Steve Jobs 1955-2011 

I feel a little strange writing this blog today. I am surrounded by Apple computer equipment. This blog is written every day on a big, honking, Powermac that can still blow the doors off of many new computers available today. Within my reach is a 21 inch Intel based Imac. The airwaves around me are saturated by the RF signal of an Apple Airport Wifi Network. There is an Ipod Touch in my pocket, an Apple TV in our Great Room, and a new Iphone in the very near future. I have personally owned at least one, usually several, Apple Computers since the first Apple Macintosh was released in 1984. I cannot even begin to tell you how many miles around the world I travelled with an Apple notebook in a bag slung on my shoulder. I used at work Apple II's and what was essentially the Macintosh prototype, the Lisa, before most people knew what a personal computer was. For over 30 years products from Apple have been integrated into my life. When I think about it in absolute terms, that's longer than most personal relationships I have had with the exception of my family and a few very close friends.

So when I heard the news flash last night, a story that we all unfortunately knew was coming, that Steve Jobs had departed this earth, I was instantly sad. His passing did not hit me with the same shock as when my mother picked me up at school, as a fifth grader, one November day in 1963 crying about the death of a president. The message was not visually shocking like seeing the Challenger blow up in 1986, or seeing the Trade Center buildings fall on 2001. Unlike those events, those of us who follow the computer industry knew it was only a matter of time before last nights news flash would occur. But it still made me sad all the same.

I can't quite place the feeling. I had no actual "personal" connection to Steve. Our paths crossed several times in the early 80's at geeky events like the BCS and at industry confabs out west. He was always a legendary presenter, and if you were at a conference where he had something to say, you wanted to be in the audience. Since starting the inn, I had emailed Mr. Jobs at Apple on several occasions. One concerned the failures of a vendor to support a software product on our Apple System. Another time concerned the unavailability of the original Iphone in Vermont, because ATT did not offer originating service in the Green Mountain State. Both times I got a short and polite response. They probably came from an Apple functionary, but it was clear that whoever wrote the response was taking the matter to heart and speaking for Steve. The problems have long since been resolved by the way.

But it is time.... The legacy of Mr. Jobs is assured. He changed the world...no he changed MY world! And for that he has my heartfelt respect. Godspeed Steve Jobs. I hope that when you left this world yesterday, that the sky around you was Bondi Blue.....

The weather forecast for the upcoming Columbus Day Weekend looks nice and sunny. Fall colors in Killington will be at their peak. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.

Fog rising from behind the 18th hole on the Green Mountain National Golf Course 

While much of the visible damage to the transportation network caused by the remnants of Hurricane Irene have been mitigated in the immediate vicinity of Killington, for those whose homes and businesses were impacted by the storm, the damage is still all too real. But the spirit of Killington will not be broken as the community rallies to help those who need a hand.

In the last couple of days, the Killington community turned out in huge numbers for 2 events to benefit victims of Irene. On Sunday, the Concert for Killington raised money for charities in both Killington and nearby Pittsfield. The all day concert by local musicians, supported by food donations from local restaurants (including the Birch Ridge Inn), raised approx $30K according to one of the organizers I spoke with late yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon, I joined well over 100 people to play in a golf tournament at Green Mountain National Golf Course to help raise money for a friend, Brian Halligan. You may know Brian from television. His house was totally destroyed by the flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in Pittsfield. He escaped the flood with the clothes on his back and his dog.

Through out the emergency created by Irene, the people of Killington have rallied to help each other. The concert on Sunday and the golf tournament yesterday are visible examples of the continued spirit of the whole community to rise up and work for the better good to help everyone recover from the effects of Irene. The events of this weekend prove yet again that Killington is a great place to call home!

The early weather forecast for Columbus Day Weekend looks like it will be nice. Fall colors in Killington will be at their peak. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.

Brilliant colors behind the Birch Ridge Inn shot from across the Roaring Brook Valley 

A full weekend of events are "on tap" at Killington for the first fall foliage weekend in October.

The Pico Ski Club will hold their annual Ski and Snowboard swap at the Pico Base Lodge in Killington. New and used ski and snowboarding equipment for kids and adults will be available for sale at this annual event that benefits the Pico Ski Club. The sale starts Friday evening from 5 to 9 PM. It resumes on Saturday from 9 AM to 5PM. It finishes on Sunday morning with swap hours between 9 AM and Noon.

The 16th Annual Killington Brewfest is set for sampling 75 craft beers. The beers come from 20 breweries from around the North East. Taps will be open at the Beerfest at the Snowshed Base Lodge of the Killington Resort starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday afternoon.

Rounding out the weekend, on Sunday the "Concert for the Killington Area" is scheduled to take place between Noon and 11:30 PM in the parking lots of the Lookout Tavern and Outback Pizza. Local bands from the Killington area will perform. A $20 donation gets you entry to the event, a buffet, and the good feeling that you are helping local Vermonters recover from Hurricane Irene. All proceeds from the event go to "We are K-Town/Irene's Islands" and the "Pittsfield Hurricane Relief Fund" for distribution to people needing assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

It should be a nice weekend in Killington to enjoy the events while taking in some nice fall colors. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.

Concert for the Killington Area - Sunday October 2 

It is hard to comprehend that remnants of Hurricane Irene struck Vermont one month ago today. Much of the beauty of Vermont was left unscathed. For every picture of damage and destruction shown on the evening news, I can show you a picture of the absolute beauty that the Green Mountain are today, a scant 31 days after the storm. It is, of course, the paradox of living in the mountains. The Green Mountains endure, like they have for millennia, while the valley floors took a beating from mountain runoff in the storms aftermath.

In central Vermont we are all marveling at the speed with which our government reacted to the crisis. We witness arguments on TV about politics at the national level; about how government is bound up by "special interests" and the "bureaucracy"; about how government can't get anything done. We have witnessed those arguments in Killington and in Vermont in recent years as well. The complacency of prosperity leaves the chattering class with little to do but angle for the next "big deal" or complain if they are shut out by the very game they are playing.

Make no mistake, Vermont by all rights should have fallen down the rabbit hole after being nearly drowned by Irene. It would have been easy for government to wring their hands and say the problem was too great, the resources are not available, if we had only prepared for a rainy day.... and so it goes.

But the people of Vermont would have none of it. And we all know somewhere in the back of our brains, that we the people are the government. That the government follows our lead, not the other way around.

Vermonters showed that spirit 31 days ago when they woke up on the morning of August 29th to see much of their state destroyed. Thousands of Vermonters came out and started working to repair the devastation. Many worked to help their neighbors, before tending to their own needs. In Killington, the community turned out and volunteered to help one another. Whether it was shoveling debris from our streets, or going door to door to check on every individual in town, the spirit of working together raised everyone up above the catastrophe which struck Vermont, and created a shared sense of community which we can only hope will transcend the petty politics of the day before the storm hit.

And low and behold, as the citizens of Vermont individually mobilized to combat what Irene had wrought, the governments of Vermont at the State and Local level took notice. It was clear fairly early on that citizens were helping citizens, neighbors were helping neighbors, strangers were becoming friends. And because the citizens of Vermont stood up to Irene, the government of Vermont was free to deal with the big problems created by the storm with the full knowledge that Vermonters wanted them to get things done. One only needs to look at the before, during and after pictures of Route 4 across Vermont to realize that government can get the job down when it wants too.

But the citizens of Vermont are not done. While the roads have been repaired and guests are starting to trickle back to see the annual display of color know as "Fall Foliage Season", there are many citizens of Vermont who are in need of help to recover from the personal destruction they suffered at the hands of Irene. And just like Vermonters responded 31 days ago, now that the general recovery is at hand, it is time to help out individuals who were the unwitting victims of Irene's wrath.

On this coming Sunday, you can do your part to help the people of Vermont. Starting at 12:00 Noon, the "Concert for Killington" will take place on the Killington Road in the parking lots of Outback Pizza and the Lookout Tavern. For a $20.00 donation, you can enjoy music from local artists including Joey Leone and the Chop Shop, Bobby Darling and Dr Devine, Rick Redington and the LUV, the Idiots, Jamie's Junk Show, and many more. In addition to music, your donation includes a complementary buffet. All door, raffle and silent auction proceeds will benefit We Are K-Town/Irene's Islands and the Pittsfield Hurricane Relief Fund who will access need and distribute funds to those who need them the most.

For years to come, the calamity caused by Irene will be permanently etched into the Vermont landscape. But for the people of Vermont, all of us who were impacted in our own way by the storm, it's the little victories of people helping people that is the most important memory for the history books.

Fall Foliage season is getting underway at Killington, and winter is just around the corner. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.

The K1 Base Lodge and Killington Winter Sports Club bracketed by fall color. 

This day was just too nice to be trapped inside in front of a computer terminal. With fall colors popping all around us, and with beautiful sunshine and nice temperatures, it was the perfect day to take a walk about on the mountains of Killington.

We started at the K1 base lodge from the bay 1 parking lot just as if it were a mid winter day and we were heading off to ski. We even put our boots on in the car, changing from comfortable day shoes to serious hiking boots to climb up the mountain.

We started our ascent up Lower Bunny Buster. The ski trail had been mowed recently, so we did not need to bushwhack through tall grass. There were a few spots where water was still running off of the mountain, but in general the climb up Lower Bunny was methodical and rhythmic. We have learned from doing this many times over the years that a steady pace is required over the first 800 feet of the climb to allow your body to get acclimated. But even then, we are always surprised by the heavy breathing it induces.

Reaching the top of Lower Bunny Buster we turned straight uphill and climbed Mousetrap to the exit of Racers Edge. Water flow out of Racers Edge had carved a channel down Mousetrap. In some instances, where large rocks were exposed, it was like climbing stairs. In other cases, where the surface was loose and granular, it was somewhat slippery underfoot, requiring a little care to maintain balance.

Foliage pictures from the mountains of the Killington Resort taken September 27, 2011 Click image to stop rotation. Click again to resume rotation.

The entrance to Racers Edge was all chewed up and rock strewn. Normally it is a little rough on the best of days, but I would guess that it suffered some erosion from Tropical Storm Irene which "freshened up" the surface. When Racers Edge is not being used for mountain biking, it is a nice walking trail through the forest. The surface is mostly grass covered so it is easy on the feet. It also provides a nice mix of forest and field hiking, as Racers Edge traverses Conclusion, Highline, and Royal Flush on its way to the base of the North Ridge Triple chair.

Colors along Racers Edge were quite nice. Most of the maple trees along the way were a mix of red and green. The birch trees were starting to yellow and the oaks were beginning to rust; but overall the colors still have a way to go before peak.

At the top of Racers Edge we emerged at Ridge Run. Where Ridge Run and Great Northern merged, we were joined briefly by some visitors to Killington who had followed the road on their ascent to the peak. They were amazed that we were just "cutting through the woods", but we told them that we ski Killington all the time and knew the "shortcuts". We also knew to stay off the road and out of the sun on the hike to the peak. Walking up through a wooded path is preferable to walking on hard pack if you have the option.

We did not continue up Great Northern on the road, choosing instead to take one of the side routes near Powerline. The group we met did not venture in with us. Once again we encountered the stair case effect caused by water eroding the trail surface. But it made the cut through the woods quite easy, and because it was out of the sun, quite pleasant. We emerged from the woods at the last lift tower on Rime just below the Great Northern junction.

We had decided today we were not going to go to the summit. Instead our goal was the Vista Deck on Bear Mountain for a lunch break. So, instead of looping up Great Northern to the peak, we traversed across to Launch Pad for a down hill stroll across Ovation, Superstar, Sky Lark, Bitter Sweet, and Needles Eye before coming out on Cruise Control. Launch Pad is similar to Racers Edge. In the summer it is a little more than a path, but a lot less than a road. Most of the walk was sheltered by trees, interspersed with the glorious vistas presented by each ski trail along the way.

For lunch, we took a break at the Vista Deck on Cruise Control. The deck is not open for lunch service, we hiked in with our own picnic in my back back. We had some beautiful ciabatta bread, some Vermont Cheddar from the Crowley Cheese Company in Ludlow, and a nice apple for a little sweetness to give lunch some balance. The deck itself was a perfect place to stop. The views were nice, as the name would imply. Also, the resort has the deck set up with nice picnic tables which provided an inviting place to sit after hiking across the mountain for a couple of hours.

Hiking out of the Vista Deck was straight forward. We went from Cruise Control to the Snowshed Cross Over, in the process traversing Needles Eye, Vertigo, High Road, Low Road, Bitter Sweet and Skylark before returning the K1 Base Lodge and the car. We were away from the inn roughly 3 1/2 hours on a glorious day for a hike through the mountains.

Fall Foliage season is underway at Killington, and winter is just around the corner. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.

Roaring Brook back peacefully babbling in it's banks on the Killington Golf Course. 

Even though the temperatures have been more like late summer at Killington the last couple of days, fall foliage colors are continuing to progress across the area.

Late this morning was just a beautiful time to take a walk around the neighborhood surrounding the inn. Colors are really starting to pop. We probably have another week to 10 days before color is "peak", but those planning to be in Killington this coming weekend will be treated to a colorful show by mother nature.

Todays gallery has some pictures taken from the Killington Golf Course and the surrounding area in the Killington Basin. While there is still plenty of green still showing, the reds of the maple trees is starting to take on prominence on most scenes.

Foliage pictures in the neighborhood near the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington taken September 26, 2011 Click image to stop rotation. Click again to resume rotation.

Fall Foliage season is underway at Killington, and winter is just around the corner. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.

Lunch on the deck of the Bear Mountain Base Lodge 

Although the weather people had predicted a cum-se cum-sa kind of day, by lunch time it was quite nice at the inn so we decided to take a break on the mountain. After picking up a sandwich at the Phat Italian Deli (and a piece of Red Velvet Cake as well...after all we have to keep the square english figure in check!), we took a ride across the mountain to camp out at the Bear Mountain Base Lodge. We go over there with a picnic lunch on occasion, as it is usually pretty quiet, and the deck is always bathed in beautiful sunshine. We were not disappointed.

On the way to Bear Mountain, we gave the construction machinery on East Mountain Road repairing the damage from Irene a wide berth. The road crews have been making tremendous progress. We were able to comfortably traverse the road from the Killington Basin Area all the way to the Bear Mountain Road with minimal inconvenience.

Fall foliage colors along the way are starting to pop. Even through the haze caused by humidity coming our of the ground, the colors all along our trip were becoming vibrant. At Bear Mountain there is good color on display in the base lodge area looking at Outer Limits and Wildfire. The deck was just a beautiful spot for a quick early fall picnic.

Foliage pictures around Killington taken September 23, 2011. Click image to stop rotation. Click again to resume rotation.

After finishing lunch at Bear Mountain and making sure we collected all of our trash (always leave the mountain in better shape than what you found when you arrived), we headed over the the Killington Base Lodge area to check out the color on the basin side of the mountain. The base of Killington is starting to show a lot of orange and burnt red colors. While still mixed in with a good amount of green, foliage colors are starting to show nicely. It is always hard to guess when "Peak Color" will be in any area, but usually at Killington it happens the first week of October just before Columbus Day. This year seems on track.

At KBL there is nice color showing on the upper trails. Highline, Conclusion, and Bunny Buster all featured maple trees that were on fire with color. Superstar, where the forest normally is a little slower, has some catching up to do. But even between Superstar and Ovation there were definite signs of good color.

We are very lucky to live in a part of the world where the scenery is constantly changing. No matter how many times you see it, it never gets old. We need to take a lot more picnic lunches over the next few weeks.

Fall Foliage season is underway at Killington, and winter is just around the corner. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.