Is the Interconnect in Killington Resorts Plans?

[ski]

The Interconnect is live this year . . . from the 2014-2015 Winter website

Killington / Pico Mountain Interconnect

From the Ramshead Base Lodge, proceed up the looker’s right side of Easy Street trail.
Follow Easy Street to its intersection with Header trail. These two trails run together for approximately 100 yards.
Turn right up Easy Street and follow it to the base of Swirl trail.

If you decide to leave the ski resort premises and go beyond the ski area boundary, an out-of-bounds uphill travel route continues up Old Swirl trail to the summit of Ramshead Mountain. BE AWARE: this section of the route is outside the ski area boundary and is not maintained or checked by ski resort personnel at any time, both during non-operating AND operating hours.

Turn hard right and proceed downhill along the marked route for approximately 75 yards.
Turn left and follow the Interconnect uphill until it joins the Pico Mountain Uphill Travel Route on 49er trail.

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[ski]

[snoloco]

^^^^Time for Powdr to FINISH IT.

[Skivt2]

To do a snowmaking upgrade you need water. Pico has no water source. Pico is cone shaped at the top. If you had ever explored off the trail you know there is a very limited amount of expansion possibility up there. Most fall lines take you away from the area which is why so many get lost back there and end up needing to be rescued. The only way to connect the two is to bring the Killington traffic in lower down. The existing interconnect is the way back to Killington not the way to get to Pico. So many people have opinions about this but really don't spend enough time at Pico to have formed defensible positions. I'm not saying that is you. I'm not trying to offend anyone. Spend 30-35 days a year at Pico for the next 3-5 years, make most of those days weekends or holidays, then get back to me.

[colchskier81]

water is a major factor in the interconnect not getting built, but not just the fact that pico has very limited supplies... water from the pico side of the pass drains to the otter creek river. water from the killington side drains to the white river. permitting is tricky - or impossible - to pump water from woodward, through killington, to pico - in a different watershed.

you'll never hear killington say this, but the interconnect is NEVER going to happen. water/permitting issues aside, it make zero financial sense. millions in new lifts and snowmaking, increased staffing/grooming/patrolling, and for what? how many more lift tickets are they going to sell than they do now?

[freeski]

Drill a couple of wells. You have to pump water up the hill what's a couple of more feet? With the mountains maybe there is the possibility of an artisan well, might need to build a reservoir? Where does the snow making water come from now?

300px-Artesian_Well[1].png (32.26 KiB) Viewed 3169 times

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

water is a major factor in the interconnect not getting built, but not just the fact that pico has very limited supplies... water from the pico side of the pass drains to the otter creek river. water from the killington side drains to the white river. permitting is tricky - or impossible - to pump water from woodward, through killington, to pico - in a different watershed.

you'll never hear killington say this, but the interconnect is NEVER going to happen. water/permitting issues aside, it make zero financial sense. millions in new lifts and snowmaking, increased staffing/grooming/patrolling, and for what? how many more lift tickets are they going to sell than they do now?

Not to sound too picky...because you make great points here but Killington's main slope(& Woodward Res.) drain into the Ottuaqueechee not the White river...but both of those drop into the Connecticut River so..water would be diverted from it's original destination Long Island Sound towards St. Lawrence seaway instead. And that might not sit well when assessing environmental impact.

But I don't agree with points made in second paragraph. It can happen and I think it will... pretty soon (5 years?)

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

and by the way... who the hell owns Pico Pond and why hasn't Kton bought it? I would make that my top priority if it is possible. If the lifts could start at the pond how many minor problems would that solve and how cool could that be??

Lots of free knowledge on this forum... must be a good reason...what is it?

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

Found Pico Pond LLC on interwebs as a forestry business formed in 2009 and claiming to generate $43k per anum. Is this who owns this incredibly desirable piece of real estate?

[Mister Moose]

A quick trip to the Secretary of State yields this:



Business Name: PICO POND, LLC Business ID: 0018245
Business Type: Domestic Limited Liability Company Business Status: Active
LLC Subtype: Manager Managed
Business Description: Not Available Fiscal Year Month: 12
Date of Incorporation / Registration Date: 12/28/2006

Principal Business Office Address: 76 St. Paul St, Box 639, BURLINGTON, VT, 05402, USA Mailing Address: #####, AKRON, OH, 44313, USA
Citizenship / State of Incorporation: Domestic/VT Last Annual Report Year: 2013
Term Date: 12/28/2056


Principals Information


Name/Title:

Physical Address:

D## P##, Manager Shelburne, VT, 05482, USA
M## M##, Manager, Akron, OH, 44313, USA
PICO POND, LLC Manager NONE


Registered Agent Information

Name: GRAVEL & SHEA
Physical Address: 76 ST. PAUL STREET, 7TH FLOOR, BURLINGTON, VT, 05401, USA
Mailing Address: P. O. BOX 369, BURLINGTON, VT, 05402, USA


(Names deleted out of respect for privacy)

And a reference to a 1990 lease:

Lease Agreement dated as of February 20, 1990, between Pico Pond
Associates and Killington Ltd.*

[colchskier81]

pico pond is privately owned - there's a nice little house on it. i doubt it would ever sell.

that said, its at over 2000 feet in elevation and considered a high elevation pond, just like sterling pond at smuggs is. the state would NEVER let you pull water out for snowmaking.

[Sgt Eddy Brewers]

pico pond is privately owned - there's a nice little house on it. i doubt it would ever sell.

that said, its at over 2000 feet in elevation and considered a high elevation pond, just like sterling pond at smuggs is. the state would NEVER let you pull water out for snowmaking.

OK privately owned.... but are the owners really stubborn enough to resist a truly substantial bid? Seems to me that when options for the interconnect are on the table you get a lot more options if you can drop the lift down to the flat area that borders the pond. Look at the topography and the best options would have the bottom of one lift down near the pond... it Kton owned that land.

Unfortunately you are probably like about not getting a permit to pull water form that pond. ANyone else with expertise on this issue?

[Woodsrider]

The Whistler Blackcomb interconnect was a big deal and big bucks, yet it appears to have been a worthwhile expense. Now Vail is looking to do the same thing in Utah.
I can understand the dedicated Pico people's reservations about an interconnect. But in the end it would significantly improve the customer experience at Kton and I would think turn more revenue. Yes Pico will change, but Pico pretty much sucks now. It needs change.

[snoloco]

Pico's lifts need an upgrade and the interconnect could help them get that.

[madhatter]

Pico's lifts need an upgrade and the interconnect could help them get that.

Pico has one of the best lifts around w the summit chair... The golden, while not serving much in the way of interesting terrain is also a newer HSQ...can;t see the need for replacing the outpost double or little pico triple with anything bigger or faster either...