Is Killington Making Snow in March???

[Euler]

This from Killington's snow report last night:

5:03 p.m. 3/13/13 - STORM WARNING, KILLINGTON – frankly, Mother Nature hasn’t impressed us lately. Since she won’t cooperate, we’re taking matters into our own hands – that’s right, the snow cloud is thundering back over the mountain tonight! The gun show is on in not one, not two, but three separate areas – Killington Peak, North Ridge, and Snowdon will be getting the suit and tie treatment with some fancy new surfaces. What can we say, our Mountain Ops team goes hard, and after making snow for six months running, we certainly won’t stop them.

 

[andyzee]

Can you say June skiing?

 

[ScottySkis]

Old K is back!!!:beer:

 

[drjeff]

Mike Solimano is making a VERY strong case for "GM of the year!"

As I've said many times before, the entire eastern ski industry benefits from a STRONG K with a bunch of "swagger!" It makes other ski areas up their game, and we all benefit from that!

If you haven't noticed when they released their next years season passes, they cut the kids pass price by 30%, and for current adults who had either their unlimited pass or blackout pass, if theyr renew by their mid June 1st cut off date, as a "thank you" for renewing they're putting $100 of "Beast Bucks" (basically debit card $$ on your pass that you can use at K) for unlimited pass renews and $50 Beast Bucks on blackout pass renews!

 

[4aprice]

Buying my spring pass this weekend. Go Beast.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[SIKSKIER]

Not a huge surprize.I believe they made snow and for sure Sunday River made snow last April.

 

[gmcunni]

very beastly!

 

[Puck it]

I was there on Sunday. The SS glacier is ludicrious at the top of the lift. You really can not get up it.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I was there on Sunday. The SS glacier is ludicrious at the top of the lift. You really can not get up it.

When I was there in February the pile at the top of the lift must've been 40 feet tall. you had to traverse around it to ski the "headwall"

 

[Newpylong]

That's a good sign. In years past when they went for Gold in May/June the glaciar was higher than the lift...

 

[JimG.]

Outstanding!

The weather seems to be cooperating this March also.

Skiing in May this year? Memorial Day weekend? June 1?

If that happens then I would have to say the beast really is back.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Hopefully this puts some pressure on a few other mountains to follow suit.

This has been a pretty cold winter, and the end of March is tracking to be pretty cold as well. Snowmaking temps are certainly there.

 

[JimG.]

Hopefully this puts some pressure on a few other mountains to follow suit.

That's being pretty optimistic...I'll be thrilled if I can ski at K in mid May.

I'd guess the usual suspects like Sugarloaf, Jay, and Sugarbush might feel compelled to follow K's lead here. Mt. Snow might do the same.

I've pretty much given up on other mountains seeing the light and trying to stay open after the first weekend of April.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I've pretty much given up on other mountains seeing the light and trying to stay open after the first weekend of April.

I dont think that will be a problem this year. It's been a cold winter, and March shows no sign of relenting. I dont put much stock in temperature predictions beyond 10 or 12 days, but it looks like we're staying below freezing until at least until the end of March, perhaps longer. In fact, this could potentially be one of those rare years where we get a nice April mountain snowfall.

 

[thetrailboss]

Wow!

 

[steamboat1]

That's a good sign. In years past when they went for Gold in May/June the glaciar was higher than the lift...

The glacier has been higher than the lift since the end of Jan. The headwall (which usually melts 1st) has a ridiculous amount of snow on it & if that's not enough they have a huge mountain of snow stockpiled behind the fencing at the top of the lift. Just look down the trail in this pic & you can see the depth of the snow. I love the 4 gun salute they set up at the top of the headwall.

 

[steamboat1]

Here's the mountain of snow behind the fence.

View attachment 8278

 

[jimmywilson69]

It is really weird skiing higher than the lift!

 

[o3jeff]

Nice! Will have to see if the people show to ski it.

 

[mister moose]

That's being pretty optimistic...I'll be thrilled if I can ski at K in mid May.

I'd guess the usual suspects like Sugarloaf, Jay, and Sugarbush might feel compelled to follow K's lead here. Mt. Snow might do the same.

I've pretty much given up on other mountains seeing the light and trying to stay open after the first weekend of April.

I think the usual suspects will do less now that Killington is doing more. Mt Snow has already scaled back and has not tried late season in several years. The market in late spring is too small for other additional mountains to take it up. Jay Peak might make a splash with a late skiing/waterpark combo.

This is the top of Superstar as of the last snowmaking push. They are adding to that this week.


The main pile is out of frame off to the right. The pile to the left gives some perspective on how much additional snow they are making this year. Those skiers are already 15 feet up on snowpack. There are higher snow levels in many places.