Interesting Post at Killington Web Site

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

For those of you that think Killington has no soul...and only limited sidecountry options... the newest post at the website has an interesting tone. As most of you know Killington has had a recent change in management and seems to be headed in the right direction. Their policy for uphill skiers has become very permissive AND.....

they just posted this:

"Killington offers 745 acres of Natural Woods Areas that are intended for adventurous powder hounds looking to explore The Beast beyond the map. All of the wooded terrain within perimeter boundaries is fair game at Killington, but ski and ride at your own risk - these stashes are not opened, closed or maintained by ski patrol."

Makes it sound like they are (semi-officially?) declaring that they welcome those who wish to take their tracks where the ski patrol will not visit. If this is indeed what it seems.... could this encourage at least an admission that Killington management is trying to accommodate the sidecountry/backcountry crowd?

Anyway, for those of us who have been at it without permission for so many years it feels good to think at all might now be officially legal??????

 

[millerm277]

Might not have been officially stated before, but that's basically always been policy at K. If it's officially roped off/closed, that's not allowed. But I've never heard of anyone being given any issues for skiing unmarked woods at K.

 

[thetrailboss]

Yes, this has been their position for a long time now. What is more problematic for them have been people leaving the ski area boundaries and getting lost requiring rescue.

 

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

Yes, this has been their position for a long time now. What is more problematic for them have been people leaving the ski area boundaries and getting lost requiring rescue.

Fair enough but... it has never been there explicit or published policy...so for some of us that have been doing it for years it feels like somebody just officially legalized something was once illegal (lots of tickets have been taken for doing what they just declared legal)

 

[Tin]

Some dumbasses from Jersey with a good lawyer will get lost or killed and it will be an "enforced" policy again.

 

[millerm277]

Some dumbasses from Jersey with a good lawyer will get lost or killed and it will be an "enforced" policy again.

It's inbounds only. About the only place you're going to screw yourself over badly inbounds at Killington is if you drop off into Falls Brook...that'll still just be a miserable hike out though and not you potentially dying like going off the backside of K-Peak (out of bounds) and not knowing where you're going could be.

 

[Harvey]

Some dumbasses from Jersey with a good lawyer will get lost or killed and it will be an "enforced" policy again.

Dumbasses come from everywhere.

 

[skiur]

Killington has had an open woods policy since the asc days.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I think the trend is moving towards skiers expecting open in-bounds woods policy unless otherwise specified by a ski area. With demand for tree skiing outpacing most area's ability to actually add in-bounds / maintained woods areas, it only makes sense to let skiers explore their own zones. Some of these will inevitably make their way to the map and get a name a few years down the road.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Some dumbasses from Jersey with a good lawyer will get lost or killed and it will be an "enforced" policy again.

You live in RI

 

[Tin]

You live in RI

Yup. And since hardly anyone skis or boards down here there are fewer dumbasses on the slopes from RI. Ratio might be high but actual numbers wise fewer. Now Mass, that's another story.

 

[bdfreetuna]

Yup. And since hardly anyone skis or boards down here there are fewer dumbasses on the slopes from RI. Ratio might be high but actual numbers wise fewer. Now Mass, that's another story.

Agree with your assessment re: low ratio of dumbasses in Mass.

 

[steamboat1]

They don't call them Massholes for nothing.

 

[Nick]

Dumbasses come from everywhere.

Yeah but .. you have to admit some places have more dumbasses than others *


* Not saying anywhere in the Northeast is a part of that group

 

[SkiFanE]

SR has this policy. So as others jump for joy when they "open" more glades - suddenly stuff you've skied for years is "closed" by ski patrol. It was okay to ski it last year (ie Yetiville) but do that on a closed trail and can have pass pulled. Kinda sucks.