Bene288
New member
Date(s) Skied: 11/26
Resort or Ski Area: Killington, VT
Conditions: wet packed
Trip Report:
This was my first trip to Killington, what an experience. We got there around 8:00am and had found a parking spot at the K-1 lodge. We were met by very friendly staff giving us detailed instructions on where to park. I purchased our tickets at K-1 and again, found the staff to be incredibly friendly. Must just be a Vermont thing, because I remember thinking the same thing last time I went to Snow.
We took the K-1 Gondola first. When we got off conditions looked great considering the temperature. For our first run, both on new equipment. We decided to take an easy trail down and get our legs warmed up. What a mistake that was. We took Great Northern all of the way down to the bottom. It was over skied and had quite a few bare spots. The whole time I was questioning the website's proclaimed "20-24 inch" base. Because it sure wasn't that deep on any trail I hit. Due to conditions and such heavy traffic, this simple green turned into a hard blue. I quite enjoyed all of the moguls created. However there were really way too many people to ski at my normal pace.
I found Ridge Run and Mouse Trap to be the best trails on the mountain because not many people were skiing them. Chute, Rime and Reason were also pretty enjoyable. The moguls were terrific if your legs could handle the wet snow. Again, there were quite a few thin spots. You could avoid most of them, but some dirt spots spanned the whole width of the trail. It seemed like everyone was sticking to Great Northern. It got to the point where it was dangerous to go down. Which is why we avoided it after two runs and moved on to the more advanced terrain.
I got run into 3 times by snowboarders who had a hard time stopping in such heavy snow. I ski very generously, especially when it's as crowded as it was. I stick to the edge of the trail usually. I do not understand some of these snowboarders who will try to pass you on the edge with two feet of snow between you and the ravine. I had one kid try to push me as he was passing. Unfortunately for him, I'm a solid 210 pounds, and I don't give much ground. His bindings got caught up in the basket of my pole. I gave it a swift yank and freed it up, however he had quite the spill. I can't feel bad for stupidity, I just wish some of these kids would ski and board smarter. I found many of the skiers and boarders to be very rude and oblivious to their surroundings. Two separate times, I witnessed a family make room on the rack for their skis. By this I mean they knocked over other skis and leave them laying on the ground so they can put their equipment on the rack. I sat there watching the whole thing and immediately got up and told them that they're damn lucky they weren't my skis they just touched. I do not see that happen at other mountains.
I have nothing bad to say about the terrain or the staff. I will definitely be going again when there is more terrain open. I really want to hit Bear and Sky Peak. However I would never go on a weekend. Granted only 1/3 of the mountain was open, I'm sure Killington will compare to Mt. Snow and Okemo as far as the kind of people that go there. I enjoy the smaller mountains just on that basis. Never been a fan of crowds. This was probably the first time in 3 years I've skied on a weekend. I definitely remember why I stick to the midweek slots.
Resort or Ski Area: Killington, VT
Conditions: wet packed
Trip Report:
This was my first trip to Killington, what an experience. We got there around 8:00am and had found a parking spot at the K-1 lodge. We were met by very friendly staff giving us detailed instructions on where to park. I purchased our tickets at K-1 and again, found the staff to be incredibly friendly. Must just be a Vermont thing, because I remember thinking the same thing last time I went to Snow.
We took the K-1 Gondola first. When we got off conditions looked great considering the temperature. For our first run, both on new equipment. We decided to take an easy trail down and get our legs warmed up. What a mistake that was. We took Great Northern all of the way down to the bottom. It was over skied and had quite a few bare spots. The whole time I was questioning the website's proclaimed "20-24 inch" base. Because it sure wasn't that deep on any trail I hit. Due to conditions and such heavy traffic, this simple green turned into a hard blue. I quite enjoyed all of the moguls created. However there were really way too many people to ski at my normal pace.
I found Ridge Run and Mouse Trap to be the best trails on the mountain because not many people were skiing them. Chute, Rime and Reason were also pretty enjoyable. The moguls were terrific if your legs could handle the wet snow. Again, there were quite a few thin spots. You could avoid most of them, but some dirt spots spanned the whole width of the trail. It seemed like everyone was sticking to Great Northern. It got to the point where it was dangerous to go down. Which is why we avoided it after two runs and moved on to the more advanced terrain.
I got run into 3 times by snowboarders who had a hard time stopping in such heavy snow. I ski very generously, especially when it's as crowded as it was. I stick to the edge of the trail usually. I do not understand some of these snowboarders who will try to pass you on the edge with two feet of snow between you and the ravine. I had one kid try to push me as he was passing. Unfortunately for him, I'm a solid 210 pounds, and I don't give much ground. His bindings got caught up in the basket of my pole. I gave it a swift yank and freed it up, however he had quite the spill. I can't feel bad for stupidity, I just wish some of these kids would ski and board smarter. I found many of the skiers and boarders to be very rude and oblivious to their surroundings. Two separate times, I witnessed a family make room on the rack for their skis. By this I mean they knocked over other skis and leave them laying on the ground so they can put their equipment on the rack. I sat there watching the whole thing and immediately got up and told them that they're damn lucky they weren't my skis they just touched. I do not see that happen at other mountains.
I have nothing bad to say about the terrain or the staff. I will definitely be going again when there is more terrain open. I really want to hit Bear and Sky Peak. However I would never go on a weekend. Granted only 1/3 of the mountain was open, I'm sure Killington will compare to Mt. Snow and Okemo as far as the kind of people that go there. I enjoy the smaller mountains just on that basis. Never been a fan of crowds. This was probably the first time in 3 years I've skied on a weekend. I definitely remember why I stick to the midweek slots.
