Keep Killington Open Longer

[oakapple]

Check back a year and see what people were saying then; POWDR has a history of making people mad.

Oh, I know that. I am just commenting on the idea that there's a class-action lawsuit lurking in there, based on passholders who believed they were getting more. By this point, whether you agreed with POWDR or not, anyone buying a pass knew what they were getting.

 

[deadheadskier]

Would folks be happy with a swap out of the Snowdon Quad for Skye Peak Express? That would make a lot of the Snowdon terrain tough to get to, but would allow for Bear access.

 

[Black Phantom]

Would folks be happy with a swap out of the Snowdon Quad for Skye Peak Express? That would make a lot of the Snowdon terrain tough to get to, but would allow for Bear access.

Snowdon would be a 3 minute walk to the peak from Killink and a short skate to the gondola depending where you came out. Or a short trip down to Snowshed and back up to SSQ.

 

[oakapple]

Would folks be happy with a swap out of the Snowdon Quad for Skye Peak Express? That would make a lot of the Snowdon terrain tough to get to, but would allow for Bear access.

I don't defend their decision, but it involves much more than just operating lifts. Every open terrain pod also needs to be patrolled and groomed.

 

[mondeo]

Would folks be happy with a swap out of the Snowdon Quad for Skye Peak Express? That would make a lot of the Snowdon terrain tough to get to, but would allow for Bear access.

I think most people would rather have that, but it kills the intermediate terrain availability. Swapping the Canyon for SPQ is an easy call, given that the people skiing the Canyon in general would much rather have OL and the Fiddle (short hike up or cut through Centerline.)

 

[deadheadskier]

Snowdon would be a 3 minute walk to the peak from Killink and a short skate to the gondola depending where you came out. Or a short trip down to Snowshed and back up to SSQ.

I was meaning having only the K1 to access all of K Peak and Snowdon. In that scenario, the center of the mountain of terrain on Snowdon would be a pain to get due to the traverse over on Great Northern.

I'm just trying to think up a better plan than what they currently have whereby more terrain could be open utilizing the same number of lifts.

 

[mondeo]

I don't defend their decision, but it involves much more than just operating lifts. Every open terrain pod also needs to be patrolled and groomed.

Patrolled, yes. But why groomed? The people most upset just want a fully covered OL back, and never wanted it groomed in the first place. Maybe a quick clean-up of the base area is necessary, but leave it natural other than that.

 

[2knees]

Outer Limits is the steepest and longest mogul trail in the east.

 

[deadheadskier]

Outer Limits is the steepest and longest mogul trail in the east.

except for when it's just a steep trail

:lol:

 

[Black Phantom]

I was meaning having only the K1 to access all of K Peak and Snowdon. In that scenario, the center of the mountain of terrain on Snowdon would be a pain to get due to the traverse over on Great Northern.

I'm just trying to think up a better plan than what they currently have whereby more terrain could be open utilizing the same number of lifts.

I agree with you. Read what I wrote. The walk across the Bear parking lot is about the same. Never mind the car ride back.

What I outlined keeps everyone on a chairlift and on the snow.

The Glades3 has been out of service for over a week. Intermediates were getting crushed getting to the CQ on the steep terrain.

 

[khjr]

They didn't close anywhere near half of the facilities on April 4th. Even today, far more than half their terrain is open.

Nit picking, and unsubstantiated as well... Have you measured exactly how much more than half? How did you measure? By square footage, cumulative vertical drop, trail count, lift count, mountain count?...

Three of 5 peaks have extremely limited or no access, over half of the major lifts are closed as per their lift report… close enough to “half” for me.

Anyone buying a season's pass is presumably an experienced skier, who would know that most ski areas curtail the amount of open terrain near the end of the season. Killington might not have done that when Preston Smith was there, but that was far too many years ago to be relevant.

That’s a pretty broad assumption and specious argument. I’ve been buying season passes at Killington since the year I learned how to ski. Further, I don’t have to think further back than last year to recall that the major lifts remained open until snow conditions dictated otherwise – through Easter at least.

Did Killington last year keep 100 percent of their usable terrain open until closing day? Did they do so two years ago?

A rhetorical question so, in return I’ll ask: Over the last two years, did Killington elect to close over half of lifts serving 3 of the 5 mountains when there was still excellent cover and accommodating weather conditions? I don’t recall that being the case.

Point being this – it’s a slippery slope. If we don’t speak up now, then we’re allowing for a rapid erosion in the value of our season passes.

 

[thorski]

It was a major mistake not having Bear and Needles open this weekend. That being said if they stay open to May 1st and don't back out like last year then they have fulfilled their duties to season pass holders, IMHO.
If they close a week early like last year then that would be the biggest Fail of all time.

 

[khjr]

Oh, I know that. I am just commenting on the idea that there's a class-action lawsuit lurking in there, based on passholders who believed they were getting more. By this point, whether you agreed with POWDR or not, anyone buying a pass knew what they were getting.

I disagree. This is the first year that POWDR has closed down such a large number of lifts when there is still such excellent cover. They have set a new precedent this year: significant reduction of mountain facilities in early April despite there being outstanding snow conditions to support remaining open.

 

[AdironRider]

I disagree. This is the first year that POWDR has closed down such a large number of lifts when there is still such excellent cover. They have set a new precedent this year: significant reduction of mountain facilities in early April despite there being outstanding snow conditions to support remaining open.

You Killington regulars need to pick your battles.

IMO, and I was there on opening day for both the Riv and Killington when I was back east, was Killington killed Sunday River on the opening, waaaay back in the beginning of November. The walkway was a badass improvement if you ask me, and if they make it to May 1st like they claim, thats one of the longest seasons in the country, period. You guys are going to get beat out by Loveland, Mammoth, and maybe a few Tahoe resorts (not sure on when they opened), and it was continous. Not, oh well open a weekend here then close for a couple (aka the River) or well see how it goes late, but only weekends blah blah blah. You guys opened the first couple days of November, and could have skied everyday until now, and hopefully until May 1st. For any ski resort thats one hell of a season, let alone one in the Northeast.

Now you guys find a way to bitch because so and so's favorite run wasnt open. Ive skied K enough to know that while Outer Limits is a great trail, its not like you cant find something steep with bumps under the gondi. You just sound like spoiled kids at this point.

Meanwhile Im sitting here in my office at the seasons in Jackson Hole, looking at a base of 150+ inches (yes its gotten deeper by two feet, since we closed mind you) with no lifts spinning. I just don't feel that bad you can't one trail pod at Killington midway through April.

 

[mondeo]

I disagree. This is the first year that POWDR has closed down such a large number of lifts when there is still such excellent cover. They have set a new precedent this year: significant reduction of mountain facilities in early April despite there being outstanding snow conditions to support remaining open.

This is also the first year they've had such outstanding coverage this late into April. The lawsuit talk is nonsense.

 

[ScottySkis]

Well maybe everyone who enjoys Killington and wants them to stay open should take their money and go some where else if I don't like a company then I don't shop their,you could all invest in Magic and then they be able to put on more better conditions or buy your own hill in a snow belt and run it how you want

 

[mondeo]

Well maybe everyone who enjoys Killington and wants them to stay open should take their money and go some where else if I don't like a company then I don't shop their,you could all invest in Magic and then they be able to put on more better conditions or buy your own hill in a snow belt and run it how you want

That's a rather simplistic way of viewing things.

The company running the place sucks. Everything else is good. Even POWDR can't screw up the friendships that I have there, the basic terrain and natural snow goodness that exists, and the proximety to Hartford. Doesn't mean I have to like the way the place is run, get friends to spend money there, or pay POWDR for anything other than the lift service (F&B boycott goes into effect now, I'll just have to find amazing brownies somewhere else.)

 

[gmcunni]

(F&B boycott goes into effect now, I'll just have to find amazing brownies somewhere else.)

stock up at Costco. for the price of a K brownie you can probably get a huge box of them.

 

[andyzee]

That's a rather simplistic way of viewing things.

The company running the place sucks. Everything else is good. Even POWDR can't screw up the friendships that I have there, the basic terrain and natural snow goodness that exists, and the proximety to Hartford. Doesn't mean I have to like the way the place is run, get friends to spend money there, or pay POWDR for anything other than the lift service (F&B boycott goes into effect now, I'll just have to find amazing brownies somewhere else.)

Well put.

 

[roark]

Well maybe everyone who enjoys Killington and wants them to stay open should take their money and go some where else if I don't like a company then I don't shop their,you could all invest in Magic and then they be able to put on more better conditions or buy your own hill in a snow belt and run it how you want

Kmart has a distinct geographical advantage over most of New England, in that it has sufficient elevation to make snow earlier, keep snow later, and the many mountain faces provide different aspects to provide for sun softened snow in the spring, along with a reasonable commuting distance from major metropolitan areas. Add to that a massive snowmaking budget (spent way back in Dec & Jan) that along with this years ample natural snowfall should provide sufficient depth to ski well into mid-May. The capital required to keep operations running is minuscule compared to what was spent early season. If I were a passholder, I would be VERY upset. But the past actions of this management are exactly why I'm not a passholder. Closing Bear this weekend also meant I didn't even go for a day ticket (much less F&B, etc.), and instead closed out the season at Magic where they actually care about the skiing (and the customers whose money they may have already collected). Had Bear been open I would have gone to Kmart.