Frustrating: "a longer season is not in the plan"

Highway Star · Post by **Highway Star** » Feb 28th, '08, 11:14

Seriously....what is it going to take to get through to these guys???

I'm a loyal Killington skier. This is my fourth year with a Killington pass and a ski house. This year I stepped it up and got a full pass, and have skied 42 days so far this season, 90% of them at Killington. I've spent nearly $1500 with Killington this year, and roughly $4000+ total in the town/region...which will be ~$5000 by the end of the year.

Some things have been good. Better than average snowmaking on expert trails, with agressive openings of natural snow trails/glades. NO lines to speak of, and easy parking. SRT running on weekends.

The bad? Talk about getting off to a bad start at Killington...we went up and skied Sunday River Nov. 10-11th because Killington wouldn't open, even though they clearly had enough snow, and every other major resort in New England found it possible to get open. When they did open, it was pretty icy - bad move, and I won't forget it. Other gripes? Grooming and recovery efforts have been average at best. ASC did a signifigantly better job in the last two years, IMHO. Waiting until mid-December to open Rams Head and Snowshed, when the previous weekend they had enough snow to open them and massive crowds requiring busing out of those lots.....Absurd. The poaching policy....lame. The marketing is terrible - not my problem. KBL bar being closed on weekdays...BOOO!!! Skyeship and Pico being closed midweek (not that I really care). The fact that we have two mountain areas that aren't connected....Pico and Killington...humm, Stowe is connected, Sugarbush is connected. Moving up BMMC by a week and banning the BBQ'ing is a major blow. Holding firm to the closing date of April 13th, while at least a half dozen other resorts are poised to stay open longer....that's the last straw.

Anyway, it's not that there's alot to complain about, what they are doing they seem to be doing relatively well. It's what they aren't doing - offering a competitive season length with other resorts in the region, and certainly not what we expected in the past. Not going forward with the interconnect for another 5 years (read: never). Sure, it would be nice to have a new HSQ on Skye Peak, but is it really going to massive improve your skiing experience? More snowmaking?.....don't we have enough already? A lift for the park at Bbear....even though Dreamaker is the worst park trail ever? Are any of these things doing it for you, compared to what has been taken away? Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? 8 years ago?

I'm pretty much ready to give up on Killington. They just aren't doing the things I want to see as a customer...what would keep me here? A return to a October to late May season (on limited terrain), or some sort of basic Pico Interconnect - neither of which is particularly expensive. Maybe a terrain expansion.

The way I see it, Killington currently just isn't providing the value I can get from other resorts in the region, without those improvements. Is it a quality product....no, FAIL. It's better than it was, but it's not compareable to Stowe, Sugarbush, Okemo, etc, etc, etc....

Sugarbush offers just as good of skiing and a longer season at the same price, a better vibe, and cheaper loging. Stowe offers much better skiing, snow and service. I'd be crazy to stick around Killington.

Next year, I'm most likely to take my $5000 and head north to Sugarbush or Stowe. If possible, I'm going to take 4 to 8 Killington passholders (who I know personally) with me. That's roughly $30,000+ leaving the region.

Sure, that's a drop out of the bucket.....but what about all the other drops? People have experienced Killington this year....do they want more of the same? Can they live with the cutbacks? People aren't stupid, they can read the internet and the writing on the wall....the east is too competitive. People will simply just go elsewhere if they don't see the value of coming to Killington, or staying with Killington.

Enough people left Killington this season that it's almost certain that Okemo will have more skier visits....by a pretty good margin. My money's on Mt. Snow and Sunday River beating the Big-K too. So many people have left already, and nothing is being done to bring them back...

They will lose more........

Humpty Dumpty · Post by **Humpty Dumpty** » Feb 28th, '08, 11:33

Lil' Kev, you are too sexy for this mountain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipZDG6__Zfc

the Disemboweler · Post by **the Disemboweler** » Feb 28th, '08, 11:39

Humpty Dumpty wrote:Lil' Kev, you are too sexy for this mountain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipZDG6__Zfc

but hes such an adorable young boy

rogman · Post by **rogman** » Feb 28th, '08, 11:56

The "new" Killington is as big a marketing fiasco as the "new" Coke was back in '85. Whether it is a financial success is for others to judge, but clearly POWDR's decision to change the formula has created a lot of unhappy customers.

KBL Ed · Post by **KBL Ed** » Feb 28th, '08, 14:50

Thanks for wasting my GD time! Asswipe! Your thread title made it sound like you were going to quote some update from Powdr.

buzzkill · Post by **buzzkill** » Feb 28th, '08, 15:06

Highway Star wrote:Seriously....what is it going to take to get through to these guys???

I'm a loyal Killington skier. This is my fourth year with a Killington pass and a ski house. This year I stepped it up and got a full pass, and have skied 42 days so far this season, 90% of them at Killington. I've spent nearly $1500 with Killington this year, and roughly $4000+ total in the town/region...which will be ~$5000 by the end of the year.

Some things have been good. Better than average snowmaking on expert trails, with agressive openings of natural snow trails/glades. NO lines to speak of, and easy parking. SRT running on weekends.

The bad? Talk about getting off to a bad start at Killington...we went up and skied Sunday River Nov. 10-11th because Killington wouldn't open, even though they clearly had enough snow, and every other major resort in New England found it possible to get open. When they did open, it was pretty icy - bad move, and I won't forget it. Other gripes? Grooming and recovery efforts have been average at best. ASC did a signifigantly better job in the last two years, IMHO. Waiting until mid-December to open Rams Head and Snowshed, when the previous weekend they had enough snow to open them and massive crowds requiring busing out of those lots.....Absurd. The poaching policy....lame. The marketing is terrible - not my problem. KBL bar being closed on weekdays...BOOO!!! Skyeship and Pico being closed midweek (not that I really care). The fact that we have two mountain areas that aren't connected....Pico and Killington...humm, Stowe is connected, Sugarbush is connected. Moving up BMMC by a week and banning the BBQ'ing is a major blow. Holding firm to the closing date of April 13th, while at least a half dozen other resorts are poised to stay open longer....that's the last straw.

Anyway, it's not that there's alot to complain about, what they are doing they seem to be doing relatively well. It's what they aren't doing - offering a competitive season length with other resorts in the region, and certainly not what we expected in the past. Not going forward with the interconnect for another 5 years (read: never). Sure, it would be nice to have a new HSQ on Skye Peak, but is it really going to massive improve your skiing experience? More snowmaking?.....don't we have enough already? A lift for the park at Bbear....even though Dreamaker is the worst park trail ever? Are any of these things doing it for you, compared to what has been taken away? Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? 8 years ago?

I'm pretty much ready to give up on Killington. They just aren't doing the things I want to see as a customer...what would keep me here? A return to a October to late May season (on limited terrain), or some sort of basic Pico Interconnect - neither of which is particularly expensive. Maybe a terrain expansion.

The way I see it, Killington currently just isn't providing the value I can get from other resorts in the region, without those improvements. Is it a quality product....no, FAIL. It's better than it was, but it's not compareable to Stowe, Sugarbush, Okemo, etc, etc, etc....

Sugarbush offers just as good of skiing and a longer season at the same price, a better vibe, and cheaper loging. Stowe offers much better skiing, snow and service. I'd be crazy to stick around Killington.

Next year, I'm most likely to take my $5000 and head north to Sugarbush or Stowe. If possible, I'm going to take 4 to 8 Killington passholders (who I know personally) with me. That's roughly $30,000+ leaving the region.

Sure, that's a drop out of the bucket.....but what about all the other drops? People have experienced Killington this year....do they want more of the same? Can they live with the cutbacks? People aren't stupid, they can read the internet and the writing on the wall....the east is too competitive. People will simply just go elsewhere if they don't see the value of coming to Killington, or staying with Killington.

Enough people left Killington this season that it's almost certain that Okemo will have more skier visits....by a pretty good margin. My money's on Mt. Snow and Sunday River beating the Big-K too. So many people have left already, and nothing is being done to bring them back...

They will lose more........

What else do you want, egg in your $7 beer?

Take your 4-8 peeps and your 300lb dentist too and split, bye.

powbmps · Post by **powbmps** » Feb 28th, '08, 15:33

The April 13 closing date sucks. At the rate we're going lack of snow shouldn't be the limiting factor. Maybe they will suprise us and stay open longer, but I'm not holding my breath. Hell, even Sunapee is running the lifts until the snow is gone.

Of course I only spent $300 up there for a midweek pass, so no big deal. I just can't believe my last days of the season will probably be at Okemo or Stratton (as the Sunapee pass it good there too).

shizzle · Post by **shizzle** » Feb 28th, '08, 18:16

Closing April 13th sucks. But HS pointed that out in a more HS way.
I'm just beginning to realize how sad I'll be April 19th.

madvillain · Post by **madvillain** » Feb 28th, '08, 18:22

No doubt. Apr 13 closing is the worst idea ever.

I have spring break after K-mart closes.

Dr. NO · Post by **Dr. NO** » Feb 28th, '08, 19:01

Hard to believe the cheers that were let out last May on closing day. Last closing in MAY may be in our past. What a shame.

tyrolean_skier · Post by **tyrolean_skier** » Feb 29th, '08, 00:28

Dr. NO wrote:Hard to believe the cheers that were let out last May on closing day. Last closing in MAY may be in our past. What a shame.

I was there at the top of Superstar along with many others. Great memories.

whiteout · Post by **whiteout** » Feb 29th, '08, 09:14

HS you are such a girly man, you knew the closing date ahead of time yet you "stepped up" and bought an unlimited pass, and now you continue to piss and moan. i'm sure the K economy will suffer dramatically without your whopping $5K/$30K.

Geoff · Post by **Geoff** » Feb 29th, '08, 10:40

whiteout wrote:HS you are such a girly man, you knew the closing date ahead of time yet you "stepped up" and bought an unlimited pass, and now you continue to piss and moan. i'm sure the K economy will suffer dramatically without your whopping $5K/$30K.

He's bitter because Killington didn't adopt that bitchin' lift expansion plan he drew up last fall. The resort will be a better place when it thins out the Mandatory GS Turn asswipes. HighwayStar can go infect some other resort message board where they're significantly quicker with the "ban for life" button.

laseranimal · Post by **laseranimal** » Feb 29th, '08, 10:43

Highway Star doesn't even make my top 5 when it comes to K-zone screen names that need to be banned for life

rogman · Post by **rogman** » Feb 29th, '08, 11:10

laseranimal wrote:Highway Star doesn't even make my top 5 when it comes to K-zone screen names that need to be banned for life

Ditto. And most of his points are valid, btw.

KillingtonZone.com

Frustrating: "a longer season is not in the plan"

Frustrating: "a longer season is not in the plan"

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