Killington Resort

By Andrew Horn

Vermont’s Killington Resort is the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and celebrates its 50th birthday this December. Serving as many as 17,000 skiers a day, the resort has 150 trails and 25 lifts across seven mountain peaks. The main peak, Killington Peak, is the second highest in Vermont at 4,241 feet and has the second greatest vertical drop (3,050 feet) in the East.

With an average annual snowfall of 250 inches and a skiable area of 1,215 acres, the resort has become a central destination for skiers. Killington’s 70 miles of diverse terrain offer skiers and riders of all ability levels a choice of wide-open courses, narrow New England runs, moguls, steeps and 13 tree skiing areas. Terrain parks at Bear Mountain provide freeskiers and riders opportunities for jibbing and jumping, including The Stash and a 430-foot- long, Olympic-size Superpipe with 22-foot walls.

The resort has continuously grown over the years and will expand even more with a series of improvements costing $8.4 million. Such upgrades include the new Skye Peak Express, ski trails, efficiency upgrades to the world’s most extensive snowmaking system and expanded environmental programs.

Skye Peak Express replaces Skye Peak Quad, reducing ride time from 14 minutes to less than five, allowing more access to Bear Mountain and cruising trails such as Skyeburt, Cruise Control and Needle’s Eye. One of only four in the world, The Stash is an all-natural terrain park with 34 features, including tree jibs, road jumps and log slides. The new Magic Carpet replaces the F-10 Poma lift, providing first-time skiers with a more pleasant uphill experience. Trails will be reconfigured, ensuring uninterrupted skiing and riding. Improvements to the snowmaking system increase efficiency and production while taking steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and become increasingly environmentally friendly.

There also are numerous off-mountain activities in which visitors can engage, including dog sledding, cross country skiing, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice skating. Summer options include an 18-hole championship golf course, Kona Mountain Bike Park with more than 45 miles of trails and Pico Mountain Adventure Center with alpine slides, climbing walls and miniature golf. Offering more than 100 restaurants and bars and shopping options, Killington is one of the top resorts in the Northeast for entertainment and skiing.

While Snowshed, Rams Head and Sunrise Mountain are mainly for beginners, Skye Peak and Snowdon Mountain provide a variety of terrain and trails that are suitable for a wide range of abilities. Bear Mountain has a very steep double black diamond mogul run, Devil’s Fiddle, and a superpipe. Killington Peak has numerous double black diamond trails in addition to a few easier connecting trails. Pico Mountain is located on a separate mountain away from the rest of the resort, but work is being done to connect the mountain to the resort with lifts and trails.

There are approximately 120 inns, lodges and condos at Killington. Killington Peak’s summit has an indoor restaurant, while the Peak Restaurant is serviced by a gondola lift, allowing non-skiers to dine with the added cost of a ride fee.

Contact: 800-621-6867, killington.com.

New & Noteworthy: East

Maine

Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Resort in Maine’s Carrabassett Valley is investing $5 million in increasing snowmaking output and efficiency and improving the base area appeal. A significant portion of the $5 million will go to upgrading the snowmaking system, growing Sugarloaf’s water pumping capacity by nearly 25 percent and adding efficient, environmentally-friendly fan guns. Additional improvements include new mountain signage, new lift and ski patrol cabins and base lodge features. Contact: 800-843-5623, sugarloaf.com

New Hampshire

Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire is undergoing extensive renovations to bring this historic resort into the future. Plans include restoring The Donald Ross Mount Washington Golf Course, adding 15,000 square feet of meeting space and constructing a 25,000 square-foot spa. Rated one of the “Top 10 Resorts Your Kids Will Love” by SKI Magazine, Mount Washington Resort offers the most ski and snowboard terrain in New Hampshire in addition to one of the most extensive cross country ski networks in New England. Contact: 800-314-1752, mountwashingtonresort.com.

The New England Ski Museum in Franconia Notch State Park tells the history of skiing through artifacts and vintage films shown continuously in the theater. A display on alpine skis follows their development from a pair of primitive wooden slats with leather toe straps. Located next to Cannon Mountain Tramway, the museum is one of only four USSA-recognized museums in the U.S. and the only one in the East. Contact: 603-823-7177, skimuseum.org.

New York

Lake Placid, the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, offers several attractions that recall the glory of the Games held in the Adirondacks. The Olympic Center, with four operating rinks for skating and hockey, has the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Museum. One arena is named for Olympic coach Herb Brooks, who led the unheralded 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to its miraculous defeat of the Soviet Union and ultimately a gold medal. Also at the center, a virtual reality experience simulates a bobsled ride from the driver’s point of view, alpine skiing, ice hockey as the goalie and ski jumping from a 12-meter tower.

The actual tower can be seen during a visit to the Olympic Jumping Complex, where an observation deck accessible by elevator or chairlift affords a sky-high perspective on the art of the ski jump. You might see the nation’s finest take to the air during Nordic jumping competitions throughout the summer and winter.

The Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, a winter sports haven, offers tours, bobsled rides and a chance to test your marksmanship skills with .22 rifles. The cross country ski area offers more than 32 miles of groomed trails. Contact: orda.org.

Vermont

Okemo Mountain Resort is creating an array of innovations. New trails add eight acres to the resort. One of the new trails measures 2,600 feet and has a vertical drop of 850 feet. Okemo is updating its snowmaking system, making them more efficient and lessens energy consumption. New loading carpets reduce lift-line lengths, minimize starts and stops, reduce ride time and improve overall lift capacity. Contact: 800-786-5366, okemo.com.