Killington Conditions

We closed Killington yesterday, and with that our 2017 - 2018 season has come to an end.

It was a great day that started before dawn.  We had been watching the weather all week wary of the rain threat, but other than a half dozen sprinkle of water at 4:00 on the deck, the sun was out, weather perfect and the skiers were loving every second of it.


My Instagram post from Friday night, when we decided to go for it.


We arrived at the mountain at around 9:30 and there was that vibe in the air, parking lot prep in action, deck hopping, and The Glacier was looking great.  I decided I had to end my season on my Monoski and as I was working my way up to the ticket desk, a wonderful gal offered me two half-price vouchers......my day just got even better at $14.50 a ticket.


Karen and her Mini in the parking lot.....note beer cooler and Monoski in cargo hold


The snow really pulled back and the top of the Superstar headwall was fully exposed all the way to the base.  There were two ropes set up, but that route down was a mixture of mud and rock.  No matter which route one took it was a challenge, but it also became a bonding experience with the other skiers which just added to the experience.  The Glacier was its usual mix of rotten ice, corn and mud snow with only a few skinny crossings.  There were a few long troughs on skiers left, and as the day went on it bumped up on the lower headwalls and base runout.  

The skiing was really good.


The Glacier at 10:00


We skied, broke for a 2 beer lunch at the bar, skied again and then relaxed on the deck with another beer, talking our 5 runs, the headwall decent thrill and the highpoints of another great ski season.


Karen on the deck, she rocked The Glacier and was just enjoying every second of the seasons end

We sadly couldn't make the last day at Killington - though were pleasantly surprised to be featured again in The Mountain Times - Alicia called me the other day to tell me as I was heading to Kansas - very very cool..


http://mountaintimes.info/slopes-closed-killington-resort/

Take noticed of a few elements in the narration and some visual cues...  

Shot over weeks - in fact a couple of seasons.

Ski you all next season  - - we are planning some off-season stories now.

As this on TGR this morning....

“Vibes and healing thoughts needed for the head of Killington!!

The KPAA was asked to share the information below on behave of Killington Resort President & GM, Mike Solimano. I'm sure I speak for all of us that pray for a speedy recovery.

To Killington Community:

This weekend, we received news that Killington Resort President & GM, Mike Solimano, was admitted to the hospital. In order to keep you all informed, we want to share updates we’ve received from Mike – now being taken care of by the professionals at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

In typical Mike fashion, he wants to be transparent and let his extended family – Killington staff and community – know what’s happening and keep you updated. After seeking medical attention due to severe headaches, he underwent tests that determined he has a subarachnoid hemorrhage. We’re fortunate that it was not a stroke or aneurysm and caught early. He is being closely watched by the talented team at DHMC and in stable condition, improving every day.

While we don’t know how long he’ll be out, we’ll share updates as we get them. Mike has full confidence in the Killington team and has instructed us to continue business as usual - preparing for the Longest Season in the East.

If you’d like to send Mike well wishes, address letters or cards to:

Get well Mike

Killington Resort
4763 Killington Rd.
Killington, VT 05751

We’ll deliver them to him regularly. In an effort to make sure Mike follows doctors’ orders to rest, please refrain from emailing him directly.

Sincerely,

The Killington Executive Team,

Jeff Temple, Director of Mountain Operations
Judy Geiger, Director of Human Resources
Matt Kinsman, Director of Finance
Rich McCoy, Director of Summer Operations & Pico Mountain
Rob Megnin, Director of Marketing, Sales and Reservations
Scott Harrison, Director of Hospitality
Tracy Taylor, Business Development Manager”

Getting this news this morning, and needless to say we are thankful that Mike went in to get checked out.  We are totally gutted this week with news of friends dying and others in hospice, all around 50.  Coincidentally, Mike and I are exactly the same age - both born on 10/15 and both turning 50.

We are hoping that this time passes, with good news for him and of course his family. His on just started at Harvard.

Life is so fragile, and short. We have to live every moment as best we can.  

Reaching out to his family now.

Guns are on:

https://www.killington.com/

Harvey wrote

Guns are on:

https://www.killington.com/

Yup and i'm pumped! Hopefully skiing by this time next week!

Entirely a marketing stunt at this point.

Looks like a real chance to actually make snow Wed night & all day Thurs. Wouldn't be surprised if they open 1 trail on snirt by Friday.

Let the games begin!

Kton open for pass holders on Oct. 19, including free lunch.  Some walking involved and downloading on K1 gondola.  Open to general public on Sat, Oct. 20.  Details on the Kton Conditions webpage at the moment.

Anyone go today? Darkside Shaman?

I was thinking of it, but I didn't want to burn an IKON pass day. Beautiful weather out there though.

I'm thinking next week might have a little more base and maybe less crowds?

I just checked out the web cam's.  Didn't see the guns running on Superstar yet today but its slowly getting cover.  The Gondi is running and I did see what appeared to be a patroller making a run on the summit cam.

For October 19th its looking really frosty up top.  Top notch snow making team for sure.

Too warm for snowmaking now. Should be another chance Mon-Wed next week.

I wonder how much of the system is automated, especially on Superstar.....

Txt from The Shaman: "Two trails open, very very good!"

A friend went on Sat and had a good time for a few runs in the afternoon after the crowds thinned.

Found a video from April 2017 about the extra air compressors that Kton rents to get Superstar ready for WC at Thanksgiving.

Yes, I recall seeing that video.   Cool find MARZNC.

We are still not ready yet.

Skiray wrote

Yes, I recall seeing that video.   Cool find MARZNC.

We are still not ready yet.

Hmm, now that I have an Ikon pass, guess I should bring ski gear when I go to Boston for Thanksgiving week.  Feels like there may be more open early that week compared to a year ago.

marznc wrote

Found a video from April 2017 about the extra air compressors that Kton rents to get Superstar ready for WC at Thanksgiving.

I knew I read something last year in a Kton magazine about the old snow guns used in less than optimal temperatures.  It's the K-3000.  They were invented at Kton back in the 1980s.  For a while they were being sold to other mountains.  They take a lot of power but can do more in warmer temps, meaning over 25 degrees.  That explains the need for renting the extra air compressors.  For getting Superstar ready in November, it's the K-3000 snow guns that make it possible to start relatively early in order to have enough snow by Thanksgiving to run WC races.

http://www.davidmyoung.net/writing/tribute-k-3000-snow-gun/

". . .
Slavko Stanchak is the man behind the venerable K-3000. A mechanical engineer who started working in Killington’s Research and Development department in 1978, Stanchak built the first K-3000 prototype in the department’s machine shop in 1983. According to Stanchak, the K-3000 had two characteristics that made it unique at the time. “It was designed to run at a higher water pressure than its predecessors, about 350 psi, and it was the first snowgun designed with a field-adjustable nozzle to accommodate temperature and humidity changes.”

Hidden away behind its brass nozzle and stainless steel casing, Stanchak explained, the internal chamber of the K-3000 is where the alchemy of air and water turning to snow begins. Inside the gun, high pressure water is introduced into the center of a cone of pressurized air. As the air and water try to squeeze through the adjustable orifice in the nozzle, internal pressure increases, turning the stream of water into a spray of fine droplets propelled into the cold ambient air, where they crystallize into man-made versions of Mother Nature’s snowflakes.

With few moving parts and almost nothing to wear out, the K-3000’s design is elegant and durable, both necessary attributes given the challenging conditions in which snowguns operate. Among Killington’s current inventory of roughly 200 K-3000s are guns of many vintages, some of them approaching 30 years in service, their longevity a testament to their rugged construction.

Dave Lacombe, Killington’s Snow Surfaces Manager, has worked with the K-3000 since its introduction. He pointed out that once temperatures fall into the teens, the differences between various brands and models of snowgun become less pronounced, so it’s at the upper end of the snowmaking temperature range, above 25 degrees Fahrenheit, where the K-3000 really outshines the competition. According to Lacombe, the K-3000’s warm temperature capabilities are a function of its adjustability. “At the high end of its temperature range, a K-3000 might be converting water at ten gallons per minute, but under ideal temperature and humidity conditions, it’s running at 80 gpm,” he said. “At higher temperatures, you can increase the ratio of air to water and keep making snow.” I wanted Lacombe to give me an upper temperature limit for the K-3000, but he explained that it’s not quite that simple. “There are so many factors that affect it, from the temperature of the water in the pond to the relative humidity, and even the moisture content of the air coming from the compressors. But anything above the mid-20s is K-3000 territory.”  
. . ."

The K guns make higher quality snow too. The snot that comes out of many modern tower guns doesn’t even come close.

Last year they covered Superstar in like 5 days for the race.  Weather early winter (really mid-autumn) was pretty warm last year.

K is King.