Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:39:09 -0500 Killngton Vermont News, Views and Information http://www.killingtonblog.com http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201202/text/20120206.txt Mon, 6 Feb 2012 16:31:52 -0500 As I write this the wind outside the inn is howling down the Killington Road. If one were not blinded by the dazzling sunshine that has blanketed most of the area today, you would think that we were in a really crazy storm. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201202/text/20120206.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201202/text/20120203.txt Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:28:57 -0500 Dear Chris: What are you guys doing to our beloved mountain? Mary and I left this morning well before 9:00 AM to catch the first chair with some friends from New England (you know... that place with the football team which is going to win this years Superbowl). http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201202/text/20120203.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201202/text/20120202.txt Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:35:22 -0500 Punxsutawney Phil, the eponymous symbol of Groundhog day, reportedly saw his shadow this morning in Punxsutawney Pennsylvania, predicting 6 more weeks of winter. Have we had a winter yet? Actually, we have. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201202/text/20120202.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120131.txt Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:35:44 -0500 Mother Nature can be a sharing lady. The light snow that has fallen over the region the last couple of days has dramatically improved ski conditions on the mountain. While the low overcast that dominated the morning sky made picture taking problematic, that same low overcast has steadily dropped light snow across the area. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120131.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120130.txt Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:31:23 -0500 Light snow overspread the Killington region in the early morning hours, dropping 2 to 3 inches of light powder in its wake. While the snow is totally appreciated, I am hard pressed to call today a "Powder Day". http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120130.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120127.txt Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:09:40 -0500 Mother Nature is just weird. In the last 24 hours at the Birch Ridge Inn at Killington we have had snow, sleet, ice(hail), r@!n, wind, freezing r@!n, thunder and lightning. The good news is that it is too cold for pestilence. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120127.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120125.txt Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:10:33 -0500 In the words of my friend, Billy Mac, "point em down hill you chicken @#!t". Today was a very flat and fast day at Killington. It was one of those days where you pointed the skis down hill and voila - instant Super G racer! The weather leading into today has continued to be interesting at Killington. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120125.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120123.txt Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:40:42 -0500 After a beautiful, bright, sunny Sunday that had our day dominated by work in the morning and football in the afternoon, Mary and I had a chance to get out on the mountain for a few turns today. One of the buzz phrases of the early 21st Century - "Into the Cloud" best describes today. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120123.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120120.txt Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:08:48 -0500 Oh boy! What a day... 3 to 5 inches of new fluff on the mountain, plus some strategic, and not so strategic snow making, and Killington was a brand new resort this morning. The crust of yesterday was lurking like a great white shark just below the waves, but if you were able to keep on the bumps and away from the troughs, it was a beautiful day to ski at Killington. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120120.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120119.txt Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:42:59 -0500 "it's not ice if there are no fish under it" - F.I.S and Birch Ridge Inn Bartender - Merisa.... There were no shades of blue or green visible today, except in the perfect azure sky. But that did not mean that the ski surface presented on the mountains today was beautiful soft powder. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120119.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120117.txt Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:08:25 -0500 Well...maybe it was more like a ski hour and a half instead of a whole day... but it was interesting all the same. There was an element of foreboding driving to the resort this morning. Clouds were hanging low over the resort. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120117.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120115.txt Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:52:35 -0500 In classic MLK weekend fashion, below zero temperatures descended upon the Killington Region overnight. I say MLK fashion because for some reason MLK weekend seems like it is a binary... temps are either below zero for a January Freeze, or above 40 for a January Thaw. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120115.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120114.txt Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:31:51 -0500 Has the curse of Irene been broken? Since early Thursday, 9 inches of new snow have blanked the Killington area. Light, fluffy, bright white, beautiful snow! Conditions today are seasonably cold with a bright blue sky to contrast with the freshly fallen snow. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120114.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120113.txt Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:30:37 -0500 "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not trobled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet..." Matthew 24: 6-8 Today was a day filled with contrasts at Killington. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120113.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120112.txt Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:10:15 -0500 A long overdue winter snowstorm has swept over the Killington region blanketing the area in a carpet of bright white snow. Snow started in the early morning hours. At 10AM at the inn, the snow stake showed 2 inches of new accumulation. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120112.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120110.txt Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:16:28 -0500 Even though the cold front descending upon the area brought copious gray clouds, it was still a nice morning to ski at Killington. Temperatures started just below freezing, with a constant light snow falling across the resort. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120110.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120108.txt Sun, 8 Jan 2012 13:28:47 -0500 It happens every year. The Christmas Season officially comes to an end. The decorations, which Mary spends hours on each fall to perfect, get taken down, boxed for future use, and stored away. And this is the week. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120108.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120106.txt Fri, 6 Jan 2012 17:01:57 -0500 3 days in a row... not quite a trend, but has been nice to get out on the slopes of Killington this week. Today, conditions at the resort were vastly improved from the last couple of days. Not great mid winter conditions, mind you, but the light snow that fell to earth yesterday afternoon and early last night really made a difference on the slopes. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120106.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120105.txt Thu, 5 Jan 2012 15:45:16 -0500 Sometimes you see things on the mountain that make you shake your head. Sometimes they make you laugh....sometimes they make you cry....But today, it was just a laugh. College week is in full swing at Killington. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120105.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120104.txt Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:37:55 -0500 It only took 4 days but now I can officially say that I skied in 2012. The end of the world as we know it may occur this year, at least as predicted by 2012 doomsday wonks, or not... but I can proudly say that I buckled up my boots, clicked on my skis, and once again enjoyed throwing myself down a mountain verifying the law of gravity and validating Newtonian Physics along the way. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120104.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120101.txt Sun, 1 Jan 2012 16:06:12 -0500 Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201201/text/20120101.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111228.txt Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:57:22 -0500 It's not nice to mess with Mother Nature...but for the second time in as many weeks, Killington has dodged a bad weather bullet when the heavy r@!n that was predicted to fall across the region late yesterday and last night failed to materialize. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111228.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111226.txt Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:52:58 -0500 Late night dinner guests at our restaurant on Christmas were greeted with light snow as they made their way home last night. Atmospheric instability dropped anywhere from a dusting to a couple of inches of light fluffy snow across the area. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111226.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111225.txt Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:21:12 -0500 The Santas of the Birch Ridge Inn Where ever you may be.... have a very Merry Christmas.... Let it snow! http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111225.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111223.txt Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:46:20 -0500 Killington skiers and riders were having their Christmas wishes answered early today as the area has been blanketed in a coating of snow. Generally from 2 to 4 inches has covered the area with slightly larger amounts being reported at higher elevations. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111223.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111222.txt Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:55:19 -0500 In the run up to the Christmas holidays, the Killington Resort dodged a bullet last night weather-wise. Yesterdays warm temperatures and r@!n showers decimated what little natural snow there was around town, but continuous snowmaking operations at the resort the last week appeared to have paid off. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111222.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111219.txt Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:48:21 -0500 At Killington we tend to think differently. I could have gone Christmas shopping today, but when I got up this morning there was a beautiful blue sky. Temperatures were in the low 20's with a "slight" breeze. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111219.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111216.txt Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:59:02 -0500 With the warm wet weather we had yesterday, it was with much trepidation that I agreed to go with my friends, Ruts and the Bagel, on their first ski adventure at Killington for the 2011/2012 season. After a few runs, we were all surprise at how well the mountain was skiing. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111216.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111215.txt Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:24:02 -0500 Mother Nature pulls on the string all the time. We all like to think we can control her. The Killington Resort continuously makes snow when Mother Nature comes up a little short. I spend hours behind my snow blower when Mother Nature throws those of us lucky enough to live at the ski resort a bone. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111215.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111213.txt Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:57:13 -0500 You know you are blessed when people who were once complete strangers are now good friends. Mary and I were reminded once again last night that moving to Killington many years ago was the right choice for us. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111213.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111212.txt Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:01:15 -0500 There is something about Monday mornings. In a resort it means that the weekend is over and the majority of guests have departed for home. But even before we moved to Vermont full time almost 15 years ago, staying over Sunday night to ski on Monday held a special place in our psyche. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111212.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111209.txt Fri, 9 Dec 2011 13:57:41 -0500 It is not mid winter. There is limited terrain open. There are snow guns pushing out water with consistencies varying from "light fluff" to "5 alarm fire hose". There are ski teams race training everywhere. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111209.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111208.txt Thu, 8 Dec 2011 11:59:15 -0500 Killington Got Snow! Alright... contain yourself. We don't want to get Mother Nature or Ullr upset by wild displays of irrational exuberance. The warm air pattern which has held sway with local weather for the last week at Killington broke last night with a cascade of 3 to 6 inches of heavy wet snow falling around the region. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111208.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111203.txt Sat, 3 Dec 2011 12:37:10 -0500 While you are out shopping today, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Killington. To be sure we have a long way to go between now and the holidays (or a short way to go if you are counting the shopping days), but it's clear that the holidays are approaching. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111203.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111202.txt Fri, 2 Dec 2011 18:18:13 -0500 Twig season is well established and holding on at Killington. But that has not stopped the resort from attempting to enhance the gifts Mother Nature has delivered (or not) to the area. The persistent cold weather has allowed the resort to continuously make snow the last 2 days, substantially refreshing the surfaces which were depleted by warm temperatures earlier in the week. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111202.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111201.txt Thu, 1 Dec 2011 14:59:59 -0500 Cold weather has finally returned to Killington. Of course the real question is will it stick around. But at least today we have returned to more seasonable temperatures worthy of a ski resort in December. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201112/text/20111201.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111129.txt Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:03:27 -0500 Yesterday was the 14th annual "Christmas Tree Monday" at the Birch Ridge Inn. Once again, we were successful in our efforts to find the perfect Christmas Tree to stand in our Great Room during the holiday season. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111129.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111125.txt Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:16:50 -0500 The turkey left overs are all properly stored. (Mary is making hot turkey sandwiches for lunch!) The turkey bones are in the pot bubbling away to create a stock. And I had sticky buns for breakfast. Must be Black Friday. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111125.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111124.txt Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:01:31 -0500 It seems like every year is a little more chaotic than the last. If you studied physics, this is called "entropy", where the universe tends to expand from order to disorder. I prefer a simpler explanation. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111124.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111123.txt Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:13:13 -0500 Oh boy! What a day... After yesterdays expedition out on the slopes, it was obvious that my aged boots were just a little too comfortable. Who knew we were going to get almost a foot of snow overnight! Snow started falling last night plus or minus 8:00 PM. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111123.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111122.txt Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:05:10 -0500 When I woke up this morning, I was determined that today would be the day we finally got out on the slopes of Killington for a few turns. All work and no play make Bill and Mary dull people. We needed to have some fun and I was not going to let anything get in the way. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111122.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111121.txt Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:04:36 -0500 As at the Resort, around the Birch Ridge Inn we have been working straight out to get the inn fully prepared for the winter season. We are just about done! Yesterday I finished putting all of the outside lights in place for the winter. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111121.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111120.txt Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:29:38 -0500 On my visit to the K1 Base Lodge this noon time, I was struck by the intricate ballet that is taking place as the Killington resort readies for winter. Todays picture says it all in terms of how companies and people are juggling tasks in a post-Irene Vermont. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111120.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111117.txt Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:35:06 -0500 With favorable weather for snow making predicted for the next week, the Killington Resort has started the push to expand skiable terrain. Skiing and riding at Killington has been available on the upper mountain in the North Ridge area since late October, courtesy of Killington Snow Makers and the "Stairway to Heaven". http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111117.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111116.txt Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:46:52 -0500 Hurricane Irene is just the gift that keeps on giving... or should that phrase be re-written to be the gift that keeps on being re-gifted? We have been working around the inn spiffing things up for several months now. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111116.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111113.txt Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:59:54 -0500 After a brief respite from writing, we are back at the computer keyboard to bring news about life as an innkeeper in Killington. Life at the inn has been amazingly busy the last 2 weeks. Not busy as in all 10 rooms occupied with guests busy. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111113.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111101.txt Tue, 1 Nov 2011 13:31:23 -0400 The Killington Resort opened for skiing and riding for the 2011-2012 season on Saturday morning. It's now Monday, and I have not been able to get near thinking about skiing... what the @#$%! The race is on at the inn to get everything ready for the arrival of large numbers of winter guests. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201111/text/20111101.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201110/text/20111028.txt Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:56:06 -0400 By the time your read this, I hope you find this as old news. The Killington Resort is set to open on Saturday October 29 2011 at 10:00 AM for the 2011-2012 winter sports season. As I write this blog for Friday at 1:30 AM on Saturday, I am excited that the season will be getting underway. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201110/text/20111028.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201110/text/20111027.txt Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:05:50 -0400 The first snowfall of the 2011-2012 winter season is blanketing Killington his morning. The light r@!n that spread over the area last evening changed to a heavy wet snow covering the area at first light. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201110/text/20111027.txt http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201110/text/20111021.txt Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:40:39 -0400 Soggy....that is the only way you can describe this week in Killington. Classic twig season weather is setting up across the area. The leaves on the trees are falling at a rapid rate, leaving gray shoots reaching for the sky. http://www.killingtonblog.com/display_graph.php?text=./month/201110/text/20111021.txt