Eyes on the Hill

[rogman]

Took a hike up to the Glades triple yesterday, to put "eyes on". I hate to disappoint anyone, but they have not blown near as much snow as they'd have you believe. I'd call it PR snow. There are no great whales of snow, nothing has been stockpiled. Basically, they've blown Rime down to the Glades Pump house, which is a 100 yards or so shy of the base of the triple.

They've put a dusting on the top of Double Dipper, but there is nothing to further to the left as you face the hill. They are going to have to blow a lot more snow up top to get open, let alone all the stretch all the way down to K1. Granted, when Killington makes up its mind to get open, they can blow a lot of snow in a hurry, but what they've done so far doesn't leave me with the impression they are opening any time soon.

I have to agree with those complaining about the Low E guns Killington has been purchasing, but it is obvious that K knows they have a problem. Right now, they have low E guns all over the upper mountain, but they are all next to a K3000 gun, and it is the 3000's that are hooked up. Clearly the Low E guns they have don't work in the marginal conditions we've seen so far. Two guns? The labor costs have to be out of sight. Killington, despite their elevation advantage, can't be competitive early season: they don't have the best equipment for making snow in marginal conditions, they are relying on 20 year old technology.

By the time I got to where GN intersects everything, the temperature had dropped considerably, and the wind was howling pretty good. I decided to forgo a trip to the summit, and instead do a walkabout of the various glades on the "upper west side". Having come up via Racer's Edge, I'd already observed that Chop Chop hadn't seen any work (for that matter there was a downed tree on Racer's Edge itself). However when I walked down through Big Dipper, I was pleasantly surprised to discover they had done a really good job of cleaning that up. It looks fabulous. About half way down I bushwacked over to Upper East Fall, down that, up Killink to Snowdon. At random spots along the way there was evidence of snowmaking system maintenance.

It appears they did some work in Low Rider with a weed whacker, but what that area really needed was a chain saw. The April storm dropped a lot of trees in there. Couple of kids were ambitiously tackling one with a bow saw. Seriously, Killington, a crew with a chainsaw needs to go in there.

Down an unmowed Frolic, a peek into Patsy's gave me the impression it had seen a whacker but not much else. I don't think there were as many trees down in there so that was probably ok.

Vagabond was also got missed by the mowers, but overall I'd have to give Nyberg very high marks on the mowing and overall trail and glade maintenance. I think they've seen the light.

Wandered down Squeeze Play for a bit. Downed trees weren't a problem in there, and it appears that the whackers hit that as well...

I continued west, and wandered into the area of the Interconnect. Everytime I do that, I am overwhelmed by the terrain and its possibilities. When I look at it on Google Earth, I do a giant "so what...". When I walk it on foot, I go "oh my god!". I'm not saying GE is wrong, it just isn't "right". We are talking a mammoth amount of terrain with terrific potential. In a meeting just yesterday, Nyberg said "5 years....... or less". I'll have more to say on that meeting later, but time to go have a life...

[shizzle]

Lower temps coming and opening still 12 days away. Lots can happen!
Thanks for the reality check.

[newpylong]

thanks for the post rog. good stuff

[b-5]

Rogman well written post, keep up the good work.

[laseranimal]

interestingly enough I think the "quality" of the early season snow is the best I've seen in 4 years of hiking

usually its nasty crusty stuff thats wet and heavy, this years batch has been quite good, I'm wondering if that has anything to do with the change in guns?

[whiteout]

Having come up via Racer's Edge, I'd already observed that Chop Chop hadn't seen any work (for that matter there was a downed tree on Racer's Edge itself).However when I walked down through Big Dipper, I was pleasantly surprised to discover they had done a really good job of cleaning that up. It looks fabulous.

It appears they did some work in Low Rider with a weed whacker, but what that area really needed was a chain saw.

a peek into Patsy's gave me the impression it had seen a whacker but not much else. I don't think there were as many trees down in there so that was probably ok.

looking forward to clean BD this winter. hope K chains up and prunes where its needed. i noticed PP needed some work after biking thru it a few weeks ago.

[johnny the jibber]

i dont remember vagabond ever getting mowed. is the tree still down on skiers left about half way down?

[Bubba]

...In a meeting just yesterday, Nyberg said "5 years....... or less". I'll have more to say on that meeting later, but time to go have a life...

They're beginning to send mixed signals on the interconnect. Initial comments upon taking over were at least 5 years. I recently got told by someone high up that they need to get the interconnect done due to its higher elevation terrain (which, given their approach to Great Eastern this year, I take as another possible indicator that they'd like to close it due to its lower elevation). I'll be real interested in what Chris had to say at your meeting about 5 years or less.

[laseranimal]

Skyeship properties on the cheap?

coming soon

[the Disemboweler]

...In a meeting just yesterday, Nyberg said "5 years....... or less". I'll have more to say on that meeting later, but time to go have a life...

They're beginning to send mixed signals on the interconnect. Initial comments upon taking over were at least 5 years. I recently got told by someone high up that they need to get the interconnect done due to its higher elevation terrain (which, given their approach to Great Eastern this year, I take as another possible indicator that they'd like to close it due to its lower elevation). I'll be real interested in what Chris had to say at your meeting about 5 years or less.

interconnect aint happening bubbs....nothing goes over the AT....its just more hogwash from powdr puff....

[SkiDork]

...In a meeting just yesterday, Nyberg said "5 years....... or less". I'll have more to say on that meeting later, but time to go have a life...

They're beginning to send mixed signals on the interconnect. Initial comments upon taking over were at least 5 years. I recently got told by someone high up that they need to get the interconnect done due to its higher elevation terrain (which, given their approach to Great Eastern this year, I take as another possible indicator that they'd like to close it due to its lower elevation). I'll be real interested in what Chris had to say at your meeting about 5 years or less.

interconnect aint happening bubbs....nothing goes over the AT....its just more hogwash from powdr puff....

AT was moved a number of years ago to make room for the Interconnect. Where've you been?

[newpylong]

i dont remember vagabond ever getting mowed. is the tree still down on skiers left about half way down?

Wrong trail, North Star has the tree down, or had it last year.

[the Disemboweler]

...In a meeting just yesterday, Nyberg said "5 years....... or less". I'll have more to say on that meeting later, but time to go have a life...

They're beginning to send mixed signals on the interconnect. Initial comments upon taking over were at least 5 years. I recently got told by someone high up that they need to get the interconnect done due to its higher elevation terrain (which, given their approach to Great Eastern this year, I take as another possible indicator that they'd like to close it due to its lower elevation). I'll be real interested in what Chris had to say at your meeting about 5 years or less.

interconnect aint happening bubbs....nothing goes over the AT....its just more hogwash from powdr puff....

AT was moved a number of years ago to make room for the Interconnect. Where've you been?

i dont keep track of all that but aint no interconnect gonna happen....

[millerm277]

...In a meeting just yesterday, Nyberg said "5 years....... or less". I'll have more to say on that meeting later, but time to go have a life...

They're beginning to send mixed signals on the interconnect. Initial comments upon taking over were at least 5 years. I recently got told by someone high up that they need to get the interconnect done due to its higher elevation terrain (which, given their approach to Great Eastern this year, I take as another possible indicator that they'd like to close it due to its lower elevation). I'll be real interested in what Chris had to say at your meeting about 5 years or less.

interconnect aint happening bubbs....nothing goes over the AT....its just more hogwash from powdr puff....

Nah, Interconnect is partially permitted already, and they've got the land leased. If they wanted to do the Interconnect, it'd probably be pretty easy to get the rest of the permitting.

[Ski-N-Sail]

i dont keep track of all that but aint no interconnect gonna happen....

Who told you this, Paul Levin?