Why people don't ski Killington

[Bubba]

As much as most people on this board love Killington and enjoy skiing here, there are also people who don't ski Killington or who skied it in the past but no longer come here. Why is that? I hear various reasons such as:

1. It's too crowded
2. It's too rowdy
3. It's too confusing
4. It's too expensive
5. The place is just too run down

Assuming you know people who don't or won't ski here, what reasons do you hear?

[SuzyQ]

I hear its the drive.

[Geoff]

The most common thing I always hear is "I had a bad experience. It was a zoo. I won't ever go back." That's some combination of crowding, bad service, and feeling like they're going to get run down like a dog. The worst of the crowding issues have been repaired. If you stand at the bottom of Mouse Trap or at the intersection of Skyeburst, Bear Claw, and The Stash on a Saturday, it's pretty clear that they haven't fixed the "run down like a dog" thing. I haven't noticed any particular improvement in Killington's level of service. You'd never confuse it with Deer Valley.

The thing I hear from advanced skiers is "The skiing surface sucks". If your frame of reference is Sugarbush, MRG, Stowe, Smuggs, and Jay Peak, they have a valid point.

I also hear "Too many flat traverses". Obliterating the Bear->Snowshed crossover doesn't fix the problem. The first 100 yards of Great Eastern as you exit Skyeship Stage 2 really sucks. Getting from Rams Head to the KBL really sucks. Getting from Bittersweet to the K1 really sucks. Whatever they call Falls Brook these days has a bad flat spot both at the top and at the bottom for novices. Wildfire to the new lift is painful.

[ski the trees]

all the new management cares about is money.

[the Disemboweler]

As much as most people on this board love Killington and enjoy skiing here, there are also people who don't ski Killington or who skied it in the past but no longer come here. Why is that? I hear various reasons such as:

1. It's too crowded
2. It's too rowdy
3. It's too confusing
4. It's too expensive
5. The place is just too run down

Assuming you know people who don't or won't ski here, what reasons do you hear?

i have no issues with all 5 of those complaints....during the week is the best time for solitude & sat & sun are great days for harrasing people on the mtn....

[millerm277]

I also hear "Too many flat traverses". Obliterating the Bear->Snowshed crossover doesn't fix the problem. The first 100 yards of Great Eastern as you exit Skyeship Stage 2 really sucks. Getting from Rams Head to the KBL really sucks. Getting from Bittersweet to the K1 really sucks. Whatever they call Falls Brook these days has a bad flat spot both at the top and at the bottom for novices. Wildfire to the new lift is painful.

Don't forget about the middle portion of Frolic, by Patsy's and Vagabond, and Carpenter's Run. (Yes, I know none of US get stuck on Carpenter's Run, but that trail is FLAT, and not marked in a way that would indicate it to unsuspecting people).

[laseranimal]

This is in my wheelhouse today

I'll second all the points geoff made

I'm thoroughly unpressed by the new layout, SPE liftline goes beyond clusterf@&k levels because it's now the only way out of bear. Furthermore Great Eastern used to be a nice long cruiser for me and mini. The new bear trax is beyond aweful because of how many gapers are on Bear Claw. Instead of creating long intermediate cruising terrain you've got chopped up piles of snow creating mini bumps.

Powdr should be ASHAMED of the mess that is new GE off the SPE it's a nightmare of bumps and flying bodies. Absolutely disgraceful IMHO

Furthermore if they can't or won't get someone to effectively run the lift mazes I'm done withthe place. Is it sop for powdr to only have one lane open until the line becomes completely ridiculous, rather then multiple lines open and one lifty organizing the front row, pairing singles.

I hope like hell that magic makes it to next year because the skiing experience is far more enjoyable there and to be brutally honest I think skiig there will make mini a far better skier then he'd ever wind up being if we stuck around K. The only places worth skiing on the entire mountain are snowdon and south ridge and once those lifts go high speed it's all over.


And yes the traversing sucks

[Big Bob]

Geoff, You can get from Rams Head to the KBL with one lift ride.

[laseranimal]

Geoff, You can get from Rams Head to the KBL with one lift ride.

Perhaps he ment from kbl to ramshead/snowdon

[Geoff]

Geoff, You can get from Rams Head to the KBL with one lift ride.

I'm at the top of Rams Head. I want to get to KBL or the K1. How do I do that without walking uphill as I approach the Snowdon triple? Every day, countless people do that walk. Sure, you can do a lap on the Snowdon quad but that doesn't help if you are a novice and can't handle Lower Bunny Buster.

[Big Bob]

Go under the access road, ride a Snowshed lift to the top, ski down to the KBL.

[Geoff]

Go under the access road, ride a Snowshed lift to the top, ski down to the KBL.

You can do that without walking?

[Vinny Vincenzo]

Got sick of the same old thing all the time. Joined a club and enjoy going to different places every week. Even resorts that are inferior to Killington sometimes have a more congenial atmosphere which make the trip worth while. Especially if you're only going once or twice a season to that resort.

I've rediscovered New York skiing. Jesus Christ, Whiteface has 3,450 feet of veritical and there's hardly any lines. The place is incredible. It's like you're skiing down from the freaking moon.

I also like going to Okemo, Magic, Belleayre, and even Hunter and all the bus trip places that change each week. Mountains that you haven't been to in a while, or never been to are cool. I don't miss Killington or Mount Snow all that much. I'll get back to the Big K in the next few weeks. Just not every week anymore.

[johnny the jibber]

its really cool to hate on killington, ask the stowe boys...they dont call it kmart for nothing...

[Big Bob]

Geoff, You can get from Rams Head to the KBL with one lift ride.

I'm at the top of Rams Head. I want to get to KBL or the K1. How do I do that without walking uphill as I approach the Snowdon triple? Every day, countless people do that walk. Sure, you can do a lap on the Snowdon quad but that doesn't help if you are a novice and can't handle Lower Bunny Buster.

You don't have to take your skis off to do this, therefore, no walking, just a little skating.