saturday 1/20 report

[skiadikt]

oh the brutality. one of the coldest days i can remember (maybe i usually have the sense not to come out in this weather). would have kissed the car when i got back to it but my lips probably would have got stuck. mama nature decided not share and kept el sol in her back pocket. plenty of fog and did i mention the wind. bmq ok but on the spq, thought the wind was gonna rip the flesh off my face. none of that stopped the masses from coming out, led on by the mtn's reporting of powder stashes. at 11:30 both skyeship lots were full.

tried to start at the skyeship thinking of a warm ride on our way to OL. wrong. wind hold on stage 2 and stage 1 delayed. friend took the hit and drove up to an already half full lot. strangely no one was on the slopes. defying doctors orders and all the BS, OL was worth the price of admission. omg probably roty. perfect dry snow that would sluff off your skis as you turned. only prob was poor viz. spent the 1st hr lapping that. after that rest of the session was unremarkable. the groomers were good enough, though certainly wind scoured in spots. mid-dream had some nice pow on the edges.

then got the idea to get to the canyon where they were making snow on DD via the srq. wrong again. probably saved us from our selves by not running it. tried again via the front but again rebuffed by the painful winds on the spq. between lines (no bubble or stage 2) and the canyon with a cloud hanging over it decided to beat a hasty retreat. btw k1 lodge bursting at the seams. oh well some days you're the windshield and others you're the bug.

[MrsG]

You gave it a better effort than me - was too crazy for me, and vis was weird! I must have dressed ok, did not feel too cold! Heard Bear Lodge was bursting at the seams too! Be safe out there all!

[skiadikt]

You gave it a better effort than me - was too crazy for me, and vis was weird! I must have dressed ok, did not feel too cold! Heard Bear Lodge was bursting at the seams too! Be safe out there all!

generally felt warm enough. bear chair was fine. the spq was not. after our 2nd ride on it, we were crying. supe only a little better. with no stage 2 & bubble, few good options.

[SPORE]

Another wonderful Saturday matinee of the awful Mikey and Tait show at Killington.

No Snowdon 6 - maintenance issue, Superstar down for mechanical issues for a bit, constant stops / empty chairs on Ramshead, Needles area largely unusable today. Canyon quad down for a bit.

The apologists will give them another pass, but it’s becoming glaringly obvious that Tait is in way over his head.

[Fluffhead]

Yeah, it’s inexcusable they haven’t figured out how to stop the wind. If only the geniuses on KZone were running the resort we would have had the entire mountain open, great snow conditions and almost all of the lifts running smoothly. Oh wait, we did.

[daytripper]

Yeah, it’s inexcusable they haven’t figured out how to stop the wind. If only the geniuses on KZone were running the resort we would have had the entire mountain open, great snow conditions and almost all of the lifts running smoothly. Oh wait, we did.

The wind isn't the problem with the bubble, and today was the kind of day where I would have even put the bubble down.

[SPORE]

Yeah, it’s inexcusable they haven’t figured out how to stop the wind. If only the geniuses on KZone were running the resort we would have had the entire mountain open, great snow conditions and almost all of the lifts running smoothly. Oh wait, we did.

Fluffy’s back, now the message is that S6 was down to wind? Same thing about Ramshead and Superstar? Why did the app say they’re all mechanical issues?

[Killington_Lover]

Ramshead and superstar were spinning when we pulled up at 10. Parked at vale and saw a line out the gates on rams and waited in the camper 30 min or so. Went down to an empty rams, went to check a closed 6. Saw snowdon 3 with the longest line I’ve ever seen there, went back to an empty rams. Eventually dropped over to needles to see stage 2 going. Don’t blame K at all for today, it was fairly brutal out.

[Mister Moose]

The wind was every bit what the forecast said, and maybe a bit more. Coldest day in a while , but I know we all have skied colder. We just got a little soft. Superstar was brutal the first 5 lift towers, then at least you could try to get blood back into the deeper recesses of your fingertips and cheekbones. Complete flat light, swirling snow at your feet, major wind scour in exposed places, good snow against the trees. I usually like the dry gun snow, but was in no mood for more punishment.

But don't worry, tomorrow morning will be even more windy.

[DES]

Coldest day in a while , but I know we all have skied colder. We just got a little soft.

You are correct, it’s funny my old crew would say “need to hit the lavatree” but now in the cold we actually go inside when we need to hit the lavatory, we don’t just head into the woods.

[skiadikt]

Coldest day in a while , but I know we all have skied colder. We just got a little soft.

You are correct, it’s funny my old crew would say “need to hit the lavatree” but now in the cold we actually go inside when we need to hit the lavatory, we don’t just head into the woods.

today yes. no way were my hands coming out of those gloves .

winds forecasted to be a bit higher tomorrow. fwiw, bear chair was great today (as it was in last saturday's mess). pretty much out of the wind, ski on til we left and provided rinse & repeat laps on OL.

[Bubba]

Coldest day in a while , but I know we all have skied colder. We just got a little soft.

You are correct, it’s funny my old crew would say “need to hit the lavatree” but now in the cold we actually go inside when we need to hit the lavatory, we don’t just head into the woods.

today yes. no way were my hands coming out of those gloves .

winds forecasted to be a bit higher tomorrow. fwiw, bear chair was great today (as it was in last saturday's mess). pretty much out of the wind, ski on til we left and provided rinse & repeat laps on OL.

It wouldn’t be my hands I’d be concerned about.

[Guy in Shorts]

Sounds like a bunch of folks went on the back country tour today.

On 1/20/2024, at approximately 1430 hours the Killington Police Department was notified of 7-9 lost skiers/snowboardes in the backcountry.
Killington officers spoke with VSP SAR Coordinator Drew Clymer and through investigation it was determined there were a total of 21 lost individuals, 6 of which juveniles.
The decision was made to activate KSAR, who responded with 12 members.
Team members hiked, snowshoed and skinned approximately 5 miles, in frigid temperatures to assist in evaluating and bringing those lost back to safety.
Once out of the woods, those rescued warmed up in Killington Fire Departments Heavy Rescue truck and team members personal vehicles as they awaited their rides.
As the team was ready to clear, an additional call came in for 2 more skiers who were lost in the backcountry. 6 KSAR team members returned to the woods and made contact with and walked them out to safety at approximately 1930 hours.
A special thanks should be given to all the volunteers who responded and worked this call.
Killington Fire / Rescue, Killington Resort Ski Patrol, Rescue Inc. and State PSAP/ Dispatch assisted and were important partners with this complex call.

[skiadikt]

yeah heard about this - just not a total of 23 skiers. clearly the stupidity runs rampant. great job by ksar getting everyone out safely in what had to be difficult conditions. this could have ended not well.

[180]

Bundled up with my heated socks and heated vest. I guessed right today and got lucky. Hit the K1 at 9ish and did DD to Dipper Woods, nice fresh cold snow back to the box. Did Helter to the Light and Cascade. Nice pow in the woods and skiers left of Cascade was smooth wind blow. Stayed in the Canyon doing many variations, Ridge to Flush, Power Line, plenty of woods stashes. Finally was pushed out by the Canyon by it going down. Headed to OL where many laps on the mostly dry snow. You had to judge the wind at the beginning of each run whether to hit the middle or the rope line. Growler was quite nice. Saw the Skyship was open and ran to Needles, then found an untouched Vertigo which the wind was filling in on every run. Once that got discovered we finished the day on SS doing old Supe, Low road and the woods. Julio, Juanita, Somewhere all very good with few rocks.