Leaves falling behind the inn.
Twig season on the way! 

Twig season is imminent.

Leaves are seeking Mother Earth to begin the cycle again.

This will be the last weekend with any real fall foliage color in Killington. Plenty of color will remain for a few weeks on the western side of the Green Mountains and in southern Vermont if you have not yet gotten your fix. With luck, it will be a short twig season in Killington as we prepare for the coming ski season.

Mary and I have now gone 24 cycles around the sun owning the Inn. 23 of them greeting guests. Fall colors never cease to amaze us. Mother Nature has her quirks... but she puts on a beautiful show.

While I mourn having to put away my golf clubs for the winter in a few weeks, I am excited at the prospect of seeing snow again soon. The adrenaline rush of the first ski runs of the season are something I enjoy every year.

Global warming be damned. Bring on the cold. Let it snow!

Color starting to show around Killington PeaK
Taken from the 18th tee at the Killington Golf Course 

Mother Nature has her own clock! Her clock does not need batteries. Her clock does not stop due to pandemic infections, nor political insurrections. Her clock does not care about stragegic retreats, nuclear deals, infrastructure bills, or budget reconcilliations. Basically, we humans are but visitors along for the ride through the time ticked off by Mother Natures clock.

And we have front row seats to Mother Natures biggest party of the year, the annual changing of the colors in the Green Mountains, during what we call 'Fall Foliage Season'.

Color is starting to appear in general around Killington. For the last several weeks, the early signal trees were announcing falls imminent arrival by their subtle color change. But now with the arrival of the Autumnal Equinox tomorrow, all of the trees in the Green Mountain National Forest are beginning to take part.

Color is developing on the slopes of Killington. Around the inn, most of the trees are still bright green, but many are developing hints of color in their upper canopies. For the next 3 to 4 weeks, there will be some pronounced changes occurring each day. It is always fun to get out and enjoy the spectacle Mother Nature puts on for us each year.

At the Birch Ridge Inn, we are accepting lodging reservation directly and through our online partners for dates in the fall. Due to the high vaccination rates of Vermont citizens, covid-19 regulations for through out Vermont are fairly relaxed. We have taken many steps to protect inn guests at the inn. Visit our 'Stay Healthy' page on the inns website for more information.

In addition to lodging, our restaurant is open for dinner service. Currently we are serving Wednesday throu Sunday during the fall. We are serving dinner in the inns Great Room using limited seating out of a healthy respect for Covid-19 and keeping our guests and staff healthy and safe. The restaurants menu is available on the inn's website : birchridge.com. Reservations are being accepted online or via phone at 800.435.8566 or 802.422.4293.

In the mean time, plan a trip to Vermont to see the fall colors. Whether it's an overnight stay, or a one day drive by, you will not be disappointed. Please follow Covid=19 Stay safe Practices including social distancing, wearing a facial covering, and washing your hands. If you have not been vacinated yet.... Go GET THE JAB!. It may save your life, and protect those around you. It is all that simple, and it will help all of us stay healthy..and allow us to have a ski season in the mountains once again this year.

Introducing the Synexis Sphere to the Birch Ridge Inn 

Synexis' patented microbial reduction system installed in public areas of the inn

Killington, VT, November, 9, 2020: The Birch Ridge Inn at Killington has partnered with Synexis of Lenexa, KS, to deploy state of the art technology to assist with creating a clean environment for inn guests and staff. Synexis® LLC is a leader in technologies that achieve microbial reduction in occupied spaces. Synexis patented DHP™ (Dry Hydrogen Peroxide) technology is effective at reducing certain bacteria, viruses and mold in the air and on surfaces in indoor spaces where people congregate where the devices have been installed.

Synexis Sphere units are installed in the Inn's restaurant and Great Room. The Sphere, based upon a sound foundation of science, uniquely addresses the problem of how to provide a sustainable wide-area reduction of pathogen levels in continuously occupied spaces at the inn. The Sphere's friendly, implementable, design made for easy installation at the inn. It's simple integration into the inn's infrastructure adds another tool for the innkeepers to use to help address the challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the arrival of flu season.

A Synexis Sphere installed over the bar. One of two Spheres installed in the Great Room at the Birch Ridge Inn

Synexis technology takes what is naturally in the environment, ambient oxygen and humidity, to generate a low level of dry gaseous Hydrogen Peroxide(DHP). Synexis technology is safe for occupied spaces as hydrogen peroxide is a natural component of the human body found in the lungs. DHP is an active antimicrobial agent. Where it has been installed, Synexis' patented DHP technology has been shown to reduce pathogen levels circulating in the environment.

When combined with standard cleaning practices, social distancing and face masks worn by inn staff and guests, the Synexis Sphere systems will help reduce the probability of contamination by biological agents, including coronavirus and influenza, inadvertently introduced to the inn by other guests. Synexis Spheres do not require inn guests to take any actions, other than enjoying the hospitality of the inn.

A Synexis Sphere installed in the front of the restaurant. at the Birch Ridge Inn

The owners of the Birch Ridge Inn, Bill Vines and Mary Furlong, have actively addressed the problems presented by Covid-19 for guests to their hospitality business. From enhanced cleaning procedures using FDA and CDC approved sanitizers; to deploying ultraviolet(UV-C) light to kill unwanted microorganisms in unoccupied guest rooms; to adopting Synexis Spheres to reduce pathogens circulating in the air and on surfaces at the inn's restaurant and Great Room; they have sought out cutting edge solutions to make sure the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington is a clean, safe, and healthy place to work and visit. The inn's web site, birchridge.com, has additional information on how the Birch Ridge Inn is addressing Covid-19 to keep guests and staff safe.

About the Birch Ridge Inn The Birch Ridge Inn has provided upscale dining and accommodations since 1997. The inn provides guests to Killington a high level of personal service matched with impeccable cleanliness. Consistently rated the #1 hotel in Killington on TripAdvisor, the Birch Ridge Inn features 10 individually decorated guest rooms. Full dinner and beverage services are provided at the inn's restaurant and Great Room. Birch Ridge is located on the Killington Road, less than 1 mile from the Killington Ski Resort. Entrance to the property is through a distinctive ÔCovered CarriagewayÓ on Butler Road. Birch Ridge recommends advanced reservation either by Phone at 800.435.8566 or via the inn's web site at birchridge.com.

About Synexis Founded in 2008, Synexis® LLC is a leader in technologies that achieve microbial reduction in treated spaces and is the sole developer and designer of patented technology that creates hydrogen peroxide gas or Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP™) for occupied spaces. Synexis technology takes what is naturally in the environment, ambient oxygen and humidity, to create Hydrogen Peroxide Gas (H2O2) or DHP.

Synexis DHP technology is patented, and effective at reducing certain bacteria, viruses and mold in the air and on surfaces within occupied spaces where the device has been installed. The Synexis system is UL Certified to produce no ozone and works continuously without disruptions in normal operations or workflow.1 Synexis Systems are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state governments as antimicrobial devices. Accordingly, our Systems are produced in an EPA-registered facility and packaged and labeled in accordance with EPA regulations appearing at 40 CFR 152.500. Synexis® currently holds 13 U.S. patents with 16 pending.2

1. UL Certification numbers: Blade UL E482400 and Sentry UL E495096

2. Synexis https://synexis.com/patents/. US Patent numbers include 8,168,122 | 8,685,329 | 9,034,255 | D744,627 | 9,370,592 | 9,808,013 | D814006 | 9,924,722 | 10,188,766 | 10,232,076 | 10,285,382 | 10,299,482 | D890898

Old growth tree behind the inn in full color 

The change is taking place...

Neither global warming, nor a global pandemic can stop it.

Mother Nature always wins!

All around the Birch Ridge Inn, and in Killington, fall foliage has popped over the last 5 days. Several night with mild frost conditions, combined with the last 2 weeks of reduced sunshine due to the ash clouds from fires out west, have coaxed the trees to turn in their summer jackets for their fall finery.

Color is very pronounced around Killington Peak and in the Killington Basin area. Colors are more muted for slopes facing westward, as they are still catching more sunshine during the day. Overall, the colors are setting up to be fabulous for the next few of weeks in and around Killington.

At the Birch Ridge Inn, we are accepting lodging reservation directly and through our online partners for dates in the fall. The State of Vermont has lightened the Covid-19 regulations for hotels, now allowing 100% occupancy. Our restaurant is operating, limited to seating 17 people due to Covid-19 regulations, for indoor dining through high tops spread along the periphery of the Great Room. This weekend's menu is available on the inn's website : birchridge.com. Reservations are being accepted online or via phone at 800.435.8566 or 802.422.4293. In addition to dine-in services, we are also offering our complete menu, including beverages, for Take_Out.

In the mean time, plan a trip to Vermont to see the fall colors. Whether it's an overnight stay, or a one day drive by, you will not be disappointed. Stay safe, practice social distancing, wear a facial covering, and wash your hands. It is all that simple, and it will help all of us stay healthy..and allow us to have a ski season in the mountains once again this year.

The Birch Ridge Inn on a sunny late summer day in Killington 

Before making any other comments... we must never forget this day and all the innocents that perished. May they rest in peace. May we all remember their sacrifice. May we come together as a country without once again experiencing or witnessing the unspeakable horror that occurred in 2001 on this day.

Suffice to say, in the midst of a global pandemic, it has been a strange summer at Killington. At the inn, we have been spending a huge amount of time, and money, refininging our processes to keep our employees and guests safe. We will be talking about this more, in much more detail, as we head into the fall season.

With Labor Day come and gone, the area is moving into late summer mode. Temperatures are decidely getting cooler. I have noticed the furnace coming on every night for the last few weeks. Early trees are just starting the process of showing color, but as you can see from todays picture of the inn Mary's flower gardens are still in full bloom.

In a sure sign that ski season is approaching, the Killington Resort has started to release information about the upcoming season. For those who have been enjoying the summer and not paying much attention to the mountains, the World Cup race that has occurred Thanksgiving weekend for the last few years has been cancelled due to the impact of Covid-19. There will be a lot of changes occurring at the resort this winter. Killington and Pico General Manager Mike Solimano published a first look at how the resort will approach the season. Read it online on the Killington Resort Website. The key takeaway from Mike's letter is that the resort is planning to start the 2019-2020 ski season on November 14th with top to bottom skiing and riding. it is a good read, but undoubtedly it is the first of may communications we will be receiving from the resort about the upcoming season.

At the Birch Ridge Inn, we are accepting lodging reservation directly and through our online partners for dates in the fall. Our restaurant is operating, with very limted seating, for indoor dining through high tops spread along the periphery of the Great Room. This weekend's menu is available on the inn's website : birchridge.com. Reservations are only being accepted online or via phone at 800.435.8566 or 802.422.4293. In addition to dine-in services, we are also offering our complete menu, including beverages, for Take_Out.

Stay safe, practice social distancing, wear a facial covering, and wash your hands. It is all that simple, and it will help all of us stay healthy..and allow us to have a ski season in the mountains once again this year.

Enjoy a glass of wine on the Killington Wine Trail this weekend in Killington. 

The spirit of the Killington Wine Festival lives on.

In the extraordinary time we live in, renewing positive traditions can bring some comfort and balance to life. Not in an idyllic fashion or Quixiotic dream...afterall, the Covid-19 situation demands that we all stay grounded to do the right thing. But preserving some traditions gestates a sense of community. It reminds us that at some point, this too shall pass, as our individual worlds begin the process of rebalancing.

This coming weekend, Killington has historically been a magnet for people. For many of the early baby boomer years, it was the weekend of the legendary Killington Trike Race. For the last 20 years, thousands of people continued to flock to Killington to enjoy the Killington Wine Festival. Due to Covid-19, the prospect of bringing thousands of people to Killington with hundreds of people shoulder to shoulder drinking wine in big tents, and at restaurants and bars, would not be right. But the concept of lifting a glass of wine, of being uplifted by social interaction, still lives on, even as a void has been created by current circumstances.

If you are in the Killington region over this coming weekend, the Killington Pico Area Association has coordinated with area restaurants to keep the tradition of the Killington Wine Festival alive. The Killington Wine Trail continues this year. This weekend, most area restaurants, including the Birch Ridge Inn, will have special food and wine pairings for guests to enjoy. Even though we must practice social distancing, the spirit of community in Killington is alive. ...and little demonstrates that better than all of us raising a glass of wine and sharing with friends alike.

Featured wine pairings at the Birch Ridge Inn on Friday July 17th and Saturday July 18th on the Killington Wine Trail

So, where ever you may be, whether you have ever attended the Killington Wine Festival or not, in that spirit of your community, share a glass of wine with a friend or loved one this weekend. In uino ueritas......

At the Birch Ridge Inn, this weekend's menu is available on the inn's website : birchridge.com. Reservations are only being accepted via the telephone at this time at 800.435.8566 or 802.422.4293. In addition to dine-in services, we are also offering our complete menu, including beverages, for Take_Out.

Stay safe, practice social distancing, wear a facial covering, and wash your hands. It is all that simple, and it will help all of us stay healthy..

Rusty, Raymond, and Dawn. The first restaurant guests at the Birch Ridge Inn for the 2020-2021 season 

After a period of great challenge, we are proud to announce that the Birch Ridge Inn is open again and receiving guests for dining and lodging.

The first restaurant guests, who happened to be our one of our last restaurant guests in March, joined us for dinner on Thursday night. Currently, to maintain social distancing, we are serving dinner in the Great Room at the inn, on tables spread around the periphery of the building.

For the next few weeks, as we guage the impact on guests visiting Killington, and on locals going out to dinner again, the restaurant will be open Thursday thru Saturday evening starting at 6:00PM.

In addition to dine-in services, we are also offering our complete menu, including beverages, for Take_Out. The current menu is available on the inn's website : birchridge.com. Reservations are required per the State of Vermont COVID-19 guidelines. Reservations are only being accepted via the telephone at this time at 800.435.8566 or 802.422.4293.

We look forward to seeing you again at the inn when you return to Killington. Be Smart - Stay Safe - Stay Healthy!