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Killington 4/22/18

Zand

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Dec 30, 2003
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Spencer, MA
Set off to the mountain shortly before 8 and arrived at 10:30. After hearing about yesterday's parking mess, arrived to another messy looking lot. Lots of cars going both ways down aisles that were 1 car wide, people inventing spots and blocking said aisles...it was just a mess. Figured the best course of action was to get in the back of the access road line where I know I at least wouldn't get my car hit. Lucked out as a shuttle stopped at my car just as I started walking.

4 lifts running: K1, Superstar, North Ridge, and Snowdon Triple. All of them had lines in the morning, occasionally pushing 10 minutes at Snowdon with no lift corrals set up. It's a pain in the ass to get through them when they're set up midwinter with nobody actually in line, but when they could actually use them it's a free for all. They definitely could've used an additional base area and maybe another lift or two (especially Needles and Canyon) but I can understand them not expecting crowds like this at this point in April.

The lines and traffic issues were easily offset by how incredible the conditions are right now. The natural snow depth is better than it is midwinter most years. Skied Anarchy a few times, just a treat to ski this late in the year. The rocks at the bottom are better covered than they were last month (and I thought they were well covered then). This will be an unpopular opinion with the old timers, but Flume needs snowmaking. I've never been there and not seen it be a total mess. There's lots of good runs that dump into it and those runs deserve a good runout to the bottom instead of an icy, rocky, bare mess.

Also hit Low Rider and Somewhere for woods. Both of them are phenomenal. Heard Julio is good as well but it was roped every time I went by. Thought about ducking the rope but never ended up going back. Old Superstar and Conclusion had some good bump lines. Highline, Skylark, and Bittersweet also with some widely spaced bumps from traffic. Ovation softened up a bit in the afternoon...a little slick but soft enough for good turns. On the other hand, Skyehawk was a frozen solid moonscape for some reason. It really surprised me because the coverage is great and I skied right into it figuring it was soft and almost ate shit.

Groomed stuff was nice soft butter. North Ridge trails had that perfect spring packed powder for carving. Would've lapped them but couldn't stay out of the glades. East Fall and Cascade a little slick but good. Didn't ski Superstar...total zoo all day and looked pretty skied off. Base depths look pretty much the same as last month. If we can avoid a torch May, June might come easy this year.

Might get back up next weekend if the weather looks good. Hopefully still 5+ weeks to go.
 

SkiRay

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Apr 8, 2014
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Killington was amazing this weekend. We are not to familiar with the woods there and sadly missed out on some of that, though decided to make sure we hit trails that are even closed in the middle of the Winter. Some of the combinations we did, was like the lotto. Lunch at the summit, well nothing better.

Here is our lunch video.
https://www.facebook.com/AlbaOutdoo...=page_post_reaction&notif_id=1524418833013442

We are headed up for one last weekend of skiing. Crazy to think how fast this season went, then again, as a family we got in 58 days so far and should hit 59 or 60..

See you out there. .

OH, we parked on the access road, hike up the road (huffing) then just skied back down to our car. The kids loved it.
 

JimG.

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Oct 29, 2004
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Hopewell Jct., NY
Wish I had known both of you guys would be there, I hit K Sat Sun and it was phenomenal! I arrived Sat in the midst of the parking drama at about 10:15, no big deal at all to me. I parked on the access road running up to the K1 near Ramshead. Sure, I walked twice as far as usual when I arrived but I was able to ski right back to my car at the end of the day so no harm no foul. When you get lemons, make lemonade.

Bumps (Northstar, Vertigo) and especially trees (pretty much everything that Zand mentioned) outstanding!
 

Zand

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Joined
Dec 30, 2003
Messages
4,109
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113
Location
Spencer, MA
Wish I had known both of you guys would be there, I hit K Sat Sun and it was phenomenal! I arrived Sat in the midst of the parking drama at about 10:15, no big deal at all to me. I parked on the access road running up to the K1 near Ramshead. Sure, I walked twice as far as usual when I arrived but I was able to ski right back to my car at the end of the day so no harm no foul. When you get lemons, make lemonade.

Bumps (Northstar, Vertigo) and especially trees (pretty much everything that Zand mentioned) outstanding!

You going back up next weekend? I'll be there Sunday, weather looks great again and K1 will still be open. Might be just as good. Who knows...with the coverage they had maybe the woods will still be open.
 

JimG.

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You going back up next weekend? I'll be there Sunday, weather looks great again and K1 will still be open. Might be just as good. Who knows...with the coverage they had maybe the woods will still be open.

That is the plan and maybe a weekday for me too.
 

chuckstah

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Mar 22, 2013
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Today was great at K. Late day run Catwalk>the Light>Escapade>Flume was epic. As was upper Needles to the Stairs. I need to get back soon.

Sent from my LGMS345 using AlpineZone mobile app
 

Zand

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Dec 30, 2003
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Location
Spencer, MA
Never made it up Catwalk or over to Needles yesterday. Will have to check that out.
 
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