Covered Carriageway at the Birch Ridge Inn 

Today is one of those dreary, wet, drab days at Killington. While it is not raining (yet) the sky is heavy with overcast and the atmosphere is very damp.

Colors around Killington have really started to pop. If you are interested in fall colors to date, you can follow the change in colors at the inn by clicking on the Fall Foliage Gallery link directly on killingtonblog. This shows a day by day progression of the change in colors in the forest behind the inn.

I have also posted a photo gallery of pictures from the area I took last week on Facebook. They can be found under Birch Ridge Inn located in the photos section.

Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway....and as it is now officially Fall, remember the leaf rule....

Mary's 'Baby' put away for the winter. 

Even though the Autumnal Equinox occurred a few days ago, there was some hope that summer would stick around for a few more days. Bright fall colors has been accompanied by slightly elevated temperatures the last couple of days. But as a cold front to the west started to move east on the weather maps, Mary decided it was time to move her vintage Mustang into hibernation for the winter.

Yesterday temperatures in Killington rose to the mid 80's. It was a perfect day to take a convertible out for a spin. But the forecast looks like Indian Summer will be short lived, with cooler temperatures touching the low 60's forecasted for the next few days with lower temps queued up to follow. And with many guests due to visit the inn during the fall season, the prospects of taking off and tooling thru the mountains with the top down becomes problematic.

It has been a good summer to drive a convertible in Vermont. But, at least for me, it is also a good sign when the Mustang goes into storage. It means that ski season is but weeks away. While not here yet by a long shot, the fall foliage and cool temperatures announce a season of change in the mountains.

For those of you looking forward to the coming ski season at Killington, the next few weeks are the best time to visit the area. Septemberfest takes place today at Pico. It is a ski swap sponsored by the Pico Ski Club. Next weekend is Brewfest Weekend at the Killington Resort. And Columbus Day weekend features the big ski swap and sale held by the Killington Ski Club.

Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway....and as it is now officially Fall, remember the leaf rule....

Birch Ridge Inn Property Panorama 

Just a beautiful early fall - late summer day. Temps are touching 80. The humidity is moderate. There is a light breeze. Just the perfect day to be outside enjoying the Green Mountains.

We took a 1 hour walk about earlier today. The countryside is just coming alive with color. Today's picture is a good example. It was shot looking back towards the inn from about 3/4rds of a mile away, across the Roaring Brook Valley. In the middle of the shot, you can see the front hill of the inn and the inn's sign on the Killington Road with the top half of the covered carriageway behind. The inn is not visible as it is behind a stand of trees.

From the picture, you also get a sense of how close the inn really is to the mountains. The next ridge line behind the inn are the major mountains in the area including from left to right: Killington Peak, Snowdon, Rams Head, Little Pico, and Pico Peak. Skye Peak is just outside of the frame to the far left.

It should be a great weekend to visit Central Vermont. If you are in the Killington area, stop bye. Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway....and as it is now officially Fall, remember the leaf rule....

Coulton Pond from the 16th Tee at Green Mountain National Golf Course 

Fall colors in the Killington area are beginning to intensify. While there is a significant amount of green leaves in the local forests, many of the trees, particularly the maples, are beginning to show significant amounts of color. The scenic views around town are beginning to take on a decidedly reddish hue. Quite a few of the local maples are displaying colors ranging from a deep burgundy to fire engine red.

I was out on Green Mountain National this morning with a group of friends. Every hole presented beautiful and interesting views in virtually every direction.

Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway. But if you stray, and if you are in Vermont, remember the leaf rule....

Pico Peak thru the windshield of a helicopter just after lift-off from Green Mountain National Golf Course 

Today is the Autumnal, or Fall, Equinox. At approximately 11:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time, then angle of inclination, or tilt, of the earths axis towards the sun will be directly over the equator. From here on, in the northern hemisphere, hours of sun light will rapidly diminish till we hit the winter solstice in December. Of course, for those of us who love to ski, that's a good thing, because it means it's going to get cold outside. And sooner or later, cold outside translates to snow. And snow translates to skiing...

Colors around town are becoming more pronounced daily. Today's picture was actually taken late last week when I had a chance to take a helicopter ride between the Green Mountain National Golf Course and the Killington Resort Golf Course as part of the Sante Fe Restaurants Golf Tournament. Tree tops were starting to display color. Since that time, color has come down into the body of many of the trees. It is going to be a pretty colorful couple of weeks here at Killington as fall progresses.

Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway and don't forget the sunscreen(and maybe a pair of hot hands to ward of the fall chill).

Killington Chamber of Commerce 

The Killington Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual meeting this evening at the Summit Lodge in Killington starting at 5:00 PM. Tickets are $35.00 per person and may be reserved by calling the Killington Chamber offices at 802.773.4181.

In addition to opening remarks by Phil Black, president of the Killington Chamber, guest speakers at tonight's event include Seth Webb, Director of the Town of Killingtons Economic Development and Tourism Commission and Rob Megnin, Director of Marketing for the Killington Resort. In addition, candidates seeking to represent Killington in the Vermont House of Representatives, Megan Smith(D) and Jim Eckhardt(R) will each give a short speech.

The event begins with a cocktail hour at 5:00 PM followed by dinner at 6:00 PM. Reservations must be made in advance through the Killington Chamber of Commerce office.

Fall Foliage Update - Colors around Killington are starting to show with better definition. While the last few days have seen temperatures ranging up to the mid 70's, the evenings have started to get quite chilly. Temperatures across the area were in the low 30's last night with areas of frost scattered through out the region. The nights cold temperatures have started to accelerate color definition in many of the tree tops in the region. Mother Nature is preparing to put on her annual show of brilliant fall colors here in the Green Mountains.

Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway and don't forget the sunscreen.

Majestic old maple tree showing fall colors 

The fall foliage season is quickly approaching at Killington. While we have not yet had a frost across the area, the hours of sunlight are shortening, and with them the heat of the summer is fading away.

Mary and I took a good hike today around the basin area of Killington. From the inn, we hiked up Roaring Brook Road behind the Killington Resort Golf Course to the High Ridge Condominium community. Sitting exactily across the valley from Killington Peak, we were able to take in some spectacular views with a field of vision spanning from Pico Mountain to Skye Peak.

Panoramic views of Killington from East Mountain Road. Click to enlarge..

All along our route, we saw trees that were starting their annual show of fall colors. While peak colors will be several weeks off, the show was very colorful all the same. It made one forget that what we were really doing was getting our legs in shape for ski season by hiking up and down the hills around town.

We took a break from our hike for a nice lunch at the club house of the Killington Resort Golf Course. It was a little chilly to eat lunch on the deck, but Mike the bartender was very nice. If you plan to play golf at the Killington Resort course this year, keep in mind that they usually close for the season just after Columbus Day weekend. Green Mountain National, being at a lower elevation, usually stays open for golf several weeks longer through the end of October, weather permitting. So you still have time to chase the little white ball across the Vermont countryside. And see some great fall foliage colors in the process.

Where ever you may be, keep it in the fairway and don't forget the sunscreen.