Killington skiing into June.!

[Newpylong]

Deadheadskier suggested that it's probably been 10 years since Sugarbush North made a push for late spring skiing. While he is right, I am unaware of any effort of Sugarbush (or Sugarbush North - aka "Glen Ellen") to compete seriously for "last to close" honors within the last 10 or even 20 years. However, in the late 60's Glen Ellen had a summit chair with a loading mid-station - and they did make a serious effort to compete with Killington for last-to-close.

Spring skiing can often be a last minute call, based on weather and other factors. Hence, day-trippers become a more important market than the vacationers on which destination resorts thrive. The extra 45 minutes to Glen Ellen (over Killington) made Glen Ellen non-competitive in the late-season market. They dropped out of that market and while they still run pretty late (typically first week of May), they are not the last. (Even in the years that Killington dropped out of the last-to-close market, Bretton Woods and Sugarloaf were the winners, not Sugarbush.)

I went back in trail maps to 1968 and I could not find any reference to a mid station on the old Summit double at Ellen. Are you sure this existed? At around 3500 feet rope length and 1,000 vertical with high elevation as is I don't see why they would bother with a mid station.

 

[steamboat1]

It's official, Killington will not be opening again this season.

 

[chuckstah]

Sucks, but no surprise. Hopefully its a nice day for a walk up the S.

 

[Tin]

It's official, Killington will not be opening again this season.

Thunderstorms really killed it in 48 hours...

 

[Jcb890]

Is it winter yet? This heat sucks!

 

[Puck it]

Thunderstorms really killed it in 48 hours...

I think I could find a way to ski it.

 

[catsup948]

Thunderstorms really killed it in 48 hours...

Wow! Amazing how fast it goes. Those thunderstorms were wicked yesterday.

 

[Tin]

I think I could find a way to ski it.

On your GoPeo video you needed an oxygen mask after bumping half way down Baron's. Now you want to hike up SS? :lol:

 

[Jcb890]

Someone should get up there with a sled and see if they can make it down all the way through the mud and grass as well.

 

[Puck it]

On your GoPeo video you needed an oxygen mask after bumping half way down Baron's. Now you want to hike up SS? :lol:

That huffing was at the end of a long day and the fourth time down it. SKI OFFFFFFFF!!!!!

 

[Jcb890]

That huffing was at the end of a long day and the fourth time down it. SKI OFFFFFFFF!!!!!

I just came across this picture of Puck It:

 

[joshua segal]

I went back in trail maps to 1968 and I could not find any reference to a mid station on the old Summit double at Ellen. Are you sure this existed? At around 3500 feet rope length and 1,000 vertical with high elevation as is I don't see why they would bother with a mid station.

You might be right. Memories from 50 years ago can be fuzzy. I checked the newenglanhistory.com website and their maps don't say one way or the other. Even so, starting at 3000' (compared with Killington's 3800' [mid-station elev.]) is probably only a net of a 1 degree dis-advantage when you add the extra distance north for Mt. Ellen.

 

[deadheadskier]

You might be right. Memories from 50 years ago can be fuzzy. I checked the newenglanhistory.com website and their maps don't say one way or the other. Even so, starting at 3000' (compared with Killington's 3800' [mid-station elev.]) is probably only a net of a 1 degree dis-advantage when you add the extra distance north for Mt. Ellen.

We're splitting hairs here Joshua, but I think you're off by a good bit on that 3800 number. Upper Cascade down to the old double mid station had a good deal more vertical than 400 feet. By comparison, the Northridge pod at Killington has 587 feet of vertical. From the top of the K double down to the K mid-station offered a good bit longer of a run in vertical than what you get off of the Glades chair.

 

[joshua segal]

We're splitting hairs here Joshua, but I think you're off by a good bit on that 3800 number. Upper Cascade down to the old double mid station had a good deal more vertical than 400 feet. By comparison, the Northridge pod at Killington has 587 feet of vertical. From the top of the K double down to the K mid-station offered a good bit longer of a run in vertical than what you get off of the Glades chair.

You're right. The mid-station was a hair over a 600' vertical run - and my off-hand calculation was based on a dyslexic 4421 as opposed to more close to correct 4241 that Killington touts.

 

[skiadikt]

You're right. The mid-station was a hair over a 600' vertical run - and my off-hand calculation was based on a dyslexic 4421 as opposed to more close to correct 4241 that Killington touts.

the 4241 is the actual summit. think the gondi unloads at about 4100' so a hair over 600' vertical puts the old mid-station (as well as the glades chair base around 3450-3500'.

 

[joshua segal]

the 4241 is the actual summit. think the gondi unloads at about 4100' so a hair over 600' vertical puts the old mid-station (as well as the glades chair base around 3450-3500'.

If so, the only advantage (perhaps 0.5 degrees) that Killington has Glen Ellen is location!

 

[AdironRider]

And the clientel to support an extended season.

And a better snowmaking system.

And IMO, better terrain.

 

[Cornhead]

I had a feeling this week's weather would be K's death knell. I've been making the pilgrimage every weekend for the last five, and was always amazed how much snow loss had occurred from one weekend to the next. I guess I shouldn't be, it is almost Summer after all.

I've skied on Memorial Day Weekend once before, but not with the benefit of a ride to the top. The fact that K provided a continuous path of snow from the top to the bottom of the quad, at least for ⅔ of the weekend, was quite impressive, kudos. Here's to making it to June 1st and beyond in 2016. I'll have fond memories of my late Spring turns until I'm back hiking the stairway next Fall.

 

[VTKilarney]

Agreed. Killington gets my respect. Lots of people in this thread thought that June 1 was a sure thing. The lesson here is that Mother Nature gets the last word.


.

 

[yeggous]

I had a feeling this week's weather would be K's death knell. I've been making the pilgrimage every weekend for the last five, and was always amazed how much snow loss had occurred from one weekend to the next. I guess I shouldn't be, it is almost Summer after all.

I've skied on Memorial Day Weekend once before, but not with the benefit of a ride to the top. The fact that K provided a continuous path of snow from the top to the bottom of the quad, at least for ⅔ of the weekend, was quite impressive, kudos. Here's to making it to June 1st and beyond in 2016. I'll have fond memories of my late Spring turns until I'm back hiking the stairway next Fall.

Have fun with those stairs. Did it once and never again so long as there are other options. I'll be at Sunday River, Wildcat, or Bretton Woods.


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