Killington, November 13, 2004

[uphillklimber]

Date(s) Skied: November 13, 2004

Resort or Ski Area: Killington

Conditions: Powder over ice base, weather is sunny and warm, but very windy up top

Trip Report:

Who let the dogs out!!!! The skiing today was very much like a dog that finally gets to go outdoors. It just runs all about and helter skelter. I think everyone was excited to get out and ride their boards and skiis. There were many who were trying to ski at the speed they did at the end of the season last year. There were many in deep crouches and knees bouncing and long carving arcs. Many were relying on their youthful reflexes to regain control as they went out of control. There were few wipeouts, yet many, many close calls. As with last year, I think the art of looking over your shoulder before you start out and as you are skiing is a lost art. People would just start skiing right in front of you. Try as you might to avoid those who were moving, and those who were temporarily stationary, it got crowded fast. Basically, it was about the only game in town. Cars were parked down the access road after the lot filled up.

As far as the skiing goes, early is the way to do it. There is still some snow for a few hours, but this is scraped off fast, and you are encountering ice. The base there is ice, not scrape, not packed powder, it is ice. There is snow over it, but it is scraped off by the crowding on the all too few trails. If you could manage to ski under the snowguns, you could ski some freshies all day. But getting to the good snow is a trick as the crowds increase.

We skiied with Skiracer(Kevin) and Chris. As his name implies, Skiracer is an accomplished skier. It is fun watching him, he is extremely fluid in his movements. After several runs down the mountain, to get my legs under me, I am following him and mimicing his movements. Skiing is getting smoother and more fun as I learn by imitation and we are traveling all over the few trails they have open.

We started off dressed for morning temps and wind. By 10 AM, it's time to peel some clothes. Sweat was prominent on many skiiers today. By noon time, people are still coming with skiis. We give it up as the lift lines are full to the back of the mazes and the skiing is getting poor and courtesy amonst skiiers is beginning to be non existent. People are bumping into each other, jumping in front of each other, no one is looking over their shoulders, etc.... It is exciting right now, but folks are over exuberant. I even had a guy drift over from the right side of the trail, all the way to the left side, into me. I was hollering at him, and he kept right on coming over into me. I lifted my ski over his and pushed him off me, apparently just as he heard me. He braced himself for my push and we both emerged unscathed from it.

Total driving time is 6 hours, 3 each way, for 4 hours of skiing on mountain. Being so early in the season, it is well worth it. In mid season, I would need a full day of skiing to justify the drive, with plenty of trails and lifts open. Even with all the crazies out there, that was real nice!!!

[pepperdawg]

Also a Sat report for K-mart.

as mentioned above conditions were a little scaped, especailly over on Rime/Glades area, and on the hi-traffic intersections, but cover was decent considering the early season/lack of natural.

Guns were on all day, including full blast over on Bittersweet/Skylark, so I would guess that is next as far as terrain-expansion goes.

Snowdown was pretty decent - especailly Highline - great huge soft bumps on the steeps - guns were on , but as long as you had goggle is wasent a big deal. Crowds were managable. As mentioned above quite a few hackers out there, but as long as you kept and eye out you were ok. Upper bunnyburster next to the POMA had great soft snow under the sun.

Great bluebird skies all day. Didnt notice any wind at top...also had to loose a layer.

[Jim]

i went saturday and thought the conditions were excellent for this time of year. i didn't find as much ice as you described and yes bunnybuster was sweet. i took the poma up a few times in a row due to the awesome snow and moguls.

[uphillklimber]

Hmmmm..... Seems I need to make a little adjustment in my writing style. I heard from several that there wasn't as much ice as I described. ( I guess I zeroed in on it, because they always say a base of packed powder, and packed powder base this wasn't) So I re-read my post. I do need to be a litttle more descriptively accurate. so here's a second shot at it:

The snow was pretty sweet on mountain, one trail was a bit crunchy early. Later in the day, that trail was broken up a bit by all the skiing and it turned out to be a real nice run. There were areas where the snow coverage turned thin, revealing a base of ice. Intersections and popular stopping points were scraped down more than other areas. There were also many areas that never revealed the base. The moguls had snow blasting over most of them, so the base that made up the bumps never fully revealed itself, but there was some ice there.

The terrain was nice, plenty of turns and rolls, nice runs down the mountain. Probably the best early season skiing I have ever had.(6th year skiier) If it was little closer, we'd go again real soon. It was definately a ski fix for us, on an unexpected day off from our busy schedule.

Golly, I can't seem to stop bringing up the ice. Really there was not much there. But I remember that at some of the busy spots where you had to stop, because everyone in front of you stopped and clogged up the trail, you would hit a patch of ice as you are braking and... urrk.. Later in the season, this will be less of an issue, as most will ski over this and just ignore the occasional patch of ice. As the day wore on, I learned to better avoid the pit stops and skiing was better as the day wore on. But the crowds just kept coming and it was getting a little scary out there. The head definately had to be on swivel.

[uphillklimber]

Still working on that complete report thing there.... The snow at Killington is such that you truly do not need your rock skiis. They have a true base there and I never even came close to anything resembling a rock.

Hey uphillklimber!!

Fun report, but crazy loonies out there on the slopes, huh? Think there'll be tons of them in January when we're there???
No matter what, I can't wait!
:P
yam

[uphillklimber]

Naw, I don't think it will be anything like that then. People will have calmed down just a little bit anyways, and folks will have their ski legs under them, and there will be more terrain open and they won't be the only game in town (other resorts will be open also).

Yeah we are looking forward to it also!!! Jeannette has another day off still available, we may stretch this weekend a bit.....