Opening schedule for the rest of the mountain

[Stormchaser]

Here's a question for those of you who know the mountain better.

Based on previous years, what should I expect to see open by next Friday (Veterans Day) and the weekend that follows? North Ridge only or top-down skiing? I'd be driving with my kids for 7.5 hours, so I'd need to set some expectations, as they've skied Killington several times with everything open.

The weather doesn't look too lousy for snowmaking. Any sense of how things have played out in the past and how they're likely to play out this year would be appreciated!

p.s. Jealous of those who already got out today...

1.3% of the mountain is (will be) open. You'll be sharing that limited space with a lot of folks. Weather this week could result in a slick base, but it looks like they could have the guns back on Wednesday night through Friday morning and then again Saturday night and beyond. I wouldn't expect much expansion if any, but the stairs aren't bad as long as you don't ski until your legs are jello. Or bring a backpack with shoes to stash at the top of Rime and just walk down Great Northern when you're done for the day. It's a little longer, but a much nicer hike.

[skidogg]

They'll probably lost their passes for a week or two, and then will get a talking to from ski patrol before they get them back. If they get busted again, then it'll be worse.

if they get them back and then hit someone is K liable ?

[snoloco]

No. If someone had their drivers license suspended, got it back, and then caused an accident, are the police liable?

[Bubba]

No. If someone had their drivers license suspended, got it back, and then caused an accident, are the police liable?

Big difference between suing a private entity (Killington) and suing a government entity (police or court). One could argue in court that the resort knew or should have known about the video record these guys have left and acted accordingly.

[snowforme]

Here's a question for those of you who know the mountain better.

Based on previous years, what should I expect to see open by next Friday (Veterans Day) and the weekend that follows? North Ridge only or top-down skiing? I'd be driving with my kids for 7.5 hours, so I'd need to set some expectations, as they've skied Killington several times with everything open.

The weather doesn't look too lousy for snowmaking. Any sense of how things have played out in the past and how they're likely to play out this year would be appreciated!

p.s. Jealous of those who already got out today...

1.3% of the mountain is (will be) open. You'll be sharing that limited space with a lot of folks. Weather this week could result in a slick base, but it looks like they could have the guns back on Wednesday night through Friday morning and then again Saturday night and beyond. I wouldn't expect much expansion if any, but the stairs aren't bad as long as you don't ski until your legs are jello. Or bring a backpack with shoes to stash at the top of Rime and just walk down Great Northern when you're done for the day. It's a little longer, but a much nicer hike.

Thanks everyone. These are good tips.

Now, that the melt is here we decided against the trip for now. I assume Mountain ops will have their work cut out for them just to recover from this r*in on the North Ridge + move along with the World Couple prep.

We'll probably end up coming to Killington in late Feb or early Mar at a time when, at least, one of the boys has a four-day weekend. (For two-day weekends, the distance to VT remains a little rough.) And then we'll have a good chance of having pretty much everything open... It just would've been great to get the season started, but it'll now be in PA/WV, hopefully, the first weekend of December.

[ski]

They'll probably lost their passes for a week or two, and then will get a talking to from ski patrol before they get them back. If they get busted again, then it'll be worse.

if they get them back and then hit someone is K liable ?

Pretty sure these guys don't have Killington passes . . .. Most likely Ikon or some comp day passes . . . Not Killington locals

[Southside_Bobby]

They'll probably lost their passes for a week or two, and then will get a talking to from ski patrol before they get them back. If they get busted again, then it'll be worse.

if they get them back and then hit someone is K liable ?

Pretty sure these guys don't have Killington passes . . .. Most likely Ikon or some comp day passes . . . Not Killington locals

These guys getting their passes pulled for how they were skiing is a rarity. It was because they recorded it and posted it. Low hanging fruit for Mike to make examples of.

I would bet the vast majority of pulled passes are for trying to let someone else use your pass, with poaching closed trails a distant second. Speeding and reckless skiing are probably a small percentage.

When it comes to excessive speed in crowds, you see it everywhere. It isn't just at K, and it isn't just a certain demographic. People think it is ok to fly, as long as they tell themselves they are "in control". That's the problem. Often the best skiers are the worst offenders.

They need to focus more on speed control on crowded days and in crowded areas. If you are skiing too fast in a crowd, you are endangering those around you.

Could there be a better time and place to try to manage speed than Rime early season?

And no, the mountain would not be liable for what somebody does after they get their pass back. Liability control is the reason the resorts have these procedures. And they all reserve the right to kick you the hell off their property whenever they want. They will ban chronic offenders for life.

[Stormchaser]

They'll probably lost their passes for a week or two, and then will get a talking to from ski patrol before they get them back. If they get busted again, then it'll be worse.

if they get them back and then hit someone is K liable ?

Pretty sure these guys don't have Killington passes . . .. Most likely Ikon or some comp day passes . . . Not Killington locals

These guys getting their passes pulled for how they were skiing is a rarity. It was because they recorded it and posted it. Low hanging fruit for Mike to make examples of.

I would bet the vast majority of pulled passes are for trying to let someone else use your pass, with poaching closed trails a distant second. Speeding and reckless skiing are probably a small percentage.

When it comes to excessive speed in crowds, you see it everywhere. It isn't just at K, and it isn't just a certain demographic. People think it is ok to fly, as long as they tell themselves they are "in control". That's the problem. Often the best skiers are the worst offenders.

They need to focus more on speed control on crowded days and in crowded areas. If you are skiing too fast in a crowd, you are endangering those around you.

Could there be a better time and place to try to manage speed than Rime early season?

And no, the mountain would not be liable for what somebody does after they get their pass back. Liability control is the reason the resorts have these procedures. And they all reserve the right to kick you the hell off their property whenever they want. They will ban chronic offenders for life.

While the video posting was an obvious example, it begs the questions...what's too fast? What's slow? Is passing ok? At what rate? How close? Are there specific speed limits and distance requirements or are they situationally subjective? Is it wrong for me to zoom by joe skier in the flats of Great Northern because I anticipated the flat glide and kept my speed but they didn't? Inquiring minds want to know.

[RENO]

I always thought they came all at once, but I'm glad they're all here now. Do you think the use of the Phazer guns will allow more guns to run this time of year when things are limited by air?

Absolutely, as long as it's cold enough. For their portable gear a K3000 will suck 400 CFM at max flow while a Baby Rat is a little shy of 300 CFM. The diesels are 1600 CFM so that's literally only 4 K guns wide open per unit. I don't know what their cyborg Phazers run but likely around 50-60 CFM if you make some educated guesses going from 3 to 4 nukes. That's a tremendous amount of air they would free up every time they used a Phazer. They do require around 250 PSI on the water side to put out a decent product, so there may be some limitations on their use on some of the lines further from the boosters.

They are burning alot of diesel (22 GPH) to run 4 K3000 guns in marginal conditions. Is the water pressure near the top of the mountain 250 PSI?

250, 260 Whatever it takes!

[RENO]

Here's a question for those of you who know the mountain better.

Based on previous years, what should I expect to see open by next Friday (Veterans Day) and the weekend that follows? North Ridge only or top-down skiing? I'd be driving with my kids for 7.5 hours, so I'd need to set some expectations, as they've skied Killington several times with everything open.

The weather doesn't look too lousy for snowmaking. Any sense of how things have played out in the past and how they're likely to play out this year would be appreciated!

p.s. Jealous of those who already got out today...

1.3% of the mountain is (will be) open. You'll be sharing that limited space with a lot of folks. Weather this week could result in a slick base, but it looks like they could have the guns back on Wednesday night through Friday morning and then again Saturday night and beyond. I wouldn't expect much expansion if any, but the stairs aren't bad as long as you don't ski until your legs are jello. Or bring a backpack with shoes to stash at the top of Rime and just walk down Great Northern when you're done for the day. It's a little longer, but a much nicer hike.

Thanks everyone. These are good tips.

Now, that the melt is here we decided against the trip for now. I assume Mountain ops will have their work cut out for them just to recover from this r*in on the North Ridge + move along with the World Couple prep.

We'll probably end up coming to Killington in late Feb or early Mar at a time when, at least, one of the boys has a four-day weekend. (For two-day weekends, the distance to VT remains a little rough.) And then we'll have a good chance of having pretty much everything open... It just would've been great to get the season started, but it'll now be in PA/WV, hopefully, the first weekend of December.

Too much of a zoo with a couple short trails to drive that far. I have about a 6 hour drive. I'm waiting to at least have top to bottom...

[ski]

Love that this thread is actually two threads . Let's make it three . .Looking for new boots this season . any recs ?

[Midwest Skier]

ski wrote

Looking for new boots this season . any recs ?

I got a pair of the new Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA® Boots at First Stop late last season. Have about 15-20 days on them so far and I love them. Getting new technology will either make me look like an idiot or a genius. Online talk about them seems to be universal disdain by people that haven't tried them. Looking forward to some of that here!

[ski]

ski wrote

Looking for new boots this season . any recs ?

I got a pair of the new Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA® Boots at First Stop late last season. Have about 15-20 days on them so far and I love them. Getting new technology will either make me look like an idiot or a genius. Online talk about them seems to be universal disdain by people that haven't tried them. Looking forward to some of that here!

They sound cool . . Wondering if they would loosen up over time, say through a ski day . . or a season . .

[Bubba]

ski wrote

Looking for new boots this season . any recs ?

I got a pair of the new Salomon S/Pro Supra BOA® Boots at First Stop late last season. Have about 15-20 days on them so far and I love them. Getting new technology will either make me look like an idiot or a genius. Online talk about them seems to be universal disdain by people that haven't tried them. Looking forward to some of that here!

They sound cool . . Wondering if they would loosen up over time, say through a ski day . . or a season . .

Depends how fast you're skiing.

[skidogg]

not too fast
you lose y pass