From left - Kelly, Tucker, Mary, Bill, Merisa, and Aaron heading out to the Library Centennial Ball 

In what will probably go down as the social event of the summer, the Sherburne Memorial Library celebrated it's first 100 years last night will a gala at the Killington Events Hall.

Killington residents donned their finery to partake in "Killington's Cotillion and Debutantes Ball" to the jazz/swing beat of the "Groovin Dukes" and Killington's world renowned DJ Dave. Black Tie was not overdressed.

Food and beverages at the event were catered by Phil Black and "Sneaky" Pete Mittendorf from the Lookout Bar and Grill. Special thanks go to the Long Trail Brewery who provided complimentary shuttle service through Gramp's Shuttle from the Birch Ridge Inn to the Cotillion.

Funds raised by the event will be benefit the preservation and digitization of the local history collection at the library to ensure access to Killington's rich heritage for present and future generations for centuries to come. It is a continuation of the wishes of the voters in Sherburne (now Killington) who in 1913 cast their ballots in favor of establishing a public library and funding it through with town tax dollars. A century later, the town's library is the only VT library and one of only 30 public libraries nationwide to receive a 5 star ranking for 5 consecutive years in The Library Journals Index of Public Libraries.

We have had a few cold nights at Killington. Fall colors are not far away. In the mean time, hit the ball straight and keep it in the fairway.

Mary on the 7th tee at Green Mountain National Golf Course with the leave starting to turn on the trees. 

The telephone calls have started.... "When will fall foliage be at it's peak?" "What will the color look like?" "When is the best time to come to Vermont to view the fall colors?" .... it is, of course, an annual rite of passage for an innkeeper in Vermont as the fall season approaches. And if anyone thinks this is a rant, they could not be further from the truth. Helping people get the most out of their hard earned dollars to enjoy some time in Vermont is basically what we do.

The fall foliage season in Vermont is right around the corner. Each year has it's own character as the forests of the Green Mountains go about their annual color changing ritual. But there are some constants which do apply most years.

In particular:

When will fall foliage be at it's peak? - not to be coy but it depends. In the Killington region, fall colors generally are at their peak in a 10 day period between October 4 and October 14th. But Killington is pretty unique. It is the second highest peak in Vermont, and the major viewing areas from roads in the region are looking at north and east facing mountainsides. The combination of altitude and sun shadow from the mountain, cause the Killington basin area to change quicker than some nearby areas, notably Rutland and Woodstock.

What will the color look like? There is only one answer....Awesome! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there is always the annual conversation about how brilliant the colors are... but the simple answer is Awesome!. The mix of trees in the Green Mountains of Vermont provide an ever changing melange of colors throughout the fall season. From the reds of the maples, the yellow's of the birches and poplars, to the burnt orange of the oaks, and the backdrop of green from evergreens, the color palette in the Green Mountains is always rich and brilliant.

When is the best time to come to Vermont to view the fall colors? That is pretty straight forward... When you look at the state of Vermont in general, fall color changes from North to South, and East to West starting at the end of September through the end of October. The Northeast Kingdom around Lake Memphremagog on the Canadian border in Newport VT sees significant color shift starting at the end of September. As a corollary, Bennington, near the Massachusetts border at the top of the Berkshire Mountains, or the base of the Green Mountains, take your pick, sees significant color in the later weeks of October.

Fall visitors to Killington can have the best of all situations when it comes to viewing fall foliage. Being almost geographically in the center of Vermont, and at the junction of the major north/south fall foliage route (Route 100) and the major east/west fall foliage route (Route 4), Killington visitors can easily travel the state looking for peak. It the color is running late, Killington visitors can have scenic drives to the north and east. If it is early, then there are scenic drives to the south and west. And if it is on time, then everything is right in front of your eyes here in Killington with either a Gondola ride to Killington Peak or a walk through the woods on any one of the many hiking trails through the Green Mountain National Forest that surround Killington.

Birch Ridge Inn on Labor Day Weekend 2013

OK... so what about this year? Here it goes and it is an out and out guess... This summer in the Green Mountain saw a significant amount of moisture, heat and humidity in June and July followed by a cool down in August. The tree canopy around the inn, due to the copious moisture the forest received in the early summer, is very full. The cooler temperatures in August, while probably slowing the growth of the tree canopy, also eliminated any significant heat stress on the forests which can occur during hot dry Augusts. Assuming the current moist cool weather pattern persists, and barring any catastrophic events like a major hurricane and wind damage to the area, fall foliage will probably peak in Killington during its normal time frame. Assuming we do not have a sharp spike of cold weather, I would bet that fall colors will peak in Killington on the later end of the time range, probably some time after October 10. Last year saw fall colors peak at Killington around October 6th... but the 2 prior years saw fall colors peak right around Columbus Day.

Of course, if we have an early frost followed by and extended period of cold weather, then the timing of peak at Killington will pull in a little closer to the beginning of October. But right now that does not seem in the cards.

The easiest way to keep track of the fall colors at Killington is to check in regularly with the blog. From now until the leaves drop, I will be posting a fall foliage picture every day of the forest canopy behind the Birch Ridge Inn. You can look at this years pictures and compare them to the same dates for the last 6 years back to 2007.

It is always interesting to see how natures fireworks progress,.. And if anyone asks you what will this years fall colors look like... remember there is only one answer.... Awesome!

Where ever you may be, hit them straight and keep the ball in the fairway.

Bruised and battered Titleist Velocity 11 Golf Ball 

We got introduced when Mary brought a package back from Golf and Ski Warehouse in Lebanon NH. Two dozen golf balls... 1 dozen shiny new Titleist Velocity's and a dozen equally shiny and new Callaway Warbirds.

When you play at Green Mountain National, you don't let little things like golf balls get in the way. With tight fairways surrounded by deep rough and dense forest, several lost golf balls during a round is the norm. Usually it's an even swap. You wander off into the woods hunting for your prize... you don't find it... but you come out with an equal number of perfect white orbs to fire off into the wilderness later on during the round. The universe is held in balance. They don't call Monday's at Green Mountain National "New Ball Monday" for nothing!

But this one golf ball was special. I started playing with it several rounds ago during my Tuesday quota league... Plus 3 on quota that day was enough to tie for the top spot. Not bad since my game was all over the place this season while I was getting used to playing with a knee brace.

Although it had a few nicks and scratches and an omnipresent "Green Mountain Logo", I pulled it out of the bag to start my first round match in the club's presidents cup. Bang... 81. what the... 6 up with 5 to go. What is it with this golf ball???

It was starting to look pretty crappy, but I pulled it out once again for quota last Tuesday. Plus 13 with the top spot going away... The ball now has 54 holes on it and it looks like it's gone clubbing on top of a cheese grater. Marginally round, but still kicking.

It could not last...

Saturday, my son was up from the Boston area. Sensing some history, I pulled the ball out of the bag at breakfast and snapped a quick picture. Our Saturday tee time was at 7:40AM. Conditions were cold and damp. Rain had stopped falling at the club just as forecasted at 7:00 AM... Temps were chilly in the mid 50's. The fairways were very wet with cart path only rules in place.

At the first tee, the trusty ball came out for what would be one last appearance. A drive down the middle, a 5 iron lay up and a wedge to 10 feet saw the ball staring down a birdie once again. But it was not meant to be..With a pretty good stroke on the ball, it lipped the cup on the 10 footer, coming to rest 1 inch behind the hole, a round starting birdie clearly looking at the ball in it's rear view mirror. But a tap in par on the first hole is not bad... so it goes....

On the second hole, a 2 iron off the tee saw it land in the middle of the fairway in the flats, about even with the 100 yard marker. The flats, the wet...

The ball mets it's demise on the club face of a pitching wedge in a mud shower. It almost made it across the pond to the second green, hitting a rock on the far bank before giving up and bouncing backwards to a watery grave.

56 holes... several birdies...a bunch of pars..plus cart path bounces...tree ricochets...abrasive sand traps... It was a very good ball indeed!

Wherever you may be, keep it in the fairway, and don't forget your sun screen!

Killington Peak from Hole 2 at the Killington Golf Course 

Summer is just about half way done, so it is time for a little reflection

I am not playing enough golf... have to do better... the golf season is short in Vermont.

Work around the inn progressing. Finished off carriage-way entrance with sod. Overhauled some guest room bathrooms. Purchased materials for post fall projects including paint for restaurant and new carpets for common hallways and entrance foyer. Installed new energy efficient furnace pump. The inn list is looking pretty good.

Just finished the push for this years Killington Wine Festival last weekend. Wines were good, attendance was good, so many wine suppliers and local volunteers to thank over the next couple of weeks. Already started conversations for next year...

A dear friend passed away (playing golf no less) last Friday. Went to the memorial service yesterday. It was quite a shock to Mary and I as he and his wife are in our peer group. Way to close to home. Causing some introspection about life. So it goes..

I have to start writing again. One blog post a month is not enough. I enjoy writing. Should not let things get in the way.

Excited that my son is planning to visit from Boston. Looking forward to catching up with him. He has gotten back into golf after a hiatus. Have enjoyed his regular phone calls about his exploits. Time to take him for a few bucks chasing the little white ball in an old fashion farther/son rivalry. Probably quaff a beer or two in the process.

Temperatures dropped into the low 40's last night for the first time in weeks. The furnace kicked on it got that chilly. The smell of wood stoves was prevalent in the neighborhood as several people fired them up for the first time since spring. Last week we put "AC" on our restaurant sandwich board. The next day temperatures dropped from the 90's to the 70's. If I knew it was that simple to control the weather, I would have done it weeks ago.

Starting to think about ski season. Living at a ski resort does that. Killington Resort asking for lodging rates for the winter. Have to get them together and provide them to Killington's Central Reservation Service. Summer is coming full circle towards winter. It never stops....

Wherever you may be, keep it in the fairway, and don't forget your sun screen!

Still going strong on the Superstar pod at Killington 

It is with great pleasure that we announce the start of our 2013-2014 restaurant season with the re-opening of the restaurant at the Birch Ridge Inn this evening at 6:00 PM. After a good winter, and a brief hiatus period, the restaurant is back in action once again with Chef Stephen Byrne in kitchen to serve both Killington locals and guests visiting the area.

We have successfully completed a number of projects at the inn during the hiatus. The audio system in the restaurant has been upgrade, as well as a little painting. Common areas of the building, including the stairwell to the upper floor guest rooms has been refurbished. A project to improve the efficiency of the inns heating system is being installed as I type this. And, of course, we have done quite a bit of landscaping around the Covered Carriageway entrance to the inn, including new gardens and fresh sod.

Tonight starts the 15th season for our restaurant at Birch Ridge. We hope you enjoy visiting with us as much as we enjoy having you as our guests.

Wherever you may be this weekend, keep it in the fairway, and don't forget your sun screen!

The Bagel striking an approach shot on the 9th hole on Green Mountain National 

So much to say... so little time to say it...

While you are contemplating the title to todays blog, Mary and I are back at work at the inn after a brief respite to chase the little white ball down some manicured fairways. Earlier this month, (while there was still a little snow on the ground at Killington... the heresy), we snuck away to Williamsburg Virginia for a weeks respite. Why Williamsburg you ask? The simple answer was they had leaves on the trees, some history to ponder, decent restaurants, multiple golf courses, and it is approximately 12 hours driving time from Killington. That 12 hours is significant, because it is at the limits of our tolerance for being together for an extended period of time in a car. The trip actually took 11 hours down and 13 hours back. I will write more about it in future blogs.

Back in Killington, we had the pleasure of enjoying the company of many early summer guests over the Memorial Day Weekend. Mother Nature presented them with every possible combination of weather. Bike riders in the Killington Stage Race found themselves hypothermic. Long Trail Trekers found themselves knee deep in snow when they crossed the top of Pico. The good news is that the temperatures, while in the low 30's, did not get below freezing. The day after we returned to Killington, Mary had started planting her gardens so they would be ready to receive summer guests. Fortunately, we did not have a frost... but it was close.

Painting projects around the inn have begun. One wall in the restaurant has been repainted. The other walls will be taken care of in the middle of June, when Mary gets new fabric for the sound panels. The restaurant is just one of several areas inside the inn that we will refresh this summer.

Outside, in addition to Mary's gardens, we have also ripped up the turf in front of the carriage way. We have had an ongoing project for the last couple of years to improve the entrance to the inn. In the aftermath of hurricane Irene 18 months ago we did some pavement work and built some rock walls. The aprons to the carriageway needed beautification. We have thought bark mulch, but we really want grass. We proved that not much will grow from seed last year, so this year we are trying sod. The area is all dug out waiting for the sod to be delivered this Friday.

But even then, it's not all work and no play in Killington. We have been out several times on Green Mountain National. We even dragged the Bagel out with us earlier this week to enjoy the course. Green Mountain is in beautiful shape. I look forward to many more rounds there this summer.

Now about the title... no we have not had a chance to catch the new Star Trek flick. In due time... but we did spend a lot of time (for us) driving up and down the East Coast on Route 95 and it's derivatives. If somebody had not figured out how to vulcanize rubber many years ago, and make reliable tires for cars, our driving vacation would not have been possible. I am not sure what caused that kernel of truth to pop out of my brain to wind up on this page....but then again...

With the ski season at Killington officially over, it is time to chase the little white ball in earnest. Don't forget your sun screen!

Still going strong on the Superstar pod at Killington 

The snow report on Killington.com is reporting a seasonal snow fall of 208 inches; well below the historical 250 inch average the resort had received in the days before the global warming kerfuffle. Yet here we are on May 5th with Killington still open for skiing and riding on multiple trails. It is a living testament to the Killington Resort's combination of snow making and business conviction. "First to open... last to close". It is a phrase that Killington owned for years...and a phrase they rightly own once again.

It has been a couple of weeks since Mary and I have ventured out on the slopes. We have traded in our pursuit of fresh snow for the chance to chase after little white balls. But if today was any indication, there are still several thousand people across New England who still have the desire to schuss down the trails of Killington. Car after car with barbeque grills lit lined the Killington Road today around the K1 base lodge. Clearly..the Beast of the East is back.

The basin area of the Killington Resort. Superstar still going strong. Hiking required for Cascade.

Kudo's to the Killington Management Team for strongly delivering on their early season promise to provide reliable skiing and riding at the resort into May. Kudo's also to the management team at Powdr, the parent company of the Killington Resort, for hanging tough and supporting the decisions of the local resort managers to push the ski season envelop back to it's traditional denouement.

The resort plans to turn the Superstar Quad for the next few weeks on Friday, Saturday and Sundays so people who desire lift serviced skiing and riding can make their turns. I know more than a few locals who will be hiking in the mean time to get a few more days on the snow. The resort is publicly saying they want to make it into June before this ski season comes to an end. With a little luck, they should be able to pull that one off too.

Wether your on the snow, the golf course, or getting your boat ready on the water, don't forget your sun screen!