Killllington 🎿🏂🏂🎿🎿🏂🏂🎿😀

[Newpylong]

The forecast changeover to sleet did not happen. The mountain reported storm total of 12 inches and it skis like it. Unlike some storms where the depth is very elevation dependent, there was a foot everywhere by afternoon. Unfortunately there was also long lift lines. All the WFHers will be out tomorrow, but it will still be a great day.

Who cares about Rte 4 Skyeship when ropes are dropping all over South Ridge, Skye Peak and Snowdon?

I think the folks who own real estate down there or those coming from the east (like myself) care about Route 4 Skyeship. Not only is it more convenient than Bear but the lot doesn't fill up as Bear's does. That said, yes that storm does kinda shift the attention for a bit.

 

[machski]

I think the folks who own real estate down there or those coming from the east (like myself) care about Route 4 Skyship. Not only is it more convenient than Bear but the lot doesn't fill up as Bear's does. That said, yes that storm does kinda shift the attention for a bit.

Heck, I'd be happy be able to park at Skyeship even if I had to download from mid end of day. Just more convenient day tripping from southern NH

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i will always take the extra five to drive to bear. lower skyeship. vomit.

 

[skiur]

Guns are going on lower GE so skyeship is only a couple days away.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I was curious just how long that stretch is and its over 2 miles so its quite an effort to get down there. Good thing is they just got a bunch of high moisture snow, so they have that going for them.

 

[Newpylong]

1.25 to 1.5 miles from the Bearly intersection to the base. Lower elevation but fairly easy to cover. Pipe is Old. Could use Home Stretch instead don't think it's been used once since put in in '94. Oh well...

 

[jimmywilson69]

Could use Home Stretch instead don't think it's been used once since put in in '94. Oh well...

I think they have enough blow out issues...

 

[mister moose]

Pipe is Old. Could use Home Stretch instead don't think it's been used once since put in in '94. Oh well...

Makes you wonder what the plan was when they put in those 2 small culverts under the roads. I'm assuming no groomer fits through those.

 

[Geoff]

i will always take the extra five to drive to bear. lower skyeship. vomit.

Some people don’t own good snow cars. If I were coming in from I-89 with a FWD/RWD car with iffy tires on snow-covered roads in weekend morning traffic, I’d be aiming for Skyeship base. Back in the dark ages when I was in a share house near the bottom of the Access Road and drove a Fox body Mustang, I’d park at Northeast Passage on big snow days and drop down to the Fiddle chair. I’ve had 4WD or AWD since fall 1986 but I drove pretty lousy snow cars before that.

 

[Geoff]

Could use Home Stretch instead don't think it's been used once since put in in '94. Oh well...

Err. Nope. A 35+ year friend of mine owned a house on Home Stretch walkable from the lower of the two pipes. The homeowners association paid Killington some bucks to blow snow. That trail has always had snowmaking dating back to the Great Eastern/4 mile trail days and the original gondola. It wasn’t until the Nyberg years that they told the homeowners association to F off. I imagine big sections of pipe would need to be replaced to get it operational.

 

[Newpylong]

Err. Nope. A 35+ year friend of mine owned a house on Home Stretch walkable from the lower of the two pipes. The homeowners association paid Killington some bucks to blow snow. That trail has always had snowmaking dating back to the Great Eastern/4 mile trail days and the original gondola. It wasn’t until the Nyberg years that they told the homeowners association to F off. I imagine big sections of pipe would need to be replaced to get it operational.

No, snowmaking was installed on 4-Mile from Northbrook Crossover to just before Roaring Brook road when Skyeship was installed. At the same time Touchdown was cut with snowmaking, as well as snowmaking added to the lowest section of Juggernaut (the section abandoned west of the gondola). The trail maps confirm these changes and they explicitly say "we installed snowmaking on 4 mile" in the "Making Skyeship" video 6:40 in:

I can't ever recall them using any of that snowmaking at all with the difficulties just getting GE open but I'll take your word for it if it occurred.

As for the pipe, it's still in good shape and is operational if needed. I explicitly asked my contacts in mountain ops there about it once.

 

[JimG.]

Good point, it’s also tough for out of shape skiers and people who skid their turns , a bad skier really show’s theirs “stripes “ trying to make it down to route 4 , they struggle, if you wish to improve your skiing skills and endurance try making turns and gaining momentum on flatter slopes

So out of shape skiers who skid turns need snow tires?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

lol he's talking about the ski down to skyeship base. I've only done it once or twice when i was a child. because its fucking stupid bad skiing.

 

[skiur]

There is nothing difficult about skiing down to skyeship. There are some flat sections but they are short. If you stop right before them then sure you have to skate a little but any halfway competent skier or boarder can make it down without having to skate. I prefer home stretch over GE. There is a flat section right before home stretch runs back into GE towards the bottom where if you don't keep a lot of speed you may have to skate but not on GE.

 

[JimG.]

lol he's talking about the ski down to skyeship base. I've only done it once or twice when i was a child. because its fucking stupid bad skiing.

I come in from the west on 4 and never park at the skyeship base. In fact I do not think I have ever ridden that gondola certainly not from the base.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i usually approach killington from rutland and tend to drive all the way around to bear because i like the whole vibe and access from parking over there best, and then I'll usually end up taking 91 home if i start from that far east. my drives over an entire weekend tend to end up being giant circles of 87>7 and 91>95

 

[Yo VT Raps]

There is nothing difficult about skiing down to skyeship.

Nothing fun about it either from my recollection... very much NOT fun is how I remember it but I ahve not been down that way in years.

 

[JimG.]

i usually approach killington from rutland and tend to drive all the way around to bear because i like the whole vibe and access from parking over there best, and then I'll usually end up taking 91 home if i start from that far east. my drives over an entire weekend tend to end up being giant circles of 87>7 and 91>95

I come up the TSP to 295>5>20>22>279>7>4 east. That is the most direct way to K from where I live and the quickest way as well.

I never get on a highway to go to K unless it snows and then 87 to the Northway is best. Still approach K from the west. For me parking in the Vale road lot and booting up at my car is the best way to get on the hill, plus I ski right back to my car at the end of the day. The Ramshead lift is not crowded on weekdays and sometimes I like skiing the low angle glades over there before heading to the main mountain.

 

[Newpylong]

I don't park at Skyeship for the skiing (nor does anyone likely). I park there because it's closest to me, there is always ample parking, no lines, and in 10 minutes you're sitting pretty smack in the middle of the resort and can go off in any direction. At the end of the day you have another 10 minute easy ride down GE or Home Stretch as a cool down. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[JimG.]

I don't park at Skyeship for the skiing (nor does anyone likely). I park there because it's closest to me, there is always ample parking, no lines, and in 10 minutes you're sitting pretty smack in the middle of the resort and can go off in any direction. At the end of the day you have another 10 minute easy ride down GE or Home Stretch as a cool down. Different strokes for different folks.

We agree closeness the same reason I park at Vale.