Killington

[Rogman]

Killington has narrowly focused on the expert skier demographic early season. If you are part of that group, you will be happy with how POWDR is running the mountain, if not, you won't be. Personally, I think Killington, even early season, is too large to concentrate on the core skiers to the exclusion of all others. However if that is a strategy that works for them, so be it.

Not quite sure I follow the NY deli turkey sandwich comparison... Ski area fare is typically abysmal and Killington is no exception. If a deli produced a similar product it would not stay in business.

 

[JimG.]

Killington has narrowly focused on the expert skier demographic early season. If you are part of that group, you will be happy with how POWDR is running the mountain, if not, you won't be. Personally, I think Killington, even early season, is too large to concentrate on the core skiers to the exclusion of all others. However if that is a strategy that works for them, so be it.

Not quite sure I follow the NY deli turkey sandwich comparison... Ski area fare is typically abysmal and Killington is no exception. If a deli produced a similar product it would not stay in business.

Early season is usually focused on the advanced/expert skier.

There is plenty of beginner terrain open at K right now...the complaint is that kid's programs have not yet started. Great Eastern and Great Northern are both open. I don't want to say any more than that.

I also don't agree that all ski area food is swill. Alot is. I think Hunter food is pretty good for the most part. Deer Vally in Utah food is ridiculously good and signifiacantly higher priced. I was at K Tuesday and got a bowl of soup, yogurt, a drink, and a brownie. It was about $10. To me, that's the typical ski area food pricing structure. And the food tasted good. Maybe I'm not fussy.

 

[millerm277]

There is plenty of beginner terrain open at K right now...the complaint is that kid's programs have not yet started. Great Eastern and Great Northern are both open. I don't want to say any more than that.

That is incorrect. Great Eastern is open, but only to Launchpad (which is about 200ft down the trail). The only ways down from there currently are intermediate or harder. Great Northern is not a beginner trail, with multiple sections that are too steep for most beginners, and difficult trail intersections...Killington was even stating that GN is not for beginners.

Frolic/Caper is open, and is suitable for a beginner, but it has a couple of completely flat sections that require skating/poling.

I also don't agree that all ski area food is swill. Alot is. I think Hunter food is pretty good for the most part. Deer Vally in Utah food is ridiculously good and signifiacantly higher priced. I was at K Tuesday and got a bowl of soup, yogurt, a drink, and a brownie. It was about $10. To me, that's the typical ski area food pricing structure. And the food tasted good. Maybe I'm not fussy.

Killington's food, has in the past, been a bit hit or miss for me, some days it'd be great, but I've also gotten a burger that's been more than a bit past well-done before. Their prices do seem a bit high, but that's a complaint you hear about almost all ski areas.

 

[Geoff]

That is incorrect. Great Eastern is open, but only to Launchpad (which is about 200ft down the trail). The only ways down from there currently are intermediate or harder. Great Northern is not a beginner trail, with multiple sections that are too steep for most beginners, and difficult trail intersections...Killington was even stating that GN is not for beginners.

Frolic/Caper is open, and is suitable for a beginner, but it has a couple of completely flat sections that require skating/poling.



Killington's food, has in the past, been a bit hit or miss for me, some days it'd be great, but I've also gotten a burger that's been more than a bit past well-done before. Their prices do seem a bit high, but that's a complaint you hear about almost all ski areas.

If you go back to the old Killington naming convention, Great Eastern was open last weekend. Great Eastern used to be what is now Launch Pad and upper Cruise Control. A novice could easily ski top to bottom off the K1 Gondola using that route.

You could also ski the wrap-around off the Snowdon Quad that goes past Patsy's and Vagabond over to Rams Head and then get back to Snowdon on Caper. The first two corners were double-black with very icy snowmaking whales. I did quite a few runs in that direction to get at the natural snow terrain and there were lots of low skill people on that route.


Killington has not fixed their food yet. I pack a lunch in my day pack and drag it to the lodge for my lunch break.

 

[tomski]

I have not skied Killington this year yet, but appluad their new approach.

I did ski Okemo Saturday and think the lack of All East Pass and early season novice terrain pushed a lot of pwople to Okemo. The mountain was mobbed for a pre Christmas week end. Most people I've ever seen there early season.

 

[nycskier]

Was at Killington this weekend and it was awesome. Lots of really good terrain open and conditions were great. I am not sure how much of this has been the early season snow and cold and how much as been Powdr.

I also spoke to some friends of mine who are working at as Ambassadors this season. They told me that the new management told them that the K-mart days of something for everyone are over and they want to turn Killington into an expert only type of place.

I personally like this policy because I think the terrain Killington has is really geared towards the expert skier. Outside of the apres ski Killington's not really a great place for a beginner to go to.

Couple things I did not like about what the new management did this weekend. I thought they were really sticking to their scheduale a little too hard.

There really was no reason not to run at least 1 lift from snowshed. Parking in the vail lot and waiting for the bus was a bit of a pain. I have to believe it would have cost them less to run one lift rather than have so many bus.

Also I was kind of upset they were not running the Needles Eye Chair. They had the top of Needles Eye eye Cruise Control open but you had to take the Snowshed Crossover to get back. Running the Needles Chair would have made all that terrain alot more accessable!

On the positive side I noticed the crowds at Killington were way down. While I loved my cheap A41 pass raising the prices has certainly scared a lot of people away! There really were no lift lines this weekend and I actually had some trails all to myself. It was pretty awesome!

 

[skiadikt]

the new management told them that the K-mart days of something for everyone are over and they want to turn Killington into an expert only type of place.

the silverton of the east

yeah i heard the parking thing sucked tyhis weekend. snowshed lodge & lift definitely should have been opened. kbl was packed.

 

[millerm277]

yeah i heard the parking thing sucked tyhis weekend. snowshed lodge & lift definitely should have been opened. kbl was packed.

Renovations aren't done yet on Snowshed from what I've heard. Not running at least one of the doubles in the morning is insane, considering how all of the buses drop off at snowshed.

 

[nycskier]

Renovations aren't done yet on Snowshed from what I've heard. Not running at least one of the doubles in the morning is insane, considering how all of the buses drop off at snowshed.

Totally agree. No reason not to run one of the doubles. It would have made everyone's life a lot easier.

Also they had no plan for picking up passes and buying express cards (which btw is a really good deal and pays for itself after 2 days at Killington). Since the season pass office at Snowshed was closed the only place to get your pass was at the information office at K1. Since they only have 2 computers there, the lines were kind of line and it took way longer than it should have to get it done.

That being said, the staff they had working there was great. Everyone was really friendly and they did their best to help everyone out. I must say Killington has some really nice people working for them on the mountain.

 

[JerseyJoey]

I have to give them props for all the great expert trails open and very good conditions even before the storm....BUT.....No ski school or beginner terrain open for the kids before Dec 14 is tough on them. My 9 year old is skiing but try to explain to my 4 year old that even 2 feet of snow won't open the carpet early. Then she give me a sad face when she watches me head out.:-x

do you ski only at killington.