Finishing up hanging lights outside the Birch Ridge Inn 

Yesterdays snow storm unfortunately ended as a cold NCP before clearing the area early this morning. Total snow accumulation at the snow stake, after compression and settling is 3 inches, bring the stake up to 6 1/4 inches. It's hard to fathom as the ground has been white for a few days, by 6 inches of snow on the ground is actually quite good going into the Thanksgivin Holiday

Today was a clean up day around the inn to get ready for Thanksgiving. In addition to cleaning up outside after the snow storm, I finished hanging the outside lights around the inn. We had a light service come to the inn a few weeks ago to hang lights on the outside of the big A Frames in front of the inn. Mary and I take care of all of the other exterior lighting (as we don't need a cherry picker to reach it!). Todays task was very simple....drape a small pine tree on the Killington Road with Christmas lights, and finish putting lights on the railing on the front porch. Temperatures were about freezing, so it was not a bad day to work outside....so it goes.

Where ever you may be this holday weekend, enjoy....be happy...give thanks...and think snow!

Snowstake at the Birch Ridge Inn, Killington 

A classic early winter storm is sweeping over the Killington Region. The mountainous areas of Killington, including the Killington Road and the Birch Ridge Inn, are receiving heavy snow. Low lying areas in Rutland County are getting heavy NCP.

Snow started in Killington in the very early morning hours. As of 11:30 AM this morning, 4 inches of heavy snow had already fallen at the snow stake, adding to the 3 inches that were being recorded yesterday. Snow accumulation rates around the inn are approaching an inch an hour. As the inn is at approximately 1850 feet, I would guess that snow accumulations are slightly higher on the mountain with higher elevation. (Killington peak is at 4241 feet)

Temperatures at the inn are just at the freezing point. The snow that is falling is heavy with high moisture content, but it is all snow. There does not appear to be any NCP mixed into it around the inn. Assuming it stays snow in the mountain, it should set up the resort nicely for skiing and riding over the Thanksgiving holiday.......let it snow!

Snow making operations on Superstar seen from Snowdon Quad 

Killington is continuing to aggressively make snow to expand terrain as we enter Thanksgiving week.

Today on the mountain, conditions were generally soft packed powder. Most of the surface is man made, but Mother Nature has been cooperating with snow flurries overnight. On the mountain, it is hard to believe it is only November.

Rime, Reason, (Upper) East Fall, and Great Northern sustained moderate weekend crowds quite well. These trails were all groomed overnight. All are covered with considerable base depths of man made snow. Highline was groomed overnight as well. The surface was much firmer than the North Ridge area, but quite skiable.

I am torn on the run of the day between Skylark and Superstar. Skylark was groomed soft and sweet to the High Road cut off to Lower Bittersweet. Mary and I did this a couple of times. But each time up the Superstar chair, I was eying upper Superstar. Snow guns were pumping out snow, but there were a lot of obvious lines down the trail that you could see from the lift. When Mary called it a day, I gave it a try.

Snow guns have been operating for days on the Superstar Upper Headwall and along middle Superstar. Large whales had formed, as they trail has not been groomed out. The whales formed huge mounds in the middle of the trail. I had a great time skiing up and down them untill I got to the High Road cutoff. The last whale dropped off like a cliff. The good news is I saw it in time so I could make a couple of turns to get around it. Otherwise, it would have been some pretty big air, which would not have been pretty this early in the season. For people who like skiing in the snow, Superstar was it... For eveyone else, you could not beat Skylark today.

Killington is continuing to aggressively expand terrain. Ropes were dropped today on East Fall (yes.. the real East Fall not the renamed East Glade) Snowmaking was continuing all along it and on the run out back to the K1 Base Lodge. Snow making was also taking place on Upper and Middle Bittersweet. When we left around noon, Upper and Middle Bittersweet were not open to skiers and riders. But, I would guess it is only a matter of time.

In the mean time, all of town is abuzz about the coming storm. Weather forecasts in the area are all over the place, as it appears that the storm will be NCP (non-crystaline precipitation...we never mention the r word during ski season) in the Rutland area. The big unknown is the temperatures in the mountains. Local forecasts call for temps to be hanging right around freezing. We will know soon. The weather forecast for the rest of the week is calling for constant snow flurries and snow showers, after the main front passes Tuesday.

Given the amount of snow the Resort has made, and the number of trails they have covered, no matter what happens in the next 36 hours, Killington will go into the Thanksgiving Holidays with more terrain open in a long time. To put it in perspective, today was my 6th day on ski's in November. Since we moved to Killington full time 12 years ago, I don't think I have ever skied 6 days in any previous November. And the snow guns are still making snow as I write this.......let it snow!

Highline at Killington open today! 

If you like skiing or riding, it's time!

Very cold overnight temperatures, and consistent daytime temperatures in the 20's have allowed the Killington Resort to turn on their snowmaking system full bore this week. The resort is set to go into the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday period with more open terrain than they have historically opened in years. All without a significant early season snow storm.

Snowmaking operations are simultaneously continuing on Killington Peak, Snowdon Peak, Rams Head, and on Sky Peak. Today the resort opened new terrain including Highline, Upper Bunny Buster, and Lower Chute. The Snowdon Quad was operating, as well as the Poma on Bunny Buster. This weekend will see Rams Head and the Superstar quads added to the list, bringing the lift count to 6 (not including Magic Carpets on Rams Head). In a break from last years policy, the resort has announced that for this coming weekend that they will "have terrain open for all ability levels"... not just for advanced intermediates and experts.

If you like skiing or riding, it's time!

Bumps on Mousetrap. (Click to enlarge.)

Today's conditions ranged from soft packed powder or soft bumps to snow gun whales. Rime, Reason, and Upper East Fall in the North Ridge area have softened up considerably since Wednesday. Clearly the Killington groomers have been out working that area. And it clearly shows.

For my first run of the day, I did Highline. When I got to the mountain at 9:00, I noticed a couple of ski patrollers coming down it. When I got to the peak, I immediately headed there. Obviously a few other souls had figured it out before me, but it was nice just the same. Highline was covered in large mounds of snow left over from snow making. It had not been groomed out. The majority of the snow was soft with minimal crust, a testament to the cold temperatures on the mountain the last few days. Overall, it was a nice early work out in deep snow. I wish my legs were in better shape, but it is early season after all.

After Highline, I did a dozen or so loops through the North Ridge area, followed by a run down Mousetrap. When I got to the bottom or Mousetrap, I had been expecting to call it a day (I still work afterall). But I noticed the rope was down on Lower Chute and the Snowdon Quad was running. Lower Chute was groomed very nicely. It was an easy cruise down to the lift.

Snow making at Rams Head on Caper. (Click to enlarge.)

Riding up the Snowdon Quad, the full impact of Killington's snowmaking system was visible. To my left, the sun was shining over Sky Peak. Snow Guns were pouring out snow on Skye Lark from top to bottom, and Lower Bittersweet. To my right, the roar of snow guns was clearly audible making snow on Rams Head down Caper. Behind me, snow guns were making snow on Lower Great Northern (previously called Vail) for the return loop to the Rams Head quad. And all around Snowdon, snow guns were making snow at strategic locations.

When you live at a ski resort, the beginning of the ski season can be "interesting". Sometimes Mother Nature gives you a hit with an early season dump. Other times, the fickle fates of Fall in New England prolongs indian summer, resulting in very little mountain terrain to play on. But today, riding up Snowdon (a normally boring ride on a slow quad), it was exciting to see the Killington Resort taking full advantage of the largest snowmaking system in the industry. If the weather stays favorable, Killington is going to get really interesting in the next few weeks.

(Click to enlarge.)

Yesterday I did not have an opportunity to go skiing or post a blog. Mary and I went of on a search for a Christmas tree for the inn for this season. The Monday after Thanksgiving is traditionally "Christmas Tree Monday" at the inn. I head off with a bunch of friends into the woods somewhere and cut the Inn's tree for the Christmas Season. Mary and I found and tagged this years tree on a farm in Danby Vermont, about 40 miles from Killington. So, unless we get a multi-foot snow storm (the tree is about 3/4's of a mile from the road), we should be all set to make this years Christmas Tree Monday a success......let it snow!

On the road to Killington Peak. Snow guns in operation are visible all over the mountain. 

Sweeeet!

We are skiing and riding again at Killington!

Under partly cloudy skies and very chilly temperatures, the Killington Ski Resort reopened today for the 2008/2009 season. Today the resort was operating 2 lifts, the K1 Gondola and the North Ridge Triple, servicing the upper sections of Killington Peak. Surface conditions on the trails was variable. Most of the trails were firm machine groomed packed powder. The operating snow guns, as temperatures were in the high teens and low 20's, were putting out relatively dry, fluffy, powder.

The big difference between today's reopening and early November was the quantity of snow guns in operation all around the mountain. The resort is clearly in base building/terrain expansion mode. In addition to blowing snow on open terrain including Great Northern, Mouse Trap, Chute, and Bunny Buster, the resort was also making snow on a number of "closed" trails to prepare for this coming weekend and next weeks Thanksgiving Holidays. Snow guns were visible making snow on Upper Bunny Buster, Mouse Run, MTS, Highline, Upper Skylark, parts of High Road, and Lower Bittersweet.

Below are a few pictures from today.

K1 Gondola Terminal. (Click to enlarge.)

Lower Rime. (Click to enlarge.)

Reason. (Click to enlarge.)

Upper East Fallk. (Click to enlarge.)

Upper East Fall looking towards bottom of North Ridge Triple. (Click to enlarge.)

Mouse Trap. (Click to enlarge.)

Lower Chute to Snowdon Quad. (Click to enlarge.)

Snow making on Highline (Click to enlarge.)

Great Northern at Downdraft with Pico in the distance. (Click to enlarge.)

It's cold outside. Chair on Canyon Quad covered in rime. (Click to enlarge.)

.....Let it snow!

Killington Resort set to reopen 

Cold weather and snow. It's a beautiful thing.

The Killington Ski Resort will re-open for the 2008/2009 winter season at 9:00 AM tomorrow, Wednesday November 19th!.

The current operating plan for Wednesday is the same as earlier this month. The resort plans on operating 2 lifts, the K1 Gondola and the North Ridge Triple serving eight trails and the early-season terrain park on Reason.

Snow making will continue on the mountain for the foreseeable future as long as weather conditions continue to be favorable. The resort anticipates expanding operations to additional terrain and lifts very quickly as snow making operations branch out to additional trails.

Ski Season at Killington is here.....let it snow!

Birch Ridge Inn at Killington
Snow covered for first time this season. 

Light snow fell in Killington overnight. Snow flurries of various intensities are continuing today.

3 inches of snow currently is on the ground around the inn. While not a huge amount, it is a start. More importantly, temperatures cooled off enough last night such that the snow cover was not limited to just grassy surfaces. Parking lots and streets around Killington are also snow covered. Driving will probably be a little messy today, but I can see trucks clearing the Killington Road from the inn.

Snow making is continuing on the mountain. I am sure that the assistance from Mother Nature is also being well received. Everything at this point is a bonus as the resort pushes to reopen for the season later this week..... Let it snow!