparing our operations for winter. We have a list of maintenance activities to complete in the next few weeks. We also have several open positions to fill (Chef's Assistant and Restaurant Server) to bring our inn' staff to it's normal winter complement. I have also started my fall task of tasting wines to add to our winter wine list. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. (It is actually a lot harder than one would think.)

I just got back from a trip to Boston to play golf with my brothers in a tournament at Belmont Country Club to support the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund. This is the 4th year for the tournament which reunites guys who caddied at Belmont. I was one of the lucky ones who got a golf scholarship through the Ouimet Foundation to go to college, so being able to give back now to that cause so kids today can go to school has some real meaning for me.

Back at Killington it is hard to comprehend the weather we are having. We did have a frost last night, but not significant enough to turn the mountain white. Up to this point the weather has been too warm to allowed the resort to begin snowmaking to prepare for the scheduled opening in mid November. Last year at this time we were dealing with the first snows of winter. We have not even seen a snow flurry yet this year, so it's hard to gauge when ski season will really begin. But one thing I can say for sure is that this is New England. The expression "If you don't like the weather...just wait a minute" really does apply.

Let it snow!

Putting out the Snowstake
for the 2007-08 Winter Season 

It is hard to believe that last year at this time Killington was seeing it's first significant snowfall.

Temperatures around the inn today are in the low 70's with beautiful sunny skies and a light wind. What happened to fall?? All in all it was a great day to work outside. I got the woodpile moved to it's winter spot. I did some light maintenance to a few things around the inn, and I put out the snowstake for the 2007-2008 winter season.

I will admit, it felt a little odd putting up the snowstake dressed in shorts. But then again, it is October 21st. Many years by now we have seen several days with significant snow, and the mountain would have a cap on snow on the peak. Not this year... so it goes. It will all come soon enough, we hope!

Let it snow!

Outer Limits at Bear Mountain. Still some foliage color on lower elevations. 

The fall foliage along the Green Mountains that make up the Killington Resort is just about done for 2007. Lower elevations, I am guessing sub 3000 feet, still have some trees showing color, but the twigs are definitely winning. By late next week, the locals will be starting their snow dances in the hope that the weather will change. Eyes will be focused on the sky, looking for the first snowflakes of the coming winter season.

Our inn guests returning form their adventures yesterday reported solid fall foliage color on the western side of the Green Mountains (Route 7 corridor) to just about Middlebury Vermont. Guests reported that the western slopes of the Greens on the lower mountain gap roads including the Brandon and Lincoln gaps had beautiful color. The great thing about being in Killington is we are located smack dab in the middle of Vermont, So even though fall color is now getting long on the tooth in the immediate Killington basin area, great color is still only a short drive away.

Killington skiers will recognize todays picture a Outer Limits at Bear Mountain. In my foray over there this morning, the area was very quiet. But upon closer examination of Outer Limits I realized that the resort has totally cleared all of the brush on the slope in preparation for winter snow. I looked through my picture library to see if I had a similar photo of O.L. devoid of snow for comparison purposes (I don't), so I can not tell if what the new owners of the resort have done on O.L. was normal. But if memory serves me correctly (and some times I have senior moments), I am fairly certain that the old resort owners never cut back O.L. to a clean state in comparison to what I saw today.

With regard to the onset of snow season at Killington, I will politely say "Not Today". Temperatures are once again approaching the 70 degree mark. For comparison purposes, last year we saw our first white in the area on October 13th. Just a dusting, but clearly visible on pictures of the mountain I took that day.

Let it snow!

Ingersoll Rand IQ HP1600 Air Compressor being delivered for snowmaking system at Killington. 

Another visible sign that winter is around the corner at Killington is all of the work being done on the mountain to prepare the snow making system to create snow. While Killington "on average" receives around 250 inches of natural snow each year, Mother Nature is a fickle lady. To successfully operate a modern ski resort requires that you deliver a quality snow product "ALL" of the time. The only way to do that is to build a large snow making system.

Killington has the "worlds most extensive" snowmaking system, covering 70% of the resorts mountains. Water is supplied via a variety of sources, the largest of which is the Woodward Resevoir on Route 100 south in Plymouth Vermont.

Air compressors being removed from a flat bed truck used to deliver them to Killington this morning.

The muscle behind the snowmaking system is compressed air. The air to drive the system is supplied by a fleet of air compressors. They are the "bad boyz" of the operation. Killington's "Air Compressor" farm is midway down the Snowshed trail, on skier's left. This time of year, compressors are brought in to the resort to support Killington's winter snowmaking plans. And, of course, the system still relies on Mother Nature to supply cold air to turn the the water and pressurized air into nice snow crystals.

When snowmaking at Killington will begin is a hot topic around town. Of course, with temperatures in the area today touching the low 70's, it's a pretty good day for the crews to unload compressors for the snowmaking system...but not a good day to turn the system on. Of course, that will all start to change in the next few weeks (we hope!)

Dare we say...Let it snow!

Ski home trail from "Ovation"
being graded after removal
of now defunct Killington water slide. 

While controversy still swirls around the Killington Resorts publicly stated winter plans, from a quick hike around the hill this morning work is progressing in earnest to prepare the mountain for the upcoming ski season.

On the controversy front, the revised Killington Sky Ship Operating plan is still generating heat for the new resort owners. A group of Killington residents met with the local Select Board on Monday evening to discuss the issue and the impact on their properties. From my conversations with people who attended the meeting, to say that the discussion was "animated" might be an understatement. Further details of the meeting were published as a front page story in today's Rutland Herald.

The editor of the Mountain Times, Royal Barnard, published an interview he had with Chris Nyberg, president of Killington, on the resorts winter operational plan in this weeks edition distributed today. The interview has lots of information that, depending upon your point of view, can be taken positively or negatively. In the article, once again, Mr. Nyberg emphasized getting the Killington Resort back to a sound business footing. Only time will tell if the strategy that was discussed will be successful.

But, and somehow there is always a but, if you read between the lines, the articles in both newspapers leave you with the impression that the Killington Resort still has a lot of work to improve overall public relations with both the skiing community in the northeast, and local residents. As I stated before, a little snow on the hill has the potential to change everything as we head towards winter.

From my hike this morning, it was clearly evident that a lot of work is still in progress to prepare the resort for winter. Several weeks ago, the Killington Water Slide was removed. Construction machinery was actively working the area today, rebuilding the ski home trail from Lower Ovation back to the Superstar chair. In addition, equipment was also regrading the area where the old Killington Double Chair terminal used to be in front of the Killington Base Lodge. From the looks of all of the work, skiing back from Ovation to either the Superstar Quad, or the K1 Gondola will be a whole lot easier this season.

Around the resort, I also saw evidence of a lot of other work. Most of the ski trails I could see had been mowed and had brush cut back. Even Conclusion under the Snowdon Triple had been bushwacked. I have not skied Conclusion in years, because the old owners, ASC had not maintained it. It will be interesting to try it out again this year once the snow starts falling.

Killington Peak on a beautiful fall morning. 

The Killington basin area is rapidly heading into the "Sixth" season of the year - "Twig Season". While there are still many trees in the immediate area which are still colorful with fall foliage, the leaves are basically off Killington peak.

For a quick review, the area around Killington peak has at least 6 identifiable micro seasons - Winter, Mud, Spring, Summer, Fall, Twig. Twig season is the period of time after the leaves have fallen from the trees, but before the ground is covered with winter snow.

Around the inn, falling leaves are rapidly accumulating on the ground. A good wind storm would finish many of the trees off as they prepare for the winter to come.

Around the area, inn guests are still reporting nice color along the Route 7 corridor on the western side of the Green Mountains. I visited Hanover New Hampshire yesterday and can report that the fall colors along Route 4 and the Ottauquechee River Valley were still in abundance.

The overall area is still very picturesque, but in a few more days we will be looking to the sky for something white. The weather had definitely begun to change with a pronounced pre-winter chill in the air.

So it goes....

Where's Killington? While abundant color is on display on Lower Rams Head, Killington peak is hidden in dense clouds. 

In 10 years living full time at Killington, I can not remember a summer that was so dominated by rumors and innuendo concerning how the Killington and Pico Ski Resorts would be operated the following winter. Of course, when ever a group of residents get together, the conversation always drifts towards the resort; it so dominates life in Killington. But this year has been particularly brutal with the demise of the American Skiing Company and the purchase of the resort by SP Land and Powdr Corporation.

This past Columbus Day weekend, Mary and I had the good fortune to be visited by many of our regular winter restaurant guests who own second homes at Killington. (Columbus Day Weekend is the traditional weekend in Killington for second home owners to visit the area and prepare/open their houses for the winter.) To a person, everyone asked about what rumors we were hearing on the mountain. My response was always the same...For each and every rumor we have heard, there is invariably an equal and opposite rumor. The only way that we will really know how the Killington resort will be operated next winter, because the resort has new owners, will occur when the resort opens for the season. At that time, resort operations will be plainly visible for all to see, dispelling any rumors.

My pithy remarks generally stimulated more conversation (after all one of our businesses is a bar in our Great Room). I did point out that while I can not say how the new owners would run Killington, that I have been impressed with the new president, Chris Nyberg. Mary and I have run into Chris around town several dozen times over the summer and early fall. He has always been very direct and accessible in answering questions. He may not give an answer you would like to hear, but so it goes in the give and take of a resort community.

Very late Thursday evening, I received a note from Chris concerning a very hot topic in town, the operation of the Killington Skye Ship from Route 4, also know as Skye Ship Stage 1. A note from Chris's office was recently released telling people that the Stage 1 would only be operating basically on weekends and during holiday periods. Needless to say, with all of the Ski On, Ski Off properties serviced by Stage 1, this message was received about as well in Killington as a 6 inch rain storm on Christmas eve.

In the note I received, that was also sent to several others, Chris responded to feedback he got on the Skye Ship operating schedule, and other rumors circulating around town. He wrote the following:

With talk of snow flurries at Killington this weekend, the lifetime of current rumors about how the Killington and Pico Resorts will operate this winter should dramatically shorten. Nothing will kill or confirm rumors like several feet of snow on Killington Peak.

I, for one, am hopeful for the coming ski season. In some of my conversations with Mr. Nyberg, we have done a little dance about "knowing how to run a ski resort". I have chided him several times on the topic, some times in jest, and other times very seriously. I still don't "know" how Chris will "run the resort". (I have taken a show me approach.) But I am convinced from my interactions that Chris is very serious about delivering a quality product this coming season while working to inject the resort with new vitality in the long term. It will be an interesting winter.

Let it snow! (after most of the leaves fall off the trees of course....)