It's still winter on Killington Peak!

It's still winter on Killington Peak!

After our journey across the resort this morning, I needed to rush home and check the calendar on my computer. While we were on the mountain, it seemed like we were sucked into some strange time anomaly, like the residents of K-Val in the neo-cult classic ski-movie "Hot Tub Time Machine". (Notice the name of the ski resort in that movie...coincidence???) Even though the calendar was supposed to read April, it seemed more like early January at K-Town this morning. With a high pressure system from Canada settling into place, temperatures in the teens (yes...teens!) and a wind gusting to 30, the calendar could have easily read January 3rd versus April 3rd. But, when I got home, the computer confirmed it. The government wonks at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), the maintainers of the "Official Time" for the United States, did in fact confirm that today is April 3rd, 2013.

We started the day on the K1 Gondola. The bucket ride to Killington Peak was a little bumpy as the car was being buffeted by wind gusts. Cascades under the K1 was not especially inviting. It looked like some mad creation from Dr. Freeze. The Canyon Quad was running, but there was nary a soul in sight. When we emerged from the cabin at the peak it was easy to understand. 13 degrees with a 30 MPH wind is not April skiing, no matter what the calendar says, nor how sunny it is. So off we headed towards Bear Mountain.

Conditions across the top of the resort were groomed firm corduroy. Very low energy skiing, as long as you kept your ski tips aligned with your desired trajectory. We found ourselves at the top of Bear Claw in no time. Good thing our skis were recently tuned.

Everything at Bear was groomed flat and fast. With the exception of the bumps course being constructed on Outer Limits for this weekends Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge, some bumps on Upper Wildfire, and the terrain features in the Stash and on Dream Maker, Bear Mountain was a straight high speed cruiser.

With the bright, early morning, sunshine, I did pack light for todays ski excursion. By my 4th lift up the Skye Peak Quad, I was reaching for my neck gator that I keep in my ski-shell. I never thought I would need that today, but this is Killington and you always need to keep prepared.

As we moved back to the north side of the resort, we journeyed down Needles Eye, Cruise Control, Bitter Sweet, High Road, and Sky Lark. With mid-winter conditions prevailing, we decided to do one run and done on each trail. We had to get enough runs in to get the muscles in our legs firing, but, at the same time, we are ready for a little spring skiing versus the cold shiver of this morning.

Even though it is cold today at Killington, there is a huge upside to all of this. Cold conditions have basically stopped any surface melting in it's tracks. A slow warm up through the rest of the week will just about guarantee great ski conditions for visitors to Killington this weekend. And, it also means that the season will have loads of staying power to reach right into May.

Let it snow! (at least on the mountain for a few more weeks)