Killington for New Year's

[Sky]

This is the second time we've gone to K for New Year's celebration. We have in-laws who have a place in Pittsfield and they invited us for the long weekend.

Fun place, fun crowd...still can't determine if I like K and why/why not.

On the plus side...by son got treated to a free demo by a tech on the mountian. The guy felt bad because the new bindings we got him for Christmas got installed with Lock-tite...which "melted" the binding and my son "survived" the resulting catastrophe when the binding cracked "off" the board. Seriously...it looked like the plastic was torched. So aside from the free demo of a Burton board (the Royal or Royalle which he loved) it was a toss up event.

Oh yes..THANKS K for taking my request seriously and posting exploded versions of the trail maps at the heads of all the lifts. Now for the seeing impaired, (me) you can pick your trails more easily.

The weather was no help. We drove up in rain Thursday night and skied Friday in minimal crowds.

Here's my beef with K....it seems all the easier trails (for my wife and daughter)...Caper off of Rams Head specifically...seem to be traversing trails for all skiers...and narrow especially in the steeper sections. So the volume is heavy, the participants varying in all abilities..and the result is scraped off trails with speedy people passing the more timid...and the more timid skiers reinforcing their timidness as a result.

So, it's a fun social event to visit with the family..and their great network of friends...and discounted tix.....but tough to find a place that's fun for my wife and daughter to ski (NOT SNOWSHED!)

We would have gone to Pico....but we ended up without a car due to some long story not worth telling. I DID drive by Pico an my way to get a part in Rutland. :< That looked like the answer to my wife and daughter's issues.

MY ISSUES: Now this is my second trip to K...both for New Year's...both with similar weather. Superstar was bumped up and sounded pretty scratchy...until they groomed it New Year's eve. SO I hit that NY Day for the first time in my life...in the clowds and flat light. *shudder* I did really well despite the head game I put myself through on run #1. Run #2 and three were actualy very good.

...back to my issues.....when the trails are icey and/or bumped up, it seems everyone is looking for that "easiest way down" and the resulting traffic and conditions combine to make it even worse and skiing to home base becomes "survival".

On the plus side...I must say my New Year's day trip (just me and the sister-in-law and a few of her pals [male and female]) was a much better experience. They knew where all the better conditions were...and aside from surviving one hellish set of icey bumps on Mouse Trap on the final trip down)..it was a pretty good day.

[andyzee]

Sky521, shame you couldn't get up there to ski on Thursday. That was probably one of the best days of the season thus far. I found Friday to be one of the worst and then it got a bit better with each day. Actually if you find you're way around the mountain, you could find some really nice trails for beginners. Ramshead is always pretty good and you may want to try the South Ridge area your next time up.