Killington was open for 199 days this season

[drjeff]

To add to what you are saying, I'd imagine the only people skiing at K in late April and May are the die hard skiers, who generally speaking have a season pass already and are day tripping and not shelling out $$$ to justify adding a mid station to the K-1.

Not to mention that would slow down the ride by 30-40 seconds which would lower the uphill capacity. Although I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing I bet management would.

But many of those late season die-hards with passes for K DO spend a few $$$ on a couple of beers at the U-bars before they head to the parking lots for their own tailgating sessions. That's part of the key that many of them seem to get, that even though they're not buying a day ticket or eating K made food, they still need to spend some $$ on a daily basis late season via a beverage or 2 at the U-bars to keep some cash flow heading into the daily balance sheet for K to help show the bean counters that there is a viable market to stretch the season.

In one weird sort of way, what Irene did to the KBL and as a result the construction of the U-bars was a great thing for the late season operations model and vibe of K

 

[steamboat1]

To add to what you are saying, I'd imagine the only people skiing at K in late April and May are the die hard skiers, who generally speaking have a season pass already

From my personal observations K still sells plenty of day passes late season. Of course they are not selling them for the $80 plus they sell for regular season & many of them are discounted even further with tickets/passes from other areas but they are being sold. On any given day be it fall, winter or spring you will always see a lot of K season passes on the mountain. This is a good thing because I think K sells more season passes than any other New England area. One of the reasons they sell more season passes is because they usually have the longest season being first to open & last to close, this is a big selling point. I also think a lot of the passes you do see on the mountain late season are the spring passes they sell. Again I think they sell more of these than any other area that offers them because they are known to usually be the last area to close. Without their reputation for a long late season they wouldn't have this additional revenue stream. People also tend to ski more when they have a pass. More bodies on the mountain translates to more burgers & beers being sold.

And no I don't think you'll ever see spring skiing operations switch back to K peak. Not that K Peak closes early. I think the last day of the gondi this year was April 27. I wouldn't exactly call that an early close.

 

[steamboat1]

Just to add I don't think they had a good May this year. Seemed like every weekend it either rained heavily or the forecast had the threat of heavy rain. People didn't show up because of the forecasts. I know I skipped at least one weekend in May because of the weather forecast. Glad I made it up for closing day though.

 

[joshua segal]

To add to what you are saying, I'd imagine the only people skiing at K in late April and May are the die hard skiers, who generally speaking have a season pass already and are day tripping and not shelling out $$$ ...

Most people don't remember the pre-snowmaking days, when Christmas skiing was marginal and Thanksgiving skiing was unheard of. I credit Killington with having putting Thanksgiving on the skier's map as a serious holiday ski weekend. To do that, they had to provide skiing in early November. While they may lose a bit on their October/early November product, they make it back and more with Thanksgiving - not to mention the free advertising.

There is a similar product on the spring-side of the season. According to reliable sources, Killington is profitable thru the month of April. May gets sketchy - but to build their April product, they need to provide a May product.

 

[steamboat1]

Most people don't remember the pre-snowmaking days, when Christmas skiing was marginal and Thanksgiving skiing was unheard of. I credit Killington with having putting Thanksgiving on the skier's map as a serious holiday ski weekend. To do that, they had to provide skiing in early November. While they may lose a bit on their October/early November product, they make it back and more with Thanksgiving - not to mention the free advertising.

Snowmaking didn't only provide early & late season skiing. I remember years pre-snowmaking when the majority of ski areas had to either close or offer very limited skiing when we had the January thaw. Most areas are able to survive this now because of snowmaking.

 

[steamboat1]

There is a similar product on the spring-side of the season. According to reliable sources, Killington is profitable thru the month of April. May gets sketchy - but to build their April product, they need to provide a May product.

I think they made a little money on this Sat. in late April this year. The parking lot & access road were just as packed on Fri.

 

[mister moose]

To add to what you are saying, I'd imagine the only people skiing at K in late April and May are the die hard skiers, who generally speaking have a season pass already and are day tripping and not shelling out $$$ to justify adding a mid station to the K-1.

But many of those late season die-hards with passes for K DO spend a few $$$ on a couple of beers at the U-bars before they head to the parking lots for their own tailgating sessions.

This die hard description and perception is not very accurate. While there are many season pass holders that ski deep into spring, there are as many, if not more, that either buy a spring pass or buy day tickets. There are two other kinds of spring skiers - the sun worshiper, and the bumper. Neither is necessarily a die hard that will show up on a damp grey day. On a sunny late spring day at Killington, bumpers from all over the east flock to take in what Superstar delivers. Many of the same faces show up year after year. Quite a few buy day tickets. And all of us are glad that the season has been extended 4 weeks the last 2 years.

 

[oldtimer]

Day tickets late season

This die hard description and perception is not very accurate. While there are many season pass holders that ski deep into spring, there are as many, if not more, that either buy a spring pass or buy day tickets. There are two other kinds of spring skiers - the sun worshiper, and the bumper. Neither is necessarily a die hard that will show up on a damp grey day. On a sunny late spring day at Killington, bumpers from all over the east flock to take in what Superstar delivers. Many of the same faces show up year after year. Quite a few buy day tickets. And all of us are glad that the season has been extended 4 weeks the last 2 years.

I am one of very, very many who are season pass holders at other areas who are happy to buy day tickets at K late in the year. When ski areas stay open a week or 2 extra, I would agree that it is the season pass holders who are the "usual suspects" / "die hards" who make up the bulk of the skiers. BUT, K is different very late in the year. They become the only game in town and have lotsa takers from afar.

 

[dlague]

This die hard description and perception is not very accurate. While there are many season pass holders that ski deep into spring, there are as many, if not more, that either buy a spring pass or buy day tickets. There are two other kinds of spring skiers - the sun worshiper, and the bumper. Neither is necessarily a die hard that will show up on a damp grey day. On a sunny late spring day at Killington, bumpers from all over the east flock to take in what Superstar delivers. Many of the same faces show up year after year. Quite a few buy day tickets. And all of us are glad that the season has been extended 4 weeks the last 2 years.

I am one of the day lift ticket buyers on both ends of the season. We generally start with an early season 2 fer and then ski in May some time. However this year we skied Jay Peak and expected to catch a weekend at K town but they closed the following weekend and we had commitments (unfortunately).

This year was tough, they did not bring the lift ticket rates down as aggressively as years past! That is the reason we skied Jay to the end this year.

 

[Nick]

this is a weird site.

That's true. lol.

 

[steamboat1]

This year was tough, they did not bring the lift ticket rates down as aggressively as years past!

$27 weekdays (50% off) & $40.50 weekends (25% off) with a ticket/pass from any other area is pretty aggressive pricing.

 

[drjeff]

$27 weekdays (50% off) & $40.50 weekends (25% off) with a ticket/pass from any other area is pretty aggressive pricing.

Even when I skied there the exact day that picture was taken from Superstar looking down towards the U-bars (Saturday April 19th to be exact) when they had k-1, Superstar, Skyepeak Express, Needles Eye and Snowshed open and spinning and had just re-opened Bear and Needles for one last weekend with about 70-75 trails available, using my Peak Nor'easter Pass got me all that for less than $50 that day! Worked in my book for the large variety of terrain and great snow conditions they were offering that 3rd weekend of April.

I wouldn't of expected K to "give it away" at that point of the season since the reality was at that time, and proved to be true, that they had about another month's worth of lift served left in their season, and I don't begrudge them trying to make a few $$'s after the expenses that they had racked up over the season laying down as much snow as they had to still be able to provide that much terrain at that point of the season

 

[steamboat1]

Even when I skied there the exact day that picture was taken from Superstar looking down towards the U-bars (Saturday April 19th to be exact) when they had k-1, Superstar, Skyepeak Express, Needles Eye and Snowshed open and spinning and had just re-opened Bear and Needles for one last weekend with about 70-75 trails available, using my Peak Nor'easter Pass got me all that for less than $50 that day! Worked in my book for the large variety of terrain and great snow conditions they were offering that 3rd weekend of April.

That was a great weekend. I was totally surprised when I showed up that Fri. morning & learned they had re-opened Skye Peak Exp. (Bear) & the Needles chair. I guess I didn't read the announcement. Plenty of other people did I guess because like I said the parking lot & access road were just as full Fri. as they were on Sat. Nice of them to run the Canyon chair also that weekend. We dropped some coin in the U-Bars in appreciation.

 

[dlague]

$27 weekdays (50% off) & $40.50 weekends (25% off) with a ticket/pass from any other area is pretty aggressive pricing.

I was skiing Jay Peak for $34 combined with Cannon for $29 and the weekend before Cannon using the Fox 44 card and Jay Peak at $34.

 

[steamboat1]

The snow level on Superstar was at the same height as the lift.

Often even higher than the lift on some sections. Often you had to look up at the slope from the lower section of middle Supe almost up to the base of the headwall. You couldn't see the other side of the trail from the lift.

 

[steamboat1]

I was skiing Jay Peak for $34 combined with Cannon for $29 and the weekend before Cannon using the Fox 44 card and Jay Peak at $34.

The difference is pocket change. K went to a $54 full priced lift ticket April 28 when they went to having only the Superstar chair open. Take 50% off that weekdays & 25% off weekends with a ticket/pass from another ski area (which I'm sure you had) & that's a pretty good deal in my book. When they went to Fri-Sun. only schedule my weekday pass was honored Sat. & Sun.. Awfully nice of them to do that.