New England 2021-2022 Killington Ski Resort/Conditions/Meetups

[ScottB]

OK, I need some guidance. I'm headed up to K-ton in the next week or two and my experience has been that it is a confusing mountain. Some regulars got insights as to best advanced trails? Way to get around? Stay in one area or move from pod to pod?

Seems you got some good advice so far and I am learning a lot from the responses. My one suggestion, from my experiences is about Kton's trail map. I always use it to navigate and I have finally learned that what shows as one big intersection on the map (i forget which one) is grossly simplified and is really like 3 intersections and the first one blocks the real life view of the other two. So if you can't see the trail you want when the map says you should be able too, keep going downhill and you'll get to another intersection or even a third one. I would just give up and do "eeny meany miny mo" where I will end up I do not know?

 

[Ogg]

Seems you got some good advice so far and I am learning a lot from the responses. My one suggestion, from my experiences is about Kton's trail map. I always use it to navigate and I have finally learned that what shows as one big intersection on the map (i forget which one) is grossly simplified and is really like 3 intersections and the first one blocks the real life view of the other two. So if you can't see the trail you want when the map says you should be able too, keep going downhill and you'll get to another intersection or even a third one. I would just give up and do "eeny meany miny mo" where I will end up I do not know?

I've skied there a lot and I still end up missing my turn offs and forgetting which way is uphill at some intersections. They've also changed a couple of spots over the years, put up fencing etc. that really screw me up.

 

[johnnyvw]

From my experience (and this goes back a few years), if you like what youre skiing on, stay there and maybe change after lunch. Unless you really like to just roam around. I found trying to move from pod to pod, you just ended up spending half your day on connecting trails

 

[tch]

Thank you all for info/feedback. I spent 2 days there last week and skied a lot, so got to know the place as it is right now (many trails closed due to lack of snow). Even though I figured out a bunch, I still found it confusing for the reasons enumerated above by @ScottB and @Ogg. Totally agree the map is confusing about relationship of trails and intersections. Perhaps more experience will move it up in my estimation, but for now I'm not quite sure why so many love it.

 

[johnnyvw]

I think part of the draw is being able to move to a part of the mountain that may not be so crowded on a particular day/time. IMHO, familiarization is definitely key. But I was never enamored with the place, much prefered Pico

 

[Ogg]

I think part of the draw is being able to move to a part of the mountain that may not be so crowded on a particular day/time. IMHO, familiarization is definitely key.

Also nice to be able to move for weather. It's significantly warmer at Bear than it is at K1 or the Canyon.

 

[ScottB]

I think part of the draw is being able to move to a part of the mountain that may not be so crowded on a particular day/time. IMHO, familiarization is definitely key. But I was never enamored with the place, much prefered Pico

I have Sunday River memorized due to many ski days there. I have found lots of terrain I like there and I totally agree its due to familiarization. All mtn's have good and bad, when you know it well enough to avoid the bad, it becomes a favorite of yours. And we all have different criteria. For instance, I really don't like Pico much, but I do like Kton a lot more. Just the opposite of johnnyvw.

 

[Marker]

Bear Claw > Anti-Venom > Lower Skyeburst.

We were skiing with some ambassadors a few weeks back that referred to the lower Skyeburst headwall as Viper Pit, but it appears you use Anti-Venom. Can you clarify?

 

[Crank]

KIllington can be a little more complex to navigate than probably any mountain in the northeast U.S. Tremblant maybe comes in 2nd for complexity. Most other places are up and down easy.

I like being familiar with a hill, but , I also like exploring and learning what them other hills have to offer. Probably why I've never been a regular single mountain season pass holder and why I've never done a seasonal rental or bought a ski place, though both have been considered.

 

[newboots]

I have finally learned that what shows as one big intersection on the map (i forget which one) is grossly simplified and is really like 3 intersections and the first one blocks the real life view of the other two. So if you can't see the trail you want when the map says you should be able too, keep going downhill and you'll get to another intersection or even a third one.

Those intersections on the North Ridge were bad, then they built a tunnel, which hid a large part of the intersection(s). If you survive that and stay on Chute, you run into another tunnel just ahead.

 

[Phelmut]

Thank you all for info/feedback. I spent 2 days there last week and skied a lot, so got to know the place as it is right now (many trails closed due to lack of snow). Even though I figured out a bunch, I still found it confusing for the reasons enumerated above by @ScottB and @Ogg. , but for now I'm not quite sure why so many love it.

Reasons stated above by others and also because they do a great job of keeping the mountain in good shape when conditions are not as good elsewhere.

 

[ss20]

I was a regular K skier for 8ish years (5-25 days a season). Even in the final couple of seasons I would sometimes have to pause and take a look at a map.

My best advice is plan your route back to your base lodge and ski it at lunch rather than at the end of the day. You don't want to be at the top of the Skye Peak quad trying to get back to the K1 at 3:45pm and not know for sure how to get back there. Also, in general, it is easier going left-right on the trail map than right-left. Ex- tougher to move from Ramshead to K1 than K1 to Ramshead. Also easier to go from Bear/Skye base to the K1 basin than the other way around.

 

[James]

It is what it is. Since when does a place need to be easy to ski the whole thing? I don’t even get the point of skiing the whole thing in a short time span.

 

[Marker]

It is what it is. Since when does a place need to be easy to ski the whole thing? I don’t even get the point of skiing the whole thing in a short time span.

Yes, when the whole resort is open. Somedays we don't even get over to Bear/Skye base area, others Snowdon and the bubble, others Northridge and the Canyons. For me, that is what is nice about Killington. Very few runs ski the same so a lot of variety.

 

[Marker]

Sitting here waiting on wind holds. I guess all the snow blew into the woods.

 

[PinnacleJim]

My best advice is plan your route back to your base lodge and ski it at lunch rather than at the end of the day. You don't want to be at the top of the Skye Peak quad trying to get back to the K1 at 3:45pm and not know for sure how to get back there. Also, in general, it is easier going left-right on the trail map than right-left. Ex- tougher to move from Ramshead to K1 than K1 to Ramshead. Also easier to go from Bear/Skye base to the K1 basin than the other way around.

I find the exact opposite. Easier going west to east than the other way. And some of the recent reconfiguations on Snowdon with the tunnels have made that even easier. For example you can now ski directly from the top or Rams right to the K1 gondola. The big pain in going east to west is the K1 lodge. Can't get from Skye to the K1 gondola or Snowdon without the slog around the lodge. The location of the new K1 lodge lower will make that easier. It does take a lot of time to learn all the tricks to get around this spread out resort efficiently, but once you do, it becomes a non-issue.

 

[ss20]

I find the exact opposite. Easier going west to east than the other way. And some of the recent reconfiguations on Snowdon with the tunnels have made that even easier. For example you can now ski directly from the top or Rams right to the K1 gondola. The big pain in going east to west is the K1 lodge. Can't get from Skye to the K1 gondola or Snowdon without the slog around the lodge. The location of the new K1 lodge lower will make that easier. It does take a lot of time to learn all the tricks to get around this spread out resort efficiently, but once you do, it becomes a non-issue.

That is all true. Key fact of my point is you can very easily fall into the wrong basin from the top of the K1 (Bear of Skye base) if you're not positive with what you're doing. To go from those areas to K1/Snowdon/Rasmhead is more straight-forward, JMO.

 

[mulva28]

We were skiing with some ambassadors a few weeks back that referred to the lower Skyeburst headwall as Viper Pit, but it appears you use Anti-Venom. Can you clarify?

The blue that goes around Viper Pit but ends at the same spot.

 

[James]

Wth is Space Walk? Is it really a Double Diamond connector?

 

[mdf]

View attachment 155679
The blue that goes around Viper Pit but ends at the same spot.

If I remember correctly, Viper Pit used to be part of Bear Claw and all of Bear Claw was marked black diamond. This makes more sense, though, because most of BC is pretty flat.

Wth is Space Walk? Is it really a Double Diamond connector?

Yep, Space Walk is a nearly-level connector that crosses Outer Limits and goes over to Devils Fiddle. I think it was part of the original Bear Mtn layout, back when Devil's Fiddle had its own chair and they thought it would get more use. Probably rated that way to discourage people thinking its a bail-out from Wildfire... Because, yeah, people in trouble traversing across Outer Limits is a great idea....