Killington Friday Morning UPDATE

[johnny the jibber]

where you wanna go ozzy? south or east? something doesnt seem right about this...

[SkiDork]

Here's an angle:

Tom and Dave are just setting us up, and having a good laugh.

It's a possibility

[2pink1stink]

Like I said yesterday. The weekend of Nov. 18-19. It's gonna be too warm to open top-bottom before then.

[SloeRide]

Due to the latest weather forecast which has warm temperatures and a chance of r**n for Tuesday and Wednesday, we will not be making snow from mid-mountain down.

See -- I would say that's why you really need to make snow from mid-mountain down. Yo know --- good ol' thick base butter.

Go tell 'em: "Grrrr. I'm in charge, see. And this is how it goes. You. Point that gun there. You, get that hose. You shut up. Open that valve, adjust that mix. Somebody get me a crueller. Why can't I find me a good crueller? Curse the weathermen, we make snow!"

[robrules]

Check Matt Noyes weather discussion for a full explanation: http://www.mattnoyes.net/
.

I can't beleive you referred us to NECN weather. 1. Notorious for being WRONG - I know, I check out their weather all the time. 2. Their forcasts are for the whole NE region - not Killington, and definitely not at higher elevations. Just proves to me that you don't know your ass from your elbow.

Killington, vt forcasts don't look that much different than bethel, me forcasts, yet they are committed to blowing snow top to bottom, why not Killington?

[Mister Moose]

In my book a good year would be defined as "normal." I'm not sure what normal in VT is anymore. We know every year is different but we used to talk about trends when it came to our ski seasons. "We're in a dry trend" or "this is a cold trend." Every time I think we are entering a good pattern we get slapped down - like what is shaping up for the middle of next week following what will be awesome snowmaking temps up high this weekend.

Having grown up in New England, skied since I was 5, had a Physics professor in college that spent time at NCAR* in Boulder, and worked professionally getting and betting on weather reports and forecasts 15 times daily as a pilot, I have a lot of local and national weather experience and I've seen a lot of forecasts go sour. The modeling has improved over the years, but long term forecasts are still junk. I think those trends you think you saw are just the coin coming up heads a few times in a row.

We know the weather is eratic. We could get a warm up in any month, r*in in any month, a dry spell in any month. Snowfall totals vary. The best plan is one that takes the weather curveballs into account.

Which is why I don't understand the reluctance to offer early season high altitude skiiing. The current set up is nearly perfect. You have a high, north facing intermediate area and chairlift in the Glades/N Ridge. You have a premiere gondola to service it to upload/download. You have a ready to go early season lodge at the peak. You have an adjacent north facing expert area in the Canyon. All that is missing is a lift from the Glades/Canyon unload area or the top of South Ridge to the peak.

The Glades will hold snow through the expected warm ups, and you could be open early dependably nearly every year.

Is the cost of a new small lift that prohibitive? Is the problem that you'd be running a minimum of 3 lifts and the subsequent expense to service only the glades terrain? Doesn't early season skiing attract enough day ticket customers?

I have trouble with the "high quality product" explanation. And I for one promise to drink a beer in the lodge every early season day I ski if you do.



*National Center for Atmospheric Research

[b-5]

I don't get this one. Make the big stock pile and move it is as needed. The River the sister mountain is making top to bottom.

There you go...snow farming is the way to go!
and adding sno-max to the system allows the snow makers to make snow at higher temps.

[robrules]

I have trouble with the "high quality product" explanation.

Yeah me too. Those who get out on opening day, don't really care if their are dirt patches or not - and they don't mind hiking out either. All they have to do is tell you up front - we are open, but there may be patches and hiking is required - no one will have a problem with that. Those who want to still go will, those that don't will wait until its to their liking.

And I guess K has never heard of the phrase "soft opening".

[BoozeTan]

That sux..what happened to the Killington that opened as soon as they had three days of cold temps? Wheres the Beast of the East? all I can say is fine, dont open, BUT if you get beat out by Stratton, Okemo, or some other area mountain Im going to really have to rethink where I spend my season and my money...Especially if Okemo opens before K. I love Killington, but this is a disgrace
PLEASE BRING BACK THE KILLINGTON I KNEW WHEN I STARTED SNOWBOARDING THERE...which was really only 10 years ago......

[spinmaster]

I provided you with a straight update this morning. It is the best information we have at this time. I can't predict if the forecast will change. But I do know my elbow from my asshole! If you don't want the straight answer - then don't read the thread! Or do you just want me to stop providing you the information?
I want to ski just as bad as you do!

[thebigo]

I provided you with a straight update this morning. It is the best information we have at this time. I can't predict if the forecast will change. But I do know my elbow from my asshole! If you don't want the straight answer - then don't read the thread! Or do you just want me to stop providing you the information?
I want to ski just as bad as you do!

Tom we appreciate the information, but sitting in our offices looking at pictures of snow that we cant ski is like bringing an alcoholic to octoberfest and telling them they cant drink.

What about blowing the hell out of upper bunny buster and downloading on the cripple? Whats the difference between the base of the glades triple and the base of the upper snowdon poma? 200 vertcal ft max?

[spinmaster]

The Snowdon Triple only has a download capacity of 20% and 100 feet per minute.

[skiadikt]

I provided you with a straight update this morning. It is the best information we have at this time. I can't predict if the forecast will change. But I do know my elbow from my asshole! If you don't want the straight answer - then don't read the thread! Or do you just want me to stop providing you the information?
I want to ski just as bad as you do!

most of us appreciate the updates. please keep them coming. i guess we're all crazy to ski but some folks are getting crazier than others and taking it to extremes. maybe these folks need to take a chill pill.

[andyzee]

I provided you with a straight update this morning. It is the best information we have at this time. I can't predict if the forecast will change. But I do know my elbow from my asshole! If you don't want the straight answer - then don't read the thread! Or do you just want me to stop providing you the information?
I want to ski just as bad as you do!

You tell em Tom. Sucks how you can go from hero to villain so quick in this place. I appreciate to info, now, can we get the lifts running :)

Wanna hike up with us tomorrow?

[thebigo]

The Snowdon Triple only has a download capacity of 20% and 100 feet per minute.

By your quick response I am assuming you guys have already eliminated the snowdon poma as an option but is the quad any better?

People would show up this weekend regardless of the wait.