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!

June 18th, 2020 - Public notice from the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington.

The Birch Ridge Inn has Re-Opened. Thursday June 18, 2020.

On June 18th, 2020, in accordance with the guidelines put forth by the State of Vermont the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington has re-opened and is receiving guests for lodging and dinner services.

As we re-open, the Birch Ridge Inn is doing everything possible to keep guests and employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even though we have been consistently reviewed by our guests as being a very clean property, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic the Birch Ridge Inn has adopted enhanced sanitary protocols. All employees are trained on how to function in a public environment in the presence of COVID-19 so that they do not contract the disease, nor transfer it to others. All work areas are equipped with the proper sanitizing methods to align with the work performed at the station. Contactless check-out procedures are being implemented. Virtual contactless check-in procedures are in development. In addition to using various chemical sanitizers, commercial UV-C room sanitizing equipment has been purchased for the final sanitizing step in every guest room.

The inn is welcoming overnight guests for lodging. The restaurant is open to serve dinner to both inn guests and the general public. There are a few things you should know about the Birch Ridge Inn being open while planning your visit.

General COVID-19 Protocols

- All guest should maintain social distancing while visiting the Birch Ridge Inn where practical.
- Birch Ridge Inn Management (Bill and Mary) STRONGLY ENCOURAGE all guests to wear facial coverings while visiting the inn. We prefer all guests wear face masks. It keeps us all safer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- If you do not have a face mask, the inn has a supply available for inn guests.
- All reservations are by telephone at this time. Call the inn at 800.435.8566 or 802.422.4293.
- Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands.

Overnight Lodging at the Birch Ridge Inn

- Birch Ridge Inn has implemented the sector guidance for lodging properties outlined by the State of Vermont's "Be Smart/Stay Safe" program.
- For near term overnight stays at the inn, occupancy is limited to 50%.
- Reservations are being accepted from Vermont residents and residents of non-quarantine counties in NY, NH, ME, MA, CT or RI who have COVID-19 caseloads similar to Vermont. The state has provided a map for guests to use which identifies eligible counties.
- Reservations are also being accepted from residents from other areas who have (i)completed a 14-day quarantine; or (ii) completed a 7-day quarantine followed by a negative test Ð in their home state. They may then enter Vermont without further quarantine restrictions if they drive directly from their home via their personal vehicle.
- Lodging guests must present a Vermont drivers license, or sign a document attesting that they meet the quarantine requirements.
- Non-Vermont residents must register with the State of Vermont's Sara Alert System which provides guests with daily reminders to check for common symptoms of COVID-19. If symptoms are reported, the VT Dept of Health will reach out to guests to provide guidance. The Sara Alert System is not GPS-based and does not monitor guests movements.

Dining at the Birch Ridge Inn

- Birch Ridge Inn has implemented the sector guidance for restaurants outlined by the State of Vermont's "Be Smart/Stay Safe" program.
- The Restaurant at the Birch Ridge Inn is open for Dine-In and Take Out.
- Dine-In dinner is being served in the Great Room at the inn on tables allowing for social distancing around the building periphery. Bar seating, at this time, is not available per State of Vermont regulations.
- Take Out is available for all restauant items including any item on our restaurant menu, for beverages from the bar, and for special foods that have been served to Birch Ridge Inn guests for years which are now being made available to the general public.
- Dinner dervice for both Dine-In and Take-Out is avaiable currently Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 to 9 PM.
- Reservations are required for both Dine-In and Take-Out.
- Reservations can only be made by telephone to 800.435.8566 or 802.422.4293. at this time

Operating requirements for hospitality properties are changing weekly as the State of Vermont fine-tunes its policies for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest information about the response to COVID-19 being mounted by the Birch Ridge Inn, you can visit the Birch Ridge Inn COVID-19 page. If you have any questions, call us directly at 800.435.8566, or email us at innkeepers@birchridge.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the Birch Ridge Inn.
Bill Vines and Mary Furlong, Innkeepers, Birch Ridge Inn, Killington Vermont

March 15th, 2020 - Public notice from the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington.

The Birch Ridge Inn has temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 Crisis. Sunday March 15, 2020.

It is with much love and sadness for our staff, guests, and good friends, that we must announce that the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington will be closed until further notice as a result of Covid-19 crisis. The rapid pace of events taking place around the world, and the virtual collapse of the North American Ski Industry last evening, clearly define the difficult path we must take. It is clear from listening to CDC officials that there is an urgent need for social distancing if the country is to successfully fight this virus. Encouraging our guests to travel to Vermont at this time is not in the community interest. Hence we will be temporarily closing our doors for all lodging, dining, and beverage services immediately.

In 22 year of doing business serving guests we have experienced economic downturns, wars, terrorist attacks, blizzards, hurricanes, and floods. We have been able to work each time to come out of those difficulties with a stronger business. We remain optimistic that we will be able to do the same as we work to meet this challenge.

We will be reaching out to inn guests, to coordinate future reservations, with more information as it develops over the next several days.

If you have any questions, call us directly at 800.435.8566, or email us at innkeepers@birchridge.com.

Stay Healthy.

Respectfully Bill Vines and Mary Furlong Innkeepers, Birch Ridge Inn, Killington.

Birch Ridge Inn, Killington VT 

March 13th, 2020 - Public notice from the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington.

To all of our inn and restaurant guests, visitors to our bar, and staff...

The innkeepers, Bill Vines and Mary Furlong, are monitoring the rapidly changing situation concerning the impacts of COVID-19 on the general public.

At this time, the inn is open for lodging. Dinner service is currently scheduled on our normal winter schedule from Tuesday through Saturday evening starting at 6:00 PM in the restaurant and the Great Room Lounge.

The Number 1 goal of any action we take is to protect the health of our guests and staff. While we are already known for the cleanliness of our operation as reported by multiple online guest reviews, we take the current situation very seriously. The last thing we want to do by continuing operations is to aid in the further spread of Covid-19. With that in mind, we have instituted enhanced sanitation procedures and other changes to business operations, in line with recommendations we are receiving from various government agencies and business organizations.

Specifically:

For housekeeping, our staff has implemented strict sanitizing procedures for all hard surfaces, door knobs, light switches, remote controls, clocks, etc in addition to our normal sanitizing practices.

For the restaurant and bar, we have provided each work area with additional sanitizing supplies for our employees to use. Instructions on sanitizing server work stations, restaurant tables and chairs, and great room seating areas are being reviewed with each employee at the beginning of their shift.

While we have always offered generous seating space in our restaurant and Great Room, we are also taking additional procedures to offer distance between different groups using our establishment.

Earlier today we received information from the Killington Ski Resort that they will be cancelling all events planned for the next few weeks. The resort will continue to operate, offering skiing and riding to all who enjoy snow sports. However, they have also begun to change their operation to offer more distance between guests to help minimize the possibility of the virus to spread between people visiting the resort. Should there be any changes in resort operation, changes in government instruction, or other impacts effecting the health and well being of our guests and staff, we will provide additional updates.

For Inn Guests with lodging reservations, please reach out to us directly should you feel you a need to change your plans. If you have any questions, call us directly at 800.435.8566, or email us at innkeepers@birchridge.com.

Respectfully Bill Vines and Mary Furlong Innkeepers, Birch Ridge Inn, Killington.