Killington

[ALLSKIING]

You can say what you want about the decisions K has made but you have to give them props with the agressive snowmaking they have been doing the last few days. Under promise and over deliver? We shall see.
One thing I would bet on is K will have one of the best surface to ski on in the east. That was there promise and it looks like they are doing there best to keep it.

 

[Vortex]

I gave props in another thread. Another step might be to open a little earlier than announced.

 

[2knees]

wouldnt it be funny if powdr went back to the old killington way of resurfacing relentlessy after bad weather? You know, became an in-season snowmaking powerhouse again. It seems that they really got away from that recently. Yes i know they had to rebuild bases alot over the last few years but i'm talking about really keeping the snow surface a quality product like they claim they will do. Used to be killington was the best place to go after a thaw freeze or a rain storm. You knew you would find something reasonably good. But i digress, now that i cant ski down to rt 4 on a wednesday all year or ski pico on tuesday in december, i should be screaming at the top of my lungs. right? :wink:

 

[Greg]

wouldnt it be funny if powdr went back to the old killington way of resurfacing relentlessy after bad weather? You know, became an in-season snowmaking powerhouse again. It seems that they really got away from that recently. Yes i know they had to rebuild bases alot over the last few years but i'm talking about really keeping the snow surface a quality product like they claim they will do. Used to be killington was the best place to go after a thaw freeze or a rain storm. You knew you would find something reasonably good. But i digress, now that i cant ski down to rt 4 on a wednesday all year or ski pico on tuesday in december, i should be screaming at the top of my lungs. right? :wink:

Right on. Not much, if any of the "bad PR" really affects me all that much, including the early close. I'm done by mid-April normally anyway. Chris Nyberg's response to my mogul/grooming question was very encouraging. If I get word that Killington has some excellent bumps this season, I'll definitely make some mid-winter trips up there.

 

[Highway Star]

I gave props in another thread. Another step might be to open a little earlier than announced.

While that would be nice, I think it's unlikely unless they have a very strong (cold) long term forcast and the timing aligns with a weekend. The resources required for their K-1/Glades/Snowdon opening are immense, and they simply will not expend the resources unless they can open for a solid 3-day weekend with good weather - to get high skier visits. They will not blow the snow down to the K-1 for a Monday-Wednesday opening, if it's going to warm up and rain over the upcoming weekend.

Perhaps there's an outside chance they would open on a Thursday, such as Nov. 15th, if they really had good snowmaking temps for a while and built up a very solid base. Or there's a chance they would hit Friday Nov. 9th, or the 10th, if they were truely blessed with good snowmaking weather for the next week and a half. That would mean they would blow snow up top through this upcoming weekend, and then decide some time early next week (sun-tues) if they could blow snow down to the base, with the weather staying clear through the weekend. So it's ceratinly possible, but I give it about 1 in 4 odds of it actually happening. We will find that out next week, if they start blowing snow all the way down. Otherwise, they simply won't blow down there until within 4-6 days of their opening.

Many of the other areas have a much easier strategy for getting open, so I think there's a chance we could see any of Sugarloaf, Attitash, Mt. Snow, SR, Sugarbush or Bretton Woods open this weekend, if they can pick up two nights of good snowmaking later in this week. My money's on Sugarloaf having a greater than 50% chance of opening on Sluice, and a slighly less than 50% chance of Attitash, SR, or Mt. Snow opening. Next weekend, almost definitely, if the weather trend continues.

Any of the above would put additional pressure on Killington. Frankly, I'm suprised Sugarloaf and Mt. Snow didn't run the lifts on what they had made, and declare themselves open.

 

[ALLSKIING]

Right on. Not much, if any of the "bad PR" really affects me all that much, including the early close. I'm done by mid-April normally anyway. Chris Nyberg's response to my mogul/grooming question was very encouraging. If I get word that Killington has some excellent bumps this season, I'll definitely make some mid-winter trips up there.

And you have a place to stay.

 

[Greg]

And you have a place to stay.

:beer:

 

[Newpylong]

I actually thought the last few years of marginal winters ASC did pretty damn well recovering and expanding after crappy weather... and because of it, we didn't get the snow on Ovation, the Fiddle, etc... they just did not have the money...

 

[BeanoNYC]

And you have a place to stay.

Yes but he'll have to do the sprinkler at outback as payment.

 

[andyzee]

I actually thought the last few years of marginal winters ASC did pretty damn well recovering and expanding after crappy weather... and because of it, we didn't get the snow on Ovation, the Fiddle, etc... they just did not have the money...

Agreed, I thought the job they did in some cases was unbelievable. Ice and rain one day, snow the next. Thanksgiving of '04 was on of these cases. It was 61 at Aspen East, and then started pouring with a freeze forcast for that night. I figured it would be another frozen Thanksgiving at K, but no, by the next morning they had made an incredible amount of snow that made for some great conditions.

 

[deadheadskier]

I definitely give props to Killington for blowing snow. I actually give props to ALL of the resorts so far who have fired up the guns. Whether it's for a PR photo moment, whether it's just testing out the system or it's for building a base in terms of getting going........there are SEVERAL mountains in New England who have turned it on this week.

That tells me one thing. As much as they are businesses and need to maximize profits, they are ski areas first and for most and they can't wait to get going every bit as much as we crazies can't wait to get going.

IT'S ON!!!!

 

[Greg]

IT'S ON!!!!

Indeed it is. :beer:

 

[bvibert]

As someone referenced on another board; has Killington gone from Suck to Blow??

 

[JimG.]

I can't wait to see all the backpedaling posted here when K opens first in the east.

Not that I care about who opens first all that much, but it would warm my heart after the trashing K took here all summer.

 

[andyzee]

I can't wait to see all the backpedaling posted here when K opens first in the east.

Not that I care about who opens first all that much, but it would warm my heart after the trashing K took here all summer.

Yep, wouldn't be suprised by anything from them.