The Birch Ridge Inn at Killington on a rainy late summer day.

The Birch Ridge Inn at Killington on a rainy late summer day.

The last stanza of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Rainy Day" is totally apropos for Killington this afternoon:

"Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary."

Killington has been very dreary today as a light late summer drizzle hangs over the area. Heavy clouds are skidding low across the tops of the mountain peaks. It is cool, it is damp, and it seems foreboding.

In a normal year, today would seem like a normal transitional day as the summer season slides into fall then into winter. We are still kissed by the color across the landscape of an abundance of summer flowers, intermixed with early fall colors. The colorful tableau will be with us for many more weeks, before we slide into "Twig Season" waiting for the first winter snow.

But the sun actually is shining in Killington today, and all across central Vermont. After 3 short weeks of what can only be described as heroic efforts, Route 4, the main corridor across Vermont on which every guest visiting Killington must travel, will be officially opened.

Today, the Vermont Department of Transportation announced that Route 4 will be officially opened for all travel in each direction starting tomorrow, Friday September 16th. From the release put out by the town of Killington:

"There will be a state press conference with Governor Shumlin and other officials Friday, Sept. 16 at 11AM at the intersection of Rt. 4 and River Road in Killington to officially open the road and welcome visitors back to the region. All are encouraged to attend...... Don't forget to bring your Vermont pride!"

If you are planning on attending tomorrows ceremony, the town has asked us all to " please park along the side of River Road and access the road via Thundering Brook Road."

To all of the citizens, contractors, volunteers, National Guard Members (from Vermont New Hampshire and Maine) who worked to make this possible, we salute you. And to our politicians, we commend you for having the foresight to quickly gauge the level of peril caused by Hurricane Irene on the great state of Vermont, for responding in kind to the peril, and for having the courage to enable Vermonters to get the job done. If "The Suits" had taken control of the situation, we could have been eating MRE's and drinking FEMA supplied water all winter, like they are in other parts of this country years after being struck by natural disasters. Instead, Vermont is hanging out the "Open Sign" and brimming with activity to welcome guests back to travel across the state to visit some of the prettiest places on earth.

Come up to Vermont this fall to look at the splendor of the change of seasons on display. Plan your winter vacation to Killington for some of the best skiing and riding on earth. And if your drive up to visit us takes you briefly on a detour onto a local road, stop for a minute if you can, look around, take in the unexpected...Some days must be dark and dreary...but behind the clouds the sun is still shining!