Snowmaking and Terrain Expansion Thread (2024-2025)

[newpylong1]

I imagine snowmaking came to a halt too in NR. The summit power comes via High line booster station bet that popped too.

[asher2789]

The stairs were supposed to be a fail-safe, like the Locke mid station at SR. Not the operational norm until late-November. If they'd put in the same effort on snowmaking that they did before the pandemic, then they'd have shorter timeframes using the stairs, and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

this year they never had the temps to go top to bottom. only now, with the recent snowfall, is it possible. killington doesnt control the weather. im sure if it was up to solimano it would snow a foot every night and be bluebird every day with no wind and perfect temperatures. but this isnt colorado, its vermont. during global warming. and burlington leads the country in terms of change in average temperature, it is up over 8ºF since the 1970s.

Historical opening dates at Killington Resort

2024/25: Nov. 14

2023/24: Nov. 3

2022/23: Nov. 17

2021/22: Nov. 5

2020/21: Nov. 20

2019/20: Nov. 3

2018/19: Oct. 19

2017/18: Nov. 8

2016/17: Oct. 25

2015/16: Oct. 18

2014/15: Nov. 3

2013/14: Oct. 23

2012/13: Oct. 13

2011/12: Oct. 29

2010/11: Nov. 2

2009/10: Nov. 7

2008/09: Nov. 2-6, Nov. 19

2007/08: Nov. 16

2006/07: Nov. 23

2005/06: Oct. 29-30; Nov. 19

2004/05: Nov. 9:

2003/04: Nov. 10

2002/03: Oct. 25

2001/02: Nov. 6

2000/01: Oct. 29

1999/00: Oct. 25

1998/99: Oct. 22

1997/98: Oct. 1

1996/97: Oct. 4

1995/96: Oct. 17

1994/95: Oct. 3

1993/94: Oct. 1

1992/93: Oct. 1

1991/92: Oct. 21

1990/91: Oct. 27

1989/90: Oct. 10

1988/89: Oct. 13

1987/88: Oct. 12

from https://mountaintimes.info/2024/11/20/s ... on-nov-14/

so for the last 6 years weve opened in november, half of them in mid november, and youre mad youre taking the stairs when theyve not even been open for two whole weeks yet? dude go work harder or win the lottery or something and go be a rich person somewhere else where the snow conditions and lifts meet your liking, or better yet just go heli ski around the world and change the weather like you change your underwear. because clearly you cant be happy with what youve got here...

They had the temps and the window, they just didn’t have the capacity to do so simultaneously for both the customers and the WC.
Maybe with the conversion from diesel to electric compressors, mentioned in the other thread, they will have the capacity to do so in the future.

not for top to bottom, except when they initially blew north ridge. temperatures and wet bulbs have been extremely marginal this season. kzone acts like the mountain is intentionally not blowing. if they could, they would.

i guess well see how next years early season rolls out, i believe this is gonna be the last world cup for a while.

anyway, rumor is tomorrow the stairs will be retired.

Huh? If they got supe topto bottom how was the window not there? I don't have a problem with that but you certainly can't say it wasn't possible because they did it on Supe.

except when they initially blew north ridge

[newpylong1]

I was told they are making snow down to K1 through Snowdon now.

[skiadikt]

I was told they are making snow down to K1 through Snowdon now.

wow great news. they have a good window overnight into tomorrow before some ugliness moves in. gonna guess they'll make as much snow down low while they have the temps and then can fill in upper. assume ttb for sure tgiving (earlier if lucky) and then by friday when they need to be prepping the course for the race, it's probably full steam on public terrain assuming it's too late for skye lark (hmm will mikaela be training in the NR ). starting friday through the following week, great snowmaking temps so they'll put these new low-e guns through their paces and hopefully see quicker expansion.

[rogman]

I imagine snowmaking came to a halt too in NR. The summit power comes via High line booster station bet that popped too.

There wasn’t much snowmaking when I was up there this AM. Just a few guns at the top of UEF which were still making snow after the power went out. Presumably the booster station remained on line. Problems were up higher on the mountain.

[rogman]

I was told they are making snow down to K1 through Snowdon now.

Somewhere past pleasantly surprised into stunned territory. Means they’re in okay with where they are on the cup course if they’re working the T2B problem.

[newpylong1]

I didn't get all the way to the base area but was on the access road after I posted. They were running on something down through the very bottom of Snowdon couldn't tell if it was Lower Bunny, Lower GN or whatever. Way up it looked like Upper Double Dip and UEF. Most of SS looked on. Didn't see anything on Skye Lark hopefully they just throw the towel in on that.

You guys will have to give a better report tomorrow.

[Big Bob]

Moving forward more favorable snowmaking temps, butt watch out for the Christmas thaw.

[Big Bob]

Post on Killington Locals Facebook page claims top to bottom is almost ready. Also shows lineman working on power issue.

https://www.facebook.com/1032673404/vid ... 0014028834

[KingsFourMan]

Starting late this week, temps are going to drop well below normal for an extended period with daily highs below freezing. I sure hope we see more than a couple of trails lit up. With only 3 weeks left from the start of this cold snap before the big Christmas/New Years holiday, you would think that we'd see nothing short of a full-on onslaught. We shall see.

[skiadikt]

bombing supe ttb. nothing on skye lark, so maybe they've punted. burying UEF. and making snow on the K1 base and couldn't tell how far up lower bunny they were going. temps did warm into the lower 30s. tomorrow doesn't look good but then it should be pedal to the metal.

[asher2789]

I was told they are making snow down to K1 through Snowdon now.

they did all afternoon and night and this morning. im guessing different power source than the lifts, because they were blowing and fixing the power issue at the same time. operations team are working really hard.

[asher2789]

I was told they are making snow down to K1 through Snowdon now.

wow great news. they have a good window overnight into tomorrow before some ugliness moves in. gonna guess they'll make as much snow down low while they have the temps and then can fill in upper. assume ttb for sure tgiving (earlier if lucky) and then by friday when they need to be prepping the course for the race, it's probably full steam on public terrain assuming it's too late for skye lark (hmm will mikaela be training in the NR ). starting friday through the following week, great snowmaking temps so they'll put these new low-e guns through their paces and hopefully see quicker expansion.

the world cup women are gonna be training on NR from 7-9am before lifts open to the public. i doubt theyre gonna stick around for the sh*t show that is the public lol.

[newpylong1]

They also likely would (rightfully) be read the riot act if they just started to hit Skye Lark coming into Thanksgiving week without T2B.

[rogman]

the world cup women are gonna be training on NR from 7-9am before lifts open to the public. i doubt theyre gonna stick around for the sh*t show that is the public lol.

Heard the same, was told they won’t be setting up gates. I’m perfectly willing to volunteer as a gate; lots of experience: I ski Saturdays.