The mountains of Killington, resplendent in bright sunshine. 

So... we already established that you were going to come up to Killington this weekend; ski a few runs; partake of the umbrella bars; get your season pass for next year; buy some new equipment to go with your new seasons pass; and play your first round of golf for the season in Vermont. Your weekend is not done, there is still a lot to do. Here are some other activities to put on your list:

1. Attend the Tweed Winter Carnival at Pico: Running Friday March 23rd through Sunday March 25th, the eponymous Tweed River Music Festival held in August each for the last 3 years in Stockbridge Vermont has decided to branch out with a spring concert series at Pico Mountain in Killington. Featured musical acts at the festival will include Bow Thayer, Perfect Trainwreck, Waylon Speed, Pistol Whipped, Holy Plow, Goldtown, Crunchy Western Boys, Andrea Gillis Band, Township, Jabe Beyer, Flowting Bridge and White Dynamite. Tickets are $20 per day. Further information about the festival can be found at tweedrivermusicfestival.com

2. Picnic Lunch on Deers Leap: As you are heading towards Pico for the Tweed Winter Carnival, if you still need exercise after skiing, consider a hike to the top of Deers Leap. It's a beautiful scenic vista on Route 4 at the top of the Sherburne Pass. It is a great place for a picnic lunch on sunny days. If you go, wear proper hiking shoes, be careful of the mud on the trail (snow is still melting you know), and clean up after yourself by bringing out what you bring in so others may enjoy the hike as well.

3. Enjoy the sweetest time of the year in Vermont - Maple Sugar Season: This weekend also happens to be "Vermont Maple Open House Weekend" where sugar shacks all over the state will be converting maple sap into the sweet maple syrup we all love on my partner Mary's pancakes at breakfast. Activities are planned state wide to celebrate the sugaring season. A great place to partake of the events is the New England Maple Museum in nearby Pittsford Vermont.

4. A little Rock and Roll Nostalgia: if the new music at the Tweed Music Festival proves too eclectic for you, the Paramount Theater in Rutland will be featuring the Shirelles and the Drifters this weekend on Saturday evening. Tickets are on sale at the Paramount Theater Box Office (802 775-0903) or online at paramountvt.org.

5. Be Trendy: or not. How can you avoid the hype. Even in our little corner of Vermont the new movie "Hunger Games" is making a buzz. If you have been sucked in the hype, never fear, you don't need to stay comfortably ensconced in your home town to be the first to catch this new "It" movie. If you drive up Thursday Night, you can actually catch the Midnight Showing at Rutland's Flagship Cinema. One night only. (actual show time is 12:05 AM on Friday Morning which just squeezes this event into the weekend!)

And of course on Friday and Saturday nights, Chef Frizzie and our team will be here at the Birch Ridge Inn to delight you with great food and beverages. Merisa will be holding court in the Great Room Lounge, fresh from a trip to Tuckerman's Ravine earlier in the week. If you are still dreaming of powder, we will play a ski movie of two on the big screen, in between some of the March Madness round ball we have all come to enjoy.

We look forward to seeing you in Killington this weekend. and don't forget your sun screen!

Long march to the sea for the snows of Killington 

OK... you planned on coming to Killington this weekend, but you think a week of 70 degree days has reduced skiing and riding at Killington to boogie boarding and surfing. But you still want, dare I say need, to get that one last mountain fix before the onset of panic sets in caused by having to spend lots of time with family during Passover, or Easter. Don't just sit there....get going and come up to Killington. There is a lot to do. Here is the short list:

1. Ski or Board: Killington still has tons of snow on Superstar. If you have the cajones, and a great pair of legs (what ski bum/bumtress doesn't at this time of year!) then come up and challenge the bumps on Superstar. Every linked turn through the bumps will be greeted with a cheer from your fellow snow surfers riding the Superstar Quad. And don't forget the adulation you will receive from people enjoying Killington's new Umbrella Bars at the base of Superstar.

2. Umbrella Bars: while we are on the subject... Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, Hurricane Irene's lasting gift to the Killington Resort just might turn out to be the pair of giant umbrellas planted at the base of Superstar to replace the Superstar Pub room which tragically floated away during the storm. They have been a big hit with skiers and riders this spring. The combination of warm sunshine, adult beverages, and live entertainment (both musical and visual from Superstar) have turned the Umbrella Bars into the place to be on a lazy spring afternoon.

3. Save Money - Buy your season pass for next year: The Killington Resort announced last week that they were selling season passes at a discounted rate for next ski season. Of course you could go online and buy your pass, but for the full Killington Experience, nothing beats a trip to the Season Pass Office at the Snow Shed base lodge to get a new picture taken for next years ski pass.

4. Go Ski Shopping: while we are on the subject of saving money, now is the time to hit the Killington Road and strike a deal with the ski shops on new equipment. With the ski season coming to an early close, there is a deal to be had on every coat hanger and ski rack. You will probably save enough money to pay for your weekend trip to Killington and then some!

5. Play Golf: what you say. Heresy in Killington to talk about golf in March. Well not really. Killington's own Green Mountain National Golf Course will be officially opening for the season this weekend. It is the earliest opening for the course on record. Play for the season will begin with the opening of the front nine. If you ever wanted to golf and ski the same day, you can easily do it this weekend in Killington.

And these are just a few of the things you can do in Killington during the day. I have not even gone into the "social" activities still in full swing along the Killington Road at night. At Birch Ridge, our restaurant is still serving dinner on our regular winer schedule. We plan to keep that up for a few more weeks as the ski season continues to wind down.

We look forward to seeing you in Killington. and don't forget your sun screen!

The making of todays snow stake picture - March 18, 2012 

Mother Nature giveth - and Mother Nature taketh away.

Warm temperatures have descended across the 6 mountains of Killington, blazing a trail of soft snow and large bumps in it's wake. While I did not ski today, (my last day on the hill was Friday), large bumps are being observed being created on all of the trails of the resort. Friends who did ski yesterday and today report very soft surface conditions on a wet, loose granular base.

To try to extend winter, locals in Killington are going to great lengths to insult Mother Nature in the hope that cold temperatures and snow re-appears at Killington before the end of March. All across town, locals are hanging up their jeans and donning shorts, causing the appearance of many pale white chicken legs being prematurely exposed to the late winter sunshine. Flip flops are also becoming the footwear of choice for many, after they have taken off their ski or snow boarding boots of course. Our chef has even gone so far as to prepping his boat to be launched into a local pond tomorrow...a first in March in his 30 years of living in the region.

March is historically the snowiest month of the winter season, so we are all a little leary about pushing the change of season button too early. And with the new Umbrella Bar at the base of Super Star, we will have a place to go to be entertained and have a cool beer, once the outside chores are done.

For a few more weeks .....Let it snow!!!

Killington Resort at noon on March 15th, 2012 

My morning jog this morning took me out for a few runs at the resort. I had about an hour and a half open this morning, so off the the mountain I went.

As usual when I have a short time on the hill, I parked this morning at the Vale parking lot and skied out of the car. Lower Great Northern to Rams Head was well covered with soft, consistent, snow. It was a good start for a few quick laps around the mountain.

From the Rams Head quad, I took Caper down to the Snowdon Quad. Upper Caper was bumpy near the lift, the product of beginner skiers and riders churning up the surface at random. Middle Caper was loose and wet where the southern exposure was capturing the available dim sun light. The lower end of Caper near Snowdon was firmer, the by product of being somewhat shaded by the thick forest around the trail.

From the Snowdon Quad I observed Chute, Great Bear, Mouse Trap and Lower Bunny Buster. Although I skied none of these runs, I can report that snow coverage was holding up well on all of the trails with the exception of Great Bear, which had significant patches of exposed mud. All of the other trails looked in great shape, although some of the beginners I was observing on the trail were having some trouble pushing the wet snow around as they proceeded downhill.

I traversed down Killink to East Fall; making my way to the Canyon Quad. East Fall had large, somewhat regular, soft bumps down it's entire face. The bumps in the middle and skiers right were somewhat larger than on skiers left. The hard pack in the troughs was quite soft and cuttable, but there was a lot of sliding going on as well. I noticed some tele skiers were having a good time maintaining good pace down East Fall. Most of the regular skiers were picking off 4 or 5 moguls at a time then stopping to reacquire a new line.

From the Canyon Quad I traversed across the top of the resort on Launch Pad. Along the way I noticed several trails that were roped off that the resort must be reserving for the weekend. Upper Ovation was one of them. I skied down Cruise Control which had small soft bumps. Needles Eye was well covered. Bittersweet had a few skid spots in places. Sky Lark was bumping up, the product of all of the snow on the trail that the resort had made earlier in the season.

I finished up on Superstar. It was surprisingly flat, the result of the resort continuously grooming the trail compressing the snow into hard pack. Middle Superstar was the softest part of the trail, with medium sized bumps developing. The lower headwall was interesting. It was basically a loose wet surface over a hard base. It seemed like my skis were acting like giant squeegees. It was quite possible to set an edge, but there was also a lot of slipping going on. I would have preferred that there were some bumps on the lower headwall, but with the mountain mostly dominated by advanced beginner skiers this week, the resort was clearly giving people some bragging rights to take home from their ski vacations.

Overall, the mountain is well covered. If you plan on traveling to Killington this weekend plan on spring skiing and riding conditions. Clothing could be interesting. You will need to bring both winter kit and spring shells if you plan on being out on the mountain early. But then again, if you are here this weekend, you probably already know about the joys of skiing in the spring.

Let it snow!!!

Have a piece of Killington Pi 

To all my engineer, scientist, and technology friends in the world out there.... Happy Pi Day! For everyone else, enjoy this link to wikipedia.

3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 3421170679 8214808651 3282306647 0938446095 5058223172 5359408128 4811174502 8410270193 8521105559 6446229489 5493038196 4428810975 6659334461 2847564823 3786783165 2712019091 4564856692 3460348610 4543266482 1339360726 0249141273 7245870066 0631558817 4881520920 9628292540 9171536436 7892590360 0113305305 4882046652 1384146951 9415116094 3305727036 5759591953 0921861173 8193261179 3105118548 0744623799 6274956735 1885752724 8912279381 8301194912 9833673362 4406566430 8602139494 6395224737 1907021798 6094370277 0539217176 2931767523 8467481846 7669405132 0005681271 4526356082 7785771342 7577896091 7363717872 1468440901 2249534301 4654958537 1050792279 6892589235 4201995611 2129021960 8640344181 5981362977 4771309960 5187072113 4999999837 2978049951 0597317328 1609631859 5024459455 3469083026 4252230825 3344685035 2619311881 7101000313 7838752886 5875332083 8142061717 7669147303 5982534904 2875546873 1159562863 8823537875 9375195778 1857780532 1712268066 1300192787 6611195909 2164201989 3809525720 1065485863 2788659361 5338182796 8230301952 0353018529 6899577362 2599413891 2497217752 8347913151 5574857242 4541506959

I guess this is more fun than contemplating mud season?

Let it snow!!!

Lower Superstar Headwall bathed in sunshine. 

Oh what a day on the mountain! Take bright sunshine, temperatures in the 50's, a turtle neck shirt, a ski bib and ski vest. Add in soft snow, fast lifts, and no crowds. Throw in some bumps for good measure. Blend it all together. And while you are at it, say a pray to the divinity for being able to ski all winter to develop hard skiers legs. You have got today down pat!

I arrived at the mountain just before 9. I put my boots on in Bay 1 of the K1 parking lot, and slipped over to the K1 Gondola. It was hot. As I am going up K1, I am a little pensive. The base area was damp. Highline was groomed like a Slurpie run over by an 18 wheeler in a 7/11 parking lot. Royal Flush looked like it needed a plunger. East Fall was laying flat. And Cascaded looked like it was covered with lots of little icy bumps. I was not sure what I had gotten myself into.

A warm breeze greeted me at Killington Peak. I snapped on my skis, and headed out, followed by a couple of friends I met at the peak as I was getting ready. The first run was down Great Northern to Rime to East Fall. The snow was soft and creamy. East Fall was erratic in spots, the result of inconsistent sunshine warming the trail through the trees. But the Canyon Quad was running, so all was right with the world.

The next run saw us take a wider swing down Great Northern to Highline. Full sunshine had been on Highline since daybreak. The snow surface was folded like a delicious whipped cream, pushing back with enough texture and body on the skis to keep speed in check, but not being sticky and foul like a sugary meringue. I though it was great. The guys I was skiing with at the time ...not so much... so off to breakfast they went leaving me to the mountain and my own whims.

Cover Art for Herb Alperts 1965 album Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Click to enlarge..

I took the K1 Gondola again and skied across the top of the mountain. Superstar was looming in the distance, but I did not feel like skating in front of the K1 Base Lodge so off to the peak I went. From the peak I traversed across Launch Pad to just below the Superstar Headwall. Launch Pad was medium soft primarily due to warm air temperature, versus spring sunshine. Entering Superstar brought full sunshine, and more whipped cream.

From Superstar I decided to brave Bear Mountain. By now it was 10 AM and I expected Bear to be mixed up. I traversed over to Bear Claw and found some more beautiful snow. I followed that with a cruise down Upper Wildfire, with some nice, soft, little bumps. Both Bear Claw and Wildfire empty into Lower Wildfire because of the Hole Shot competition on lower Sky Burst. I thought this might be a problem, but I hung to skiers right near the trees and found more delicious soft serve ice cream for my efforts.

I found more of the same on my run down Skyburst to Dream Maker to Cruise Control, as well as a follow up run down Bitter Sweet. By now I am starting to look for some bumps, as the high speed soft snow cruising was starting to loose my attention span, so I took a run down Sky Lark to the Superstar Quad. Upper Skylark was the creamy goodness found around the mountain. Lower Skylark had gorgeous big soft Volkswagen beetle bumps. Just enough variety to get the legs moving and get your attention. I was ready for more.

By now Superstar was calling my name. The upper headwall had a few bumps to keep the party going, followed by a whipped cream filling in the middle, and more bumps on the lower headwall. I sought out the bumps under the lift line on skiers left. I found them the perfect height and combination of firmness and softness to just develop a great rhythm heading down the trail. When I got to the bottom, I had to do it over before my day was done. It was just a delight after a long winter of predominately Super G style skiing.

When I was driving home, the riff on the talk show I was listening too was "A Taste of Honey" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. It was from his album "Whipped Cream and Other Delight" which was the perfect descriptor for skiing at Killington today. But there is something even stranger about this story. It is the connection between this album from 1965 and skiing. The original album was produced and released by A and M Records. In 2005, it was re-mastered into digital format to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the albums release. It was re-masterd by Shout Factory...who happen to be the same company that makes and distributes Warren Miller ski movies. Talk about closing a circle....

Here is to more great spring skiing and riding at Killington!...... Let it snow!!!

News about Killington Vermont 

Congratulations are in order for the residents of Killington for turning out in high numbers to vote in the first Australian Ballot Killington Town Meeting.

From information provided by town government, 391 ballots were cast in the election. This represents a 60% increase in voter turn out from last years town meeting, at which 245 votes were cast in an open floor vote in March of 2011. For comparison purposes, from town reports, 241 votes were cast in 2010, 193 in 2009 and 242 in 2008 (source Town of Killington and Chris Bianchi). Yesterdays Australian Ballot voting clearly reached it's initial objective of creating a more participatory environment to engage Killington residents in town government.

Congratulations are also in order for all of the candidates who participated in yesterdays election. Your desire to volunteer your services to the community of Killington is noteworthy, whether you won or lost the elected position that you sought. Thank you!

Election results for can be found on the Town of Killington's website on the Election Results page.

Let it snow!!!