killington advice

Going there first time in 4 years this weekend. Going to be a hard freeze tonight. Planning on hitting it Sat around 11am, hopefully for some softening. Any advice where should we head first thing? What areas are more likely to soften first? Any one will be there this weekend?

Normally, the place to hit first is Devil's Fiddle. The #$&#%$ new owners don't make snow on it so it's done for the year.

If they run the South Ridge triple, Pipe Dream still has some cover left. That and Breakaway are your best natural snow options for early softening.

Bear Mountain will likely soften. The top part of Dream Maker is usually worthy of several runs. Outer Limits though that might be a little stiff much of the day if it doesn't get 50% groomed. It was superb yesterday. I don't ski them much on weekends due to the traffic and the collision risk with the fine young barbarians with dangling suspenders and bank robber bandanas but Wildfire, Bear Claw, and Skyeburst should all soften.

Vagabond over on Snowdon also softens.

Geoff said:

I don't ski them much on weekends due to the traffic and the collision risk with the fine young barbarians with dangling suspenders and bank robber bandanas

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and goggle straps inside the helmets...

Rams Head, always has good grooming, but could very well be hardpack & not much variety. Cruise Control is always fun.

Have impressions of Rams head as having a rather boring terrain, but fun cruising.
Any changes/new trails since new ownership took place?
What about trees? none-rideable boiler-plate at this point?

ollegator said:

Have impressions of Rams head as having a rather boring terrain, but fun cruising.
Any changes/new trails since new ownership took place?
What about trees? none-rideable boiler-plate at this point?

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Ramshead is the family peak. Pretty low pitch. All of Header is a slow zone. GSS would have issues.

ollegator said:

Have impressions of Rams head as having a rather boring terrain, but fun cruising.

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The only fun thing on Rams Head is Squeeze Play where you can zoom through the woods at high speed. It's too flat to cruise on the cut trails. It won't be bad now but that lift is a choke point during holiday periods.

ollegator said:

Any changes/new trails since new ownership took place?

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The only new trail is "The Stash" which is east (looker's left) of the new Skye Peak Express and Skyeburst. Lower Bear Claw is now renamed Lower Skyeburst. Lower Dream Maker has some totally huge hits on it.

The Snowshed XOver from the top of Bear to Snowshed is gone. There are big nets between every trail. From the top of Skye Peak at the Skyeship, navigation is now different. You really need to look at a trail map or ask somebody the first time.

ollegator said:

What about trees? none-rideable boiler-plate at this point?

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We had around 4" of wet snow yesterday to ski in. The trees are possible but hardly in epic midwinter shape. I leave my helmet in the car on warm & sunny days. I haven't been in the trees at all in over a week though there were lots of tracks into the woods yesterday. Why interfere with my tanning?

ollegator said:

Any advice where should we head first thing?

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Okemo.

Highway Star said:

Okemo.

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I thought nashoba valley was THE spot. Little did i know.. Is okemo the place where all the radical tree-shredding happens in the east?

ollegator said:

I thought nashoba valley was THE spot. Little did i know.. Is okemo the place where all the radical tree-shredding happens in the east?

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Errr.....no, but the groomed trails at Okemo will be much better this weekend than at Killington. It's only about 40 minutes south, you should check it out. No, I'm not kidding.

just joking. Thanks a lot for your tips. I love Okemo, especially their grooming, but already got the two-day $100 specials for K-mart. no turning back.