Snowmaking underway at Killington

[deadheadskier]

When will they open? I am not at all confident they will open in October, or even by mid November. The ultimate irony is that they could certainly be prevented from opening until after thanksgiving. There's nothing to say that we'll continue to get cool weather for the next month or so.......

Excellent point and exactly why I will be skiing SR this Saturday. These days, I typically don't get out until at least Veteran's Day weekend, most years later. But, knowing that it could very well be a month before I get to go again due to a busy work schedule and fickle New England weather, I'm psyched to go on Saturday even for WROD.

I know I skied Killington in October with a download before, not sure if it was as early as 10/17, though I know they've opened earlier than that.

 

[Geoff]

Actually, that's the best and most realistic suggestion I've heard so far. It even used to have a midstation, so that would be possible....brilliant! A much shorter route to make snow on, still at a decent elevation (and not getting a ton of sun like KBL)...sounds like a winner to me. One lift, and you have skiing. Easy terrain and lift expansion opportunities as necessary on the opening weekend...

This is the Snowdon Cripple we're talking about. The lift is ancient and probably at the end of its service life. To download on it, you need brakes that can handle the load. Like the Canyon Quad in the pickup truck days, it would probably have to be run at a crawl and you could only load every 2nd or 3rd chair.

 

[Highway Star]

Excellent point and exactly why I will be skiing SR this Saturday. These days, I typically don't get out until at least Veteran's Day weekend, most years later. But, knowing that it could very well be a month before I get to go again due to a busy work schedule and fickle New England weather, I'm psyched to go on Saturday even for WROD.

I know I skied Killington in October with a download before, not sure if it was as early as 10/17, though I know they've opened earlier than that.

That's the reason we'll probably have to hit SR too.....

 

[mister moose]

This is the Snowdon Cripple we're talking about. The lift is ancient and probably at the end of its service life. To download on it, you need brakes that can handle the load. Like the Canyon Quad in the pickup truck days, it would probably have to be run at a crawl and you could only load every 2nd or 3rd chair.

That's why I said limit ticket sales if necessary. Opening early is about a statement, not volume. Until Killington spends megabucks on a solid early opening infrastructure, they either have to give up the title or go with a smaller opening.

 

[Highway Star]

That's why I said limit ticket sales if necessary. Opening early is about a statement, not volume. Until Killington spends megabucks on a solid early opening infrastructure, they either have to give up the title or go with a smaller opening.

Trying to do up/down loading on snowdon is just kinda silly/dumb.

You'd be better off installing a 400ft poma or t-bar on upper downdraft.....seriously.

 

[Geoff]

That's why I said limit ticket sales if necessary. Opening early is about a statement, not volume. Until Killington spends megabucks on a solid early opening infrastructure, they either have to give up the title or go with a smaller opening.

That would probably be worse than not opening at all. I wasn't around for it but apparently from what I've read, when Preston Smith first blew Snowshed early as a publicity stunt 45 years ago, the entire world showed up to ski. If people are driving 5 hours to ski, they'd be awfully pissed off to be turned away at the ticket window. Early season exists to market the resort. It's long-term profit, not short-term profit. Anybody you turn away is going to take 10 people with them who never ski Killington again.

 

[Greg]

You'd be better off installing a 400ft poma or t-bar on upper downdraft.....seriously.

You keep talking about this poma on Downdraft. Do you really think that's viable? That's a pretty steep headwall. I think you'd have newbs wiping out all over the place on that one.

 

[Highway Star]

You keep talking about this poma on Downdraft. Do you really think that's viable? That's a pretty steep headwall. I think you'd have newbs wiping out all over the place on that one.

Upper Downdraft isn't all that steep. Pomas have been installed on much worse. They just need a track for it along the lookers right side, from the intersection with high traverse, up to the top of the trail.

 

[Greg]

Upper Downdraft isn't all that steep. Pomas have been installed on much worse. They just need a track for it along the lookers right side, from the intersection with high traverse, up to the top of the trail.

It's pretty steep. Where else in the Northeast do they have a surface lift that steep? I could definitely see Buffy or Princess getting scared or tired and falling off the freakin' thing.

 

[skiadikt]

attacks on tom are unwarranted. nowhere did he say they'd open this weekend. he did what any pr guy would do and got some stoke out there about recent snow & snowmaking. i never felt led on. understandably people's expectations got amped out of proportion with proclamations that "beast" is back fueling the flames.

unfortunately the big problem at k lies in the current lift config and trail rollout. for all those years k had the advantage due to the fact that they could blow a minimal amount of snow and open in early october. tables have turned with advantage sunday river. i'm not sure that even pres smith would have opted to open this week given the forecast. it's one thing to have upper cascade melt out, another to have the current route melt out.

 

[mister moose]

That would probably be worse than not opening at all. I wasn't around for it but apparently from what I've read, when Preston Smith first blew Snowshed early as a publicity stunt 45 years ago, the entire world showed up to ski. If people are driving 5 hours to ski, they'd be awfully pissed off to be turned away at the ticket window. Early season exists to market the resort. It's long-term profit, not short-term profit. Anybody you turn away is going to take 10 people with them who never ski Killington again.

It would be very easy to conduct a lottery or registration for tickets on line so no one would drive up and be disappointed. I see nothing wrong with demand exceeding supply such that the privilege of skiing early is limited to those lucky enough to sign up early, and a few standby positions given away the day of. (pass holders wouldn't pay, but would still need to get a lottery number) Lift lines are sometimes a fact of life, and ski areas seem willing to allow long lines rather than limit ticket sales. There might not even be the need to limit tickets, as we know 'the whole world' doesn't show up early season, but by registering in advance, the resort would know what to expect.

The main points are this -

Show a passion and a commitment to the sport, and be the first again.
Communicate effectively what you have to offer so there will be no disappointments upon arrival.

Sugarbush communicated that there would be some walking and some mud on their last 2days last May. No one that showed up complained.

If they told us a long download wait might be encountered, we'd know that going in.

Would you be ok with a half hour wait to download on a slow lift at 4pm this Saturday if it meant you could ski? Thought so.

 

[millerm277]

This is the Snowdon Cripple we're talking about. The lift is ancient and probably at the end of its service life. To download on it, you need brakes that can handle the load. Like the Canyon Quad in the pickup truck days, it would probably have to be run at a crawl and you could only load every 2nd or 3rd chair.

I believe it is rated at 20% download. As a thought...WITH the current lift setup: Run the Poma, skip the midstation, use the Quad to get people to the summit and download from the summit. Hell, the quad's slow enough anyway. There you go, now you can compete with SR. Two lifts, just like them. Yes, the Poma line will require a bit of work to get the snow under, but it's not that bad.

It's pretty steep. Where else in the Northeast do they have a surface lift that steep? I could definitely see Buffy or Princess getting scared or tired and falling off the freakin' thing.

The former Summit Poma at Pico was definitely as steep, and really....this would be one hell of a short ride. With HS's numbers, you're talking <1 minute.

 

[Highway Star]

Pounding the upper mountain with snowmaking

We continue to see very good snowmaking production on the upper mountain areas. As of 6:30 a.m. the wetbulb temperature was 18 degrees at the peak and 19 at the bottom of the Northridge area.
We have more than 100 HKD and Ratnik low energy guns going on Rime, Reason, Upper Double Dipper and Great Northern.
Snowmaking will continue in these areas as temperatures permit as we continue to stockpile snow and prepare for the start of the season.
As we stated here Wednesday night, we are very excited to get the season going and offer our guests a top-to-bottom experience with service off Killington Peak provided by the K1 Gondola.

And you're telling me it wasn't cold enough to make snow down to the bottom!?!?!?!?!?

 

[Highway Star]

It's pretty steep.

Maybe compared to Ski Sundown.

 

[Highway Star]

Killington =/= Beast Of East. Killington = Fail.

http://insider.killington.com/

October 15, 2009

Pounding the upper mountain with snowmaking

We continue to see very good snowmaking production on the upper mountain areas. As of 6:30 a.m. the wetbulb temperature was 18 degrees at the peak and 19 at the bottom of the Northridge area.
We have more than 100 HKD and Ratnik low energy guns going on Rime, Reason, Upper Double Dipper and Great Northern.
Snowmaking will continue in these areas as temperatures permit as we continue to stockpile snow and prepare for the start of the season.
As we stated here Wednesday night, we are very excited to get the season going and offer our guests a top-to-bottom experience with service off Killington Peak provided by the K1 Gondola.

And you're telling me it wasn't cold enough to make snow down to the bottom!?!?!?!?!?

 

[Greg]

Highway Gnar - we don't need another thread..... :roll:

 

[Greg]

Maybe compared to Ski Sundown.

I think you might be right.

 

[bigbob]

You keep talking about this poma on Downdraft. Do you really think that's viable? That's a pretty steep headwall. I think you'd have newbs wiping out all over the place on that one.

Did you ever ride the Cannon Mnt t bar???? That was steep!

 

[Greg]

Did you ever ride the Cannon Mnt t bar???? That was steep!

I haven't. Is it still operational?

 

[deadheadskier]

I haven't. Is it still operational?

no took the double t out when they put in cannonball express and made the disaterous decision of the wide profile trail. I rode it a couple of times as a kid. I would love it if it were still there today, but I recall it being very steep and intimidating as a youngster.