A New South Ridge Lift and the Rebirth of a great ski resort

[Southside_Bobby]

With Killington's announcement of a new South Ridge lift, to be built next summer, I suppose my work here is done.

I guess I could change my handle to "Roberto Interconnecto" ...

[ANGUS]

With Killington's announcement of a new South Ridge lift, to be built next summer, I suppose my work here is done.

I guess I could change my handle to "Roberto Interconnecto" ...

It's a dirty job. Somebody has to do it. I'm looking forward to the new lift. However K has a long way to go. Let us not forget the abbreviated sky ship. ( Somebody forgot stage 3. Only one lift to the peak?) How about Rams head. They cut it short on that new lift back in the day. Interconnect is only a way to move cats to and from Pico. Perhaps with the increased pressure from surrounding resorts we will see new infrastructure. The big boys from the west will be putting money into their new purchases. Powder should get the message. It's not Mike. It's Powder corp. that sucks. I'll keep spending at K. For the foreseeable future. They still have the best game in town. When the day comes that K1 requires a parking permit I'll reconsider my options.

[Highway Star]

With Killington's announcement of a new South Ridge lift, to be built next summer, I suppose my work here is done.

I guess I could change my handle to "Roberto Interconnecto" ...

It's a dirty job. Somebody has to do it. I'm looking forward to the new lift. However K has a long way to go. Let us not forget the abbreviated sky ship. ( Somebody forgot stage 3. Only one lift to the peak?) How about Rams head. They cut it short on that new lift back in the day. Interconnect is only a way to move cats to and from Pico. Perhaps with the increased pressure from surrounding resorts we will see new infrastructure. The big boys from the west will be putting money into their new purchases. Powder should get the message. It's not Mike. It's Powder corp. that sucks. I'll keep spending at K. For the foreseeable future. They still have the best game in town. When the day comes that K1 requires a parking permit I'll reconsider my options.

POWDR is never going to do anything at Killington beyond the bare minimum.

[yiddle on da fiddle]

With Killington's announcement of a new South Ridge lift, to be built next summer, I suppose my work here is done.

I guess I could change my handle to "Roberto Interconnecto" ...

It's a dirty job. Somebody has to do it. I'm looking forward to the new lift. However K has a long way to go. Let us not forget the abbreviated sky ship. ( Somebody forgot stage 3. Only one lift to the peak?) How about Rams head. They cut it short on that new lift back in the day. Interconnect is only a way to move cats to and from Pico. Perhaps with the increased pressure from surrounding resorts we will see new infrastructure. The big boys from the west will be putting money into their new purchases. Powder should get the message. It's not Mike. It's Powder corp. that sucks. I'll keep spending at K. For the foreseeable future. They still have the best game in town. When the day comes that K1 requires a parking permit I'll reconsider my options.

POWDR is never going to do anything at Killington beyond the bare minimum.

Correct-a-mundo. Its the goose that keeps layin the golden eggs.....

[da Pimp]

I hope that Killington takes full advantage of this improvement by cutting at least one new trail that follows the longest fall line as possible while still allowing a slight traverse back to the chair at the bottom. And clears some glades in there. Since there is not a lot of vertical to be had, they should capitalize with growth of that area.

I sure hope that the SR improvement is not going to be "it" for a while. Snowdon lift ops is embarrassing compared to the competition. But I sure am thankful for an improvement no matter where it happens. Getting more people spread out on to that chair and the terrain will cut back some of those other peak time lift lines.

Not sure where the snowmaking capacity stands for SR, but I remember that SR had some pipe repairs some years back. It would be great to see a pipe go down a new trail over there. Since it is a slightly higher elevation than a lot of other acreage, all you need is a decent base and mother nature will do the rest.

[GSKI]

Well everything to the skiers left of the old South Ridge chair is already a trail or glade and there is not much room to put anything in there. To the right there is not much of an option for a trial given the topography. Those Roundabout glades are actually pretty good.

[da Pimp]

Seems like you can run a natural trail straight down the fall line starting near Blue Heaven and ending up as low as you can go before you lose the traverse pitch back to the chair bottom. Then run a new snowmaking trail halfway between that new natural trail and the liftline. This would start to the skier's right of the liftline along the south ridge. Glades could be thinned out on either side of this trail. Sure, not as long as desired but it would be new trails and new places to put people, and it would offer a different experience, since it would be higher up the hill but still facing the sun. Trees would offer wind protection. Gotta give blue square skiers something to talk about just as much as experts.

Or don't use any of the new trails, just cross over to the Canyon and let others enjoy them. Its good to have options.

[Stormchaser]

Seems like you can run a natural trail straight down the fall line starting near Blue Heaven and ending up as low as you can go before you lose the traverse pitch back to the chair bottom. Then run a new snowmaking trail halfway between that new natural trail and the liftline. This would start to the skier's right of the liftline along the south ridge. Glades could be thinned out on either side of this trail. Sure, not as long as desired but it would be new trails and new places to put people, and it would offer a different experience, since it would be higher up the hill but still facing the sun. Trees would offer wind protection. Gotta give blue square skiers something to talk about just as much as experts.

Or don't use any of the new trails, just cross over to the Canyon and let others enjoy them. Its good to have options.

IIRC there are land use issues in that area. I can't recall if it's ownership or conservation related... There is a plan out there somewhere; I've seen it here before.

[GSKI]

Parkers gore land exchange?

http://www.newenglandskihistory.com/ski ... rsgore.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[daytripper]

Isn't Parker's Gore bear habitat? I thought they traded that away for the interconnect land.

[hillbangin]

Isn't Parker's Gore bear habitat? I thought they traded that away for the interconnect land.

By the late 1990s, after over a decade of legal challenges, the new ownership (American Ski Company) was acquiring Pico and determined connecting the two areas to be a more important project. As such, 3,000 American Ski Company owned acres in Parker's Gore were exchanged with the State of Vermont for 1,073 acres closer to Killington Peak, reportedly to help spur the developing of a Killington Village.

[ski]

Great resource here . . . 1904 survey of Parkers Gore

https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/460099/A204149.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rogman]

vlt.JPG (88.34 KiB) Viewed 1126 times

The yellow represents where Vermont Land Trust owns. I'm not sure this rendering is surveyer quality, however. Pretty safe bet that hell will freeze over before they allow Killington to cut a trail on their land. I believe Juggernaut, et al, are grandfathered in.

Their interactive map is here: http://www.vlt.org/land-weve-conserved/ ... d-land-map

[Mister Moose]

I see room between VLT and Jug, and between Pipe Dream and Roundabout.

[brownman]

Just a lift and many will be happy.