Killington Skye Peak trails question for SpinmasterK

[Highway Star]

Tom, thanks for answering those questions.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

ski off?

I'd love to have a ski-off with Highway Star..:flag:

 

[wintersyndrome]

What do you mean by stash?

I usually find it better to keep my stash in a film canister.

 

[campgottagopee]

I usually find it better to keep my stash in a film canister.

Right, because nobody would look in there

 

[Geoff]

What do you mean by stash? demo center?

It's a Burton marketing thing.
http://www.thestash.com/

 

[Geoff]

I usually find it better to keep my stash in a film canister.

Film? What's that?

 

[SpinmasterK]

The new 2008-09 trail map is now posted: http://www.killington.com/images/08-09_Trail_Guide.jpg

 

[2knees]

The Stairs. another marked glade.

 

[millerm277]

Thanks Spinmaster.

Looks interesting. The trail renaming doesn't seem like a good idea in the least though. Just going to confuse people. Also, I don't think you need to put "Headwall" on Dream Maker and Vertigo, too much text...

Now for the questions:

Launchpad has multiple intersections with high-level trails, re-rating it to intermediate will increase traffic on it...which seems like it's going to cause problems, since those intermediates won't be just turning onto Ovation or Superstar.

Are you prepared for the amount of traffic that will be on Cruise Control/GE? I looked at the plans, and I know it's getting widened....but, that was a zoo as an intermediate trail.

Falls Brook/Bear Cub is essentially flat for a good part of it, and requires either a lot of poling or a "tuck" the entire way.

Will the SRT run daily this year? And since I don't see the symbol on it, I assume Lower Pipe Dream's snowmaking still is non-functioning?

Also, K has enough marked glades at this point....

 

[SpinmasterK]

Yes, time will tell if these improvements will address numerous traffic flow situations. We will obviously observe what happens and solicit feedback from our guests to make sure we are addressing the situation accordingly. We are widening the GE/Cruise Control area to accommodate beginner skiers. You are correct that there is no snowmaking on lower pipe dream. This is something that will be addressed when we look at replacing the SRT in the coming years. As for the SRT running more frequently, I will have to follow up on that as I don't have that information at this time.

Thanks Spinmaster.

Looks interesting. The trail renaming doesn't seem like a good idea in the least though. Just going to confuse people. Also, I don't think you need to put "Headwall" on Dream Maker and Vertigo, too much text...

Now for the questions:

Launchpad has multiple intersections with high-level trails, re-rating it to intermediate will increase traffic on it...which seems like it's going to cause problems, since those intermediates won't be just turning onto Ovation or Superstar.

Are you prepared for the amount of traffic that will be on Cruise Control/GE? I looked at the plans, and I know it's getting widened....but, that was a zoo as an intermediate trail.

Falls Brook/Bear Cub is essentially flat for a good part of it, and requires either a lot of poling or a "tuck" the entire way.

Will the SRT run daily this year? And since I don't see the symbol on it, I assume Lower Pipe Dream's snowmaking still is non-functioning?

Also, K has enough marked glades at this point....

 

[that guy]

A couple of questions for the man of Spin

First off, its a big change and kudos to you guys to have the huevos to attempt something like this. I like some parts, I dislike others so obviously its PERFECT:razz:



If I'm correct the reasoning behind removing middle GE and the SS Crossover was to remove "cross" trails to provide for a better, longer skiing experience. You have obviously rectified this problem and I look forward to the uninterrupted top to bottom cruising on Skyeburst. But are you concerned with the downgrade of Launch Pad to blue square status that you may have traded one problem area for another?

Also how do you plan on getting beginners out of Bear/Needles when the Northbrook Quad isn't running? It would seem that a beginner could very easily wander down Bear Cub or Bearly and become "stuck" with no green circle terrain option to extricate themselves without the use of either the Northbrook Quad to Snowshed, or the South Ridge Triple to Home Run to Great Northern?

One last tough one, Can we look for similar changes to the routing and layout of Great Northern which also interrupts fall line skiing and creates dangerous intersections. I know you talked about closing parts of it early season last year.

Again nice work and thanks so much for the communication, its a refreshing change

 

[SpinmasterK]

see below:

A couple of questions for the man of Spin

First off, its a big change and kudos to you guys to have the huevos to attempt something like this. I like some parts, I dislike others so obviously its PERFECT:razz:



If I'm correct the reasoning behind removing middle GE and the SS Crossover was to remove "cross" trails to provide for a better, longer skiing experience. You have obviously rectified this problem and I look forward to the uninterrupted top to bottom cruising on Skyeburst. But are you concerned with the downgrade of Launch Pad to blue square status that you may have traded one problem area for another?
A: Yes, no, maybe? We'll keep our eyes on that one and solicit feedback from our guests to see how it works. :beer:

Also how do you plan on getting beginners out of Bear/Needles when the Northbrook Quad isn't running? It would seem that a beginner could very easily wander down Bear Cub or Bearly and become "stuck" with no green circle terrain option to extricate themselves without the use of either the Northbrook Quad to Snowshed, or the South Ridge Triple to Home Run to Great Northern?
A: Northbrook Quad will run daily.

One last tough one, Can we look for similar changes to the routing and layout of Great Northern which also interrupts fall line skiing and creates dangerous intersections. I know you talked about closing parts of it early season last year.
A: We will be adressing the GN trail in the coming years with preliminary plans for re-routing. However, at this time we have no plans of closing the trail.

Again nice work and thanks so much for the communication, its a refreshing change

 

[Highway Star]

Tom, while you're in the mood to answer questions:

Will Killington MAKE SNOW on DEVIL'S FIDDLE this year?

Any chance of them changing the open and close dates for a longer season?

Opening earlier, on Superstar instaid of the K-1?

Thanks!!!

 

[SpinmasterK]

Answers below:

Tom, while you're in the mood to answer questions:

Will Killington MAKE SNOW on DEVIL'S FIDDLE this year?
A: Really just depends on the weather. We have snowmaking there, and of course we would like to fire it up.

Any chance of them changing the open and close dates for a longer season?
A: We're scheduled to operate Nov. 14, 2008 through April 19, 2009. Will we open earlier or stay open a week or so longer? These are decisions that we'll make at a more appropriate time based upon weather and snow conditions.

Opening earlier, on Superstar instaid of the K-1?
A: We will follow a similar opening schedule as last season. Making snow up high as temperatures permit and opening the Killington Basin trails as eary as possible. That plan also includes opening the K-1 Gondola and the Northridge Triple first, followed by Snowdon Quad, Superstar and the Ramshead area the first weeekend in Dec.

Thanks!!!

 

[Newpylong]

While it's great to see the questions answered, this year continues the trend of the ridiculous trail name changes that have plagued the mountaimn for the past 8 years or so.


Renaming Falls Brook? What?

Renaming Dreammaker to Northway? What?

Dreammaker Headwall and Vertigo Headwall? Is that a joke?

Bittersweet looks like a clusterbang.

It gives me a headache to think about all of it.

 

[2knees]

Dreammaker Headwall and Vertigo Headwall? Is that a joke?

not sure about Dreammaker but upper Vertigo could certainly be considered a headwall. At least in terms of inbounds eastern skiing.

 

[Highway Star]

Answers below:

Tom, while you're in the mood to answer questions:

Will Killington MAKE SNOW on DEVIL'S FIDDLE this year?
A: Really just depends on the weather. We have snowmaking there, and of course we would like to fire it up.

Any chance of them changing the open and close dates for a longer season?
A: We're scheduled to operate Nov. 14, 2008 through April 19, 2009. Will we open earlier or stay open a week or so longer? These are decisions that we'll make at a more appropriate time based upon weather and snow conditions.

Opening earlier, on Superstar instaid of the K-1?
A: We will follow a similar opening schedule as last season. Making snow up high as temperatures permit and opening the Killington Basin trails as eary as possible. That plan also includes opening the K-1 Gondola and the Northridge Triple first, followed by Snowdon Quad, Superstar and the Ramshead area the first weeekend in Dec.

Thanks for the answers Tom.

I bring up Devil's Fiddle because while it was open a good amount last year, it saw no snowmaking. It was obviously cold enough to make snow....is it in the budget for this year? While it is skiable without snowmaking, it does get skied off and very rocky especially in the lower half. If they could just put down a base once in early January, that would probably keep it better covered for most of the season.

Are there any plans to cut all the brush on the skiers right of the Fiddle, or could they at least thin it out a bit so it's a more skiable glade? Particularly at the bottom? How about the old devil's fiddle liftline - any plans to open that up or make it part of Centerpiece?

 

[Highway Star]

Tom, it sounds like you are taking a more flexable approach this year on opening and closing dates. I hope they will actively look to extend the season if the weather allows.

The reason I suggest the Superstar opening is that it would allow Killington to open sooner and faster with less resources expended. Opening one or two routes off Superstar would probably take 1/3rd the snow of a full K-1 opening. Having watched Killington's openings for the last 4 years, I have seen numerous melt outs and lost ground when trying to make snow in a narrow weather window. They make the snow up top, then have to wait for a long, cold weather window to make all the way down to K-1 base. In 2006, when snow was made up top in early November, it was then lost to rain over 2 weeks with opening finally coming on Thanksgiving. A risky strategy...

It seems that the K-1 opening had a big payoff in skier visits in '04, '05 and '06, however, last year the opening weekend was relatively empty compared to years past. With several other ski areas opening with large amounts of terrain on the same weekend or before, they seem to have stolen Killington's thunder, and skier visits.

You currently have a risky strategy, with diminished payoff....Perhaps it's time to re-evaluate your strategy and move to an opening that requires less hours of snowmaking which means you can open quicker and earlier.

If you started by opening the Superstar trail pod, you could expand up to K-1 (plus North Ridge and Canyon), and down to Snowshed, by Thanksgiving with good weather. Or, if weather is bad, recovery time would be much faster and less snow would be lost. Even better, if Killington was to install fan gun infrastructure, the superstar pod would be the perfect choice, for opening earlier, keeping fresh snow and bumps in a high traffic area, and building base to stay open a bit later.

 

[Highway Star]

Tom, can you give us some insight about the new Terrain Park layout, why it was chosen and how it will ski?

Unfortunately, it seemly like the new layout is too fragmented. For example, to get to the main Dreammaker park, you can only take Skyeburst or Upper Dreammaker. This will increase traffic on those two trails and cause bad mixing of skier types (people focused on getting to the park, vs. normal traffic). It is unstatisfying and unattractive to the terrain park skier to spend half their run skiing a "boring" groomer.

Then you have the "Stash" and Bear Claw parks, which start nicely at the top of lifts, but empty out into a major 4 way intersection with Skyeburst and Upper Wildfire. Then after negotiating that intersection and crowded groomers, the park skier can duck off into a very short park on the new Lower Dreammaker (Grizzly) above the pipe, if they are aware of it.

Overall, it sound like you're going to have a bunch of park skiers bombing groomers to get around to these parks, sort of how they were all crossing Great Eastern last year to get to Dreammaker.

There has got to be a better way to lay this all out. Really.

Personally, I would have put the "Stash" in the woods between upper Dreammaker and Skyeburst, so it connected to the lower park. But it's too late for that now, isn't it.

Another alternative would be to move the main park back to lower Wildfire, and open up Lower Dreammaker, Grizzy, and Bear Claw for normal skier traffic....would make more sense, even though the half pipe would be off by itself.

Do something else, anything, please....if you want to have people come to your mountain for the parks you have to have a layout that makes sense and works.

I personally would ski parks much more often at Killington, but the dreammaker park is too flat of a trail to have good sightlines and landings, so I avoid it. I skied the Lower Wildfire park all the time when it was there.

 

[deadheadskier]

Highway Star for Killington President :lol: