4241' Killington Magazine

Complimentary

2014 + 2015

Winter Starts When We Say So

LENS WITH BENEFITS

SPY’S ALL-NEW HAPPY LENS™ TECHNOLOGY HELPS WILEY MILLER AND MAUDE RAYMOND SEE BETTER, FEEL BETTER AND PERFORM BETTER. LEARN HOW AT SPYOPTIC.COM/SNOW.

ELAN...

WHERE GARY WORKS

“Easy like Sunday morning. Such an easy transition from turn to turn. Edge hold is great. A no-thought ski. You just click in and go. Very nice, Elan!” - Britt “Wow, I hope my day continues on this path: First ski of the day is a winner. Rips the throat out of corduroy like a wild beast, but rolls in and out of turns with ease. Amazing rhythm and feel for the snow. Great example of the versatility required in the Mixed East category.”

- Elling “Has a nice short-turn radius at mellow speeds. When really trucking, it opens up into longer radius GS turns. I felt very comfortable on it.” - Dyer

AMPHIBIO Only Amphibio provides both easy turning and edge grip at the same time without compromise.

Follow the link to find a dealer near you: http://www.elanskis.com/us/88promo

© OUTSIDE TELEVISION 2014

WATCH US ON KILLINGTON CHANNEL 14

TUNE IN AT HOME ON THE ACTIVE LIFESTYLE LEADER

outsidetelevision.com

American Harvest is a distinctly smooth and silky spirit with a crisp, clean taste. Proudly handcrafted in the USA. Ask for American Harvest at the mountain and at your favorite Killington après ski bar or restaurant.

4 | notes

www.killington.com

GREEN IS GOOD

WHEN I WALKED INTO THE PEAK LODGE ON ITS OPENING DAY, I knew we had accomplished something special. It’s a beautiful spot—looking out at the Green Mountains, it felt incredible to offer a new view of the place we all call home.

EVERYTHING about the building’s design, inside and out, from the lighting to the coolers behind the counter, is energy efficient. Vermont cows generate all the electricity to power the building. As a Killington guest, you’d never notice it. But we do.

THE VERMONT SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION named Killington the Greenest Resort in Vermont this past season. Our work to make the Peak Lodge and the rest of the resort more sustainable won us that accolade.

THE K-1 EXPRESS GONDOLA runs on Cow Power; we divert 100 tons of recycling from landfills each season; our high-efficiency snow guns pull chilled water from the Woodward Reservoir; food and beverage coolers use the cold outside air; we print our trail guides on recycled paper; even the water that goes down a sink’s drain reappears in a toilet bowl before it’s sent away for good. I’m a numbers guy, and it all adds up.

I SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE TEAM when I say we are committed to keeping this mountain as clean and healthy as possible. It’s the reason we’re all here—this place has no substitute.

AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, I hope that all of you, from single-day skiers to 100-Day Club diehards, will help us take good care of this place. It’s our home, our playground, our past and our future. I love seeing Killington coated in white, but green is good, too.

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON and our environmental efforts, I composed a list of initiatives I’ll be tackling in 2014-15:

°

Miss at least one meeting to ski powder.

° °

Get my kids to sort the recycling.

Volunteer at Vermont Adaptive at Pico.

° Work a shift with the snowmakers. ° Give a presentation in my ski gear. °

Take someone skiing for the first time.

° °

Enter the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge.

° ° °

Ski under a full moon.

Take a snowboard lesson.

Give a high-five to a complete stranger.

Justin Cash

° °

www.killington.com

Ski at least 100 days.

Take a selfie with a cow.

Commute more by skis than by car.

Publisher / Chandler Burgess / Killington Resort Creative Direction / Chandler Burgess + Editor / Mike Horn Art Director / Joe Polevy Photo Editor / Justin Cash Copy Editors Tyler Cohen Nicole Garman Michael Joseph Contributing Writers Dana Allen Tyler Cohen Jesse Huffman Michael Joseph Louise Lintilhac Drew Pogge Peggy Shinn Michael Sudmeier Marisa Wong Contributing Photographers Chandler Burgess Justin Cash Jim Deshler Ryan Grattan Garren Poirier IJfke Ridgely Marisa Wong Contributing Videographer / Galin Foley Killington Resort President Mike Solimano Killington Chamber of Commerce President Howard Smith Killington Resort Director of Sales, Marketing & Reservations Rob Megnin ADVERTISING SALES Resort Sales Team Jeff Alexander, Lee Cohen, Rob Megnin, Kelly O’Brien Chamber of Commerce Sales Team Amy Morrison, Abigail Roebuck Ad Creative / Kim Williamson / Killington Resort To advertise in Killington 4241’ Magazine, please call the Killington Chamber of Commerce at (802) 422 4181.

Other inquiries please email 4241magads@killington.com.

The views expressed in Killington 4241’ Magazine are those of the writers, and not necessarily those of the staff or Killington/Pico Ski Resort Partners, LLC. Copyright ©2014 by Killington/Pico Ski Resort Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. The content of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express consent of the publisher. Killington 4241’ Magazine is printed annually in the USA.

Killington Resort 4763 Killington Resort / Killington, VT 05751 (800) 621 MTNS / www.killington.com Killington Chamber of Commerce 2046 US Route 4 / PO Box 114 / Killington, VT 05751 (802) 773 4181 / www.killingtonchamber.com

TYLER COHEN Tyler Cohen loves writing about Vermont craft beer nearly as much as drinking it (see page 110). When he’s not outdoors searching for fresh snow and buffed singletrack with his fiancé, Rachel, and border collie, Niva, Tyler lives in Jericho, Vt. and is Editor of Backcountry Magazine.

DANA ALLEN Dana Allen grew up in Maine but didn’t learn to sail. So he tucked tail and headed for the mountains. He lives in Vermont and enjoys cheap pilsners, color-matched chainrings on his bike, skiing trees and high-quality maple creemees. danaallenphoto.com

GARREN POIRIER Garren Poirier lives in Killington and has made his home in Vermont for the last 11 years. When he’s not shooting weddings (see page 20), you’ll find him behind the bar at Charity’s Saloon, pouring drinks, or honing his swing on the golf course. See more of his work at garrenteephotography.com

DREW POGGE Writer Drew Pogge is a magazine editor, college writing instructor and owner of a backcountry yurt and ski guiding service based in Bozeman, Montana. His award-winning stories and photos have appeared in titles like Outside, Mountain, Skiing and Powder.

Vacation is his favorite color.

PEGGY SHINN Peggy Shinn has covered three Olympic Games and written for all the major ski magazines. A four-time winner of the Harold Hirsch Award for snowsports journalism, she lives in Rutland and skis Pico whenever she can. pegmcshinn.com

MARISA WONG Marisa is a producer and video storyteller for a NY public TV news program.

She lives in Manhattan and spends her free time scheming and documenting escapes from the urban confines of New York City with her boyfriend, Ryan. marisawongmedia.com

®

RALPH BACK STROM Photo by: Ralph Backstrom

OFFICIAL CAMERA PARTNER OF:

cruise R FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS Green is Good: Mike Solimano Killington by the Numbers

12

#RideTheStash

16

Love at First Sight

20

Education Elevated by Elan + Burton

50

Ode to Opening Day

54

Our Mountain Operations team has a big hand in shaping the Longest Season in the East. photo by Justin Cash

Every day should start with a clean slate. photo by Chandler Burgess

www.killington.com

5

26

Endless Groove Where music meets the mountains.

34

Swing Thoughts Golf the Killington way.

38

Hustle + Flow A two-wheeled tour of Killington’s bike trails.

44

Cow Power Vermont farmers fuel Killington fun.

60

Killington Spaces Out Our new Neff Land park is out of this world.

64

Mission Control When the going gets tough, the mountain ops team shines.

70

Escape from New York 48 Hours in Killington.

80

Photo Gallery

96

Skin Deep Pico + Killington embrace the uptrack.

cover

100

100 Day Club You can’t shred all season if you don’t start in the fall.

110

Tapped Killington craft beer culture.

114

Perfect Plates Eat, play and be merry.

124

unReal Estate Insight into the mountain lifestyle.

135

Parting Shot

contents

contents | 9

Notes

& Numbers

30 Tracks on the Beatles’ White Album.

Gallons of manure a cow produces per day.

425 Instructors in Killington’s Snow Sports School.

Feet jumped by motocross rider Alex Harvill in 2012 to set a distance record.

248 Miles from Queens, N.Y. to Killington Resort.

Length, in miles, of New Caledonia, an island in the Pacific.

12 | notes +

260 Days Barb Marshall skis in a season.

Days in the Ancient Mayan’s Tzolk’in (Sacred) Calendar.

192,566 Beers served in Killington’s base lodges last season.

18

40

12,366

Ski areas in all of Maine.

Holes, on just one of Killington’s two golf courses.

Salads served in those same lodges.

Craft breweries in Vermont.

Ounces in a bottle of Olde English 800 malt liquor.

3

Neff Land parks located east of the Mississippi.

Neff Land parks in the U.S.

1

15 Music venues at Killington and on the Killington Road.

Grammys won by female artist Alicia Keys.

14,368 Kids’ lessons taught by Killington’s Snow Sports School last season.

53,429 Hours those kids spent learning to ski and ride.

+ numbers | 13

14 | notes

www.killington.com

Get the whole family Riding together with Burton Learn To Ride.

Get the whole family riding together this winter with Burton Learn To Ride programs near you!

Package is not valid during the holiday dates of Fun for the whole family. You pick the date and bring the kids.

Get the whole family riding this winter with Burton Learn To Ride Experience snowboard with Burton.

You and your friends pick the date to experience Fun for whole families. You and your family try.

Learn To Ride experience.

For more information visit www.burton.com/ltr

burton.com/learntoride

#ridethestash The Killington street team hit Vermont’s biggest city armed with free lift tickets, Shreddie the Yeti and a clear challenge for the locals: rock a mustache, take a selfie with Shreddie, hashtag it and boom. A lift ticket and a shot at a free season pass.

As expected, things got weird at Burton’s Burlington, Vermont campus. It’s a snowstarved Internet out there in August, and Shreddie hype spread like wildfire—clearly we’re all ready to strap in and ride The Stash.

16 | #ridethestash

—Michael Joseph

www.killington.com

4241’ Magazine Let’s go face first, shall we?

Ride The Stash?

Mike Garceau We were pretty surprised at how many people know Killington but not The Stash. It’s the Burton Stash, after all, and we were hanging at the Burton Sale, sooo….

Michael Joseph Most people got the joke, and most people were into the mustaches. Explaining the contest rules sometimes got a little awkward, but almost everyone took it in stride and Shreddie ended up in 200-plus goofy selfies. Can’t complain about that.

MG It was cool to explain the park, too. It was the second Stash Park to open in the U.S.; it’s one of a kind, allnatural and through the woods where snowboarding still lives in its purest form. Pretty awesome to see eyes light up when we flipped through the photos.

M J Sharing your favorite spots on the mountain is always really rewarding, and The Stash is definitely one of ours. I could sense some FOMO (fear of missing out) brewing already.

KIL L INGTON RE SO RT ’ S

BEAST WINTER EVER THIS

COMING SEASON

2014-15

Why would anyone take a Yeti on the road?

MG Shreddie’s no ordinary Yeti. He’s The Stash mascot.

He doesn’t mess around.

MJ There’s no question that Burton does winter right.

They kick it off crazy early and clear their warehouse with a Labor Day blowout at the global HQ in Burlington. Beyond the 10,000 square feet of boards, boots and bindings, Vermont’s most iconic ski resorts turn the parking lot into a tent city. I think I speak for all of us, Shreddie included, when I say we were stoked to make noise at the Summer Sale.

Sooo, can we take a selfie?

MG Shreddie’s back in the office for now, but keep an

Loaded Turkey Rail Jam November 23 Killington Test Fest December 16 - 17

Justin Cash

eye out for #ridethestash all season. The Killington Parks crew is already busy working on new features, plus the new Lil’ Stash park at Ramshead, too. Slash & Berm—a banked slalom race, top to bottom through The Stash, returns for year two. So yeah, lots of great things and more contests ahead.

Rails 2 Riches December 6

MJ Without sharing everything we have up our sleeves for contests and trolling this season, it’s safe to say that more giveaways and more bad puns are on the way. Here’s a hint—it’s going to be the Beast Winter Ever. You’ll have to Like, Follow and Subscribe to our feeds to figure out the rest and definitely keep an eye on #BeastWinter.

Helly Hansen Big Mountain Battle February 28

K-Town Showdown December 20 & January 24 Mini Shred Madness January 17 & February 21

Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge March 7 & 8 Slash and Berm Banked Slalom March 14

#beastwinter killington.com 800.621.MTNS

December 5-6, 2014 at the Killington Grand Hotel Festivities include the Festival of Trees, Santa’s Workshop, Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides, Jack Frost Marketplace and Live Entertainment.

5

For more information, schedule of events or to buy advanced tickets, visit www.killingtonchamber.com or call (800) 337-1928.

JULY 17-19, 2015

KILLINGTON

WINE FESTIVAL

Enjoy Three Days of Mountain Wine Events

18 | notes

To buy tickets or for more information visit www.killingtonchamber.com or call 1-800-337-1928

MORE Winter.

The Longest Season in the East starts when we say so.

killington.com

800.621.MTNS

LOVE at FIRST SIGHT

20 | weddings

Killington Weddings at the top of Vermont

www.killington.com

@ 1st

photos by Garren Poirier

If you could have your wedding anywhere, where would it be?

Vermont’s Green Mountains, of course. Vermont is a popular wedding destination, and Killington in particular offers a unique combination of a beautiful, natural setting and brand-new facilities like the PEAK LODGE. “People come to the mountains to get married because it’s beautiful, serene and peaceful,” says Kathy Marcotte, one of Killington Resort’s conference and wedding coordinators. “We also have a lot of amenities.”

Killington features two main wedding venues: the Grand Hotel and the new Peak Lodge.

A majority of weddings are held at the Grand Hotel, but the Peak Lodge adds a new dimension to our offerings. People can now get married at one of the highest points in Vermont surrounded by views nearly as beautiful as the bride.

Kathy provides a glimpse of the day.

www.killington.com

— 4241’

With modern weddings, there are no rules.

“When the bride approaches the launching point for walking down the aisle and I look into her eyes and tell her, ‘It’s time to go’...that’s a wonderful feeling for me. You develop quite a relationship—most brides plan with us for a year or more—you almost feel like a part of the wedding at that point.”

22 | weddings

www.killington.com

This new design enables us to build a real multipurpose facility that can host weddings and sit-down dinners, while also featuring a more casual lodge feel during winter.

“It’s like being a stage manager at a Broadway production.” www.killington.com

greetings | 23

Full Service Lodge on Killington’s Slope Side

The Cascades Lodge

Walk to the lifts, the golf course, and the adventure Free Wi-Fi, Free Breakfasts, Free Local Calls

1-800-345-0113

Heated Indoor Pool, Hot Tub, Sauna Friendly and Knowledgeable Staff Free Slope-side Ski Shuttle

Spectacular Mountain Views Fireside Cocktail Lounge and Pub Deluxe guest rooms and suites with patio or balcony Groups, Families, and Business Outings. Please contact us for your next event. www.cascadeslodge.com

info@cascadeslodge.com

Cascades Lodge, 58 Old Mill Road, Killington Village, Vermont 05751

Vermont’s rst lodge for skiers!

Enjoy the rustic splendor of our country inn, candlelit dining, award winning chef, hot tub, replace suites, whirlpool rooms.

McGrath’s Irish Pub with Guinness on tap and live Irish music weekends.

www.innatlongtrail.com www.killington.com

Killington’s perfect four season spa vacation destination.

“ It’s a great place to gather friends and family from afar. I plan every

wedding like it’s for me, a member of my family or my best friend.

When it’s the perfect day that they wanted, it makes you feel awesome. ” For more information on the venues, packages and menus visit killington.com/weddings.

Many thanks to Katie Bishop and Brian Brodt for allowing us to share these photographs of their beautiful day. www.killington.com

The Spa at The Woods, 53 Woods Lane, Killington, Vt 05751 802-422-3139 www.spaatthewoods.com

words by Mike Horn

photos by Chandler Burgess

It’s a Saturday night in March and the energy is downright palpable in the Wobbly Barn.

Syrupy bass lines and hypnotic beats sync with psychedelic lights as the electronic-rock duo BoomBox captivates the crowd. Locals and visitors alike dance with an intensity that belies the fact that most of them have been skiing and snowboarding all day.

KILLINGTON is one of New England’s unheralded music hubs and certainly an epicenter for good tunes and good times in central Vermont. Live shows span all four seasons,

26 | music

from the outdoor COOLER in the MOUNTAINS series to the Nor’Beaster Festival in spring and live music nearly every day and night during winter.

Jess Gabeler, creative director for multiple local music venues (JAX, PICKLE BARREL, THE FOUNDRY) believes music is a big part of Killington’s personality and draw.

Central Vermont’s Music Hub

www.killington.com

I q. H | 27

“Every genre of music has a home here.�

28 | music

“It’s all about the atmosphere and that youthful energy.”

“The nightlife really adds to the ‘Beast of the East’ reputation,” she says. “It’s all about the atmosphere and that youthful energy. That’s part of what draws national acts who find themselves [touring] in New England.”

“Music and mountains are a natural pairing,” he says. “People come to Killington with the expectation of live music, musical diversity and a flavor that is unique from any other ski resort in the world.”

According to musician and booking agent Joey Leone, there are approximately 1,000 shows per year in Killington and around 15 different venues.

He plays roughly 100 shows a year.

Winter is peak music season, and at any given stop you may stumble upon a musician plying his or her craft. As Leone says, “It’s kinda like a free concert every time you walk into a lodge or venue.”

“It’s really exciting to see so many young people getting into skiing and music.”

music | 29

“Winter can be a bleak time in a lot of places.

But not up here.”

Gabeler says that she often runs into people who don’t ski at all, but come to Killington to party with friends and family. They come for the music and the upbeat attitude that comes along with it.

“Winter can be a bleak time in a lot of places, but not up here,” she says. “On weekends especially, you can expect high-energy bands. Last year TROMBONE SHORTY played here, and then was on the Grammys the next week.”

According to Jeff Alexander, Killington’s Events and Sponsorship Manager, the sheer diversity of acts that come through really sets the Killington music scene apart. “This is a vacationland, and what goes along better with an ‘escape’ than live music? You can go from the rocking good times of JOEY LEONE BAND to SNOOP DOGG’S rhymes to the KILLINGTON CLASSICAL MUSIC SERIES to Grammy-nominated country star WILL HOGE to DJs imported from New York City. All types of people enjoy this beautiful place and every genre of music has a home here.”

Leone agrees: “The venues have top-shelf Top 40 bands, great original art30 | I q. H

ists, blues, jazz, funk, acoustic, electric…people can pick and choose their ‘musical menu.’”

When asked what band she would love to see on Killington’s “menu” more than anyone else, Gabeler replies: “DEER TICK, one of my favorite all-time bands.” They’re from her home state of Rhode Island.

With live music on the docket nearly every night, it’s amazing people can still get up the next morning to ski and ride. But somehow they tap into that bell-tobell energy stream and rise above the lack of sleep. After all, there’s no better way to blow out the cobwebs than taking a few runs on the mountain. Then you can do it all over again.

Meanwhile, there’s a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the burgeoning Killington music scene and what the future holds. “It’s always growing and evolving,” Gabeler says. “It’s really exciting to see so many young people getting into skiing and music. The skiing brings people here, but the music keeps them coming back.” www.killington.com

GREEN MOUNTAIN COLLEGE KILLINGTON SCHOOL OF RESORT MANAGEMENT Work hard. Play hard. Earn your bachelor’s degree in 3 years.

Green Mountain College faculty and senior managers at Killington Resort collaborate on this innovative program combining the College’s nationally recognized curriculum with a real-world education. Highlights include paid positions in the field each year. This fully-accredited degree program is your ticket to employment in one of the fastest growing industries in the country.

For more information:

Call 800-776-6675 or visit resortmanagement.greenmtn.edu/

32 | Ijq. H

ABLE RT DIS SUPPO

TS D SPOR

E D I R Y R U T N CE

KILLINGTON + PICO Music Venues

JAX FOOD & GAMES (802) 422 5334 1667 Killington Road, Killington LIQUID ART (802) 422 2787 37 Miller Brook Rd, Killington K1 Lodge | Snowshed Lodge | Bear Base Lodge Pico Base Lodge (800) 621 6867 Killington Mountain MCGRATH’S IRISH PUB (802) 775 7181 709 Route 4, Sherburne Pass, Killington OUTBACK PIZZA & NIGHTCLUB (802) 422 9885 2841 Killington Rd, Killington SANTE FE STEAKHOUSE (802) 422 2124 47 Old Mill Rd, Killington THE FOUNDRY at SUMMIT POND (802) 422 5335 63 Summit Path, Killington

Mountain Meadows Cross Country Ski & Snowshoe Center

THE PICKLE BARREL (802) 422 3035 1741 Killington Rd, Killington WOBBLY BARN (802) 422 6171 2229 Killington Rd, Killington

Perfect Conditions for the Perfect Ski Experience Rentals & Lessons Availa ble 2363 Route 4 • Killington, VT 05751

802.775.0611 • basecampvt.com

Located on Route 4 across from Killington Access Road and directly behind Basecamp Outfitters

www.killington.com

Swing Thoughts A crash course in mountain golfing

words by Mike Horn photos by Justin Cash

I can crush a racquetball with a Wiffle Ball bat and snatch a mosquito out of thin air, but I can’t drive a golf ball to save my life. Between the swings and misses, epic slices and pulls, I’ve got the worst golf game of anyone I know.

34 | golf

Killington Golf www.killington.com Course, Hole #2

AS A SPORTS FAN, I’ve got a ton of respect for people who are serviceable at golf—never mind actually being good at it. After the handful of rounds I’ve played over the years, I know what I’m really good at—rallying around in the cart and losing golf balls. But I still manage to have fun out there, which is all that really matters to me.

On this immaculate August morning, I’ve got a tee time at Killington Resort’s Golf Course with competitive local golfer and friend Garren Poirier. We’re going to play a round here this morning and then head over to Green Mountain National Golf Course in the early afternoon.

Garren is really good at golf. He’s qualified for almost every U.S. Golf Association (USGA) amateur event out there. He’s a three-time Pub-Links qualifier, twice a MidAm qualifier and, in 2011, he qualified for the prestigious U.S. Amateur. He was also the 2012 Vermont State MidAm champion.

The course is glistening with morning dew as we approach the first tee box. Geoffrey Cornish designed Killington Resort’s 18-holes to take full advantage of this beautiful and varied terrain. The 6,186-yard, par-72 championship course is encircled by miles of mountain views.

Garren talks me through proper body positioning and the art of the swing. He unsheathes his driver, grabs a ball and a tee and sets up in the box. Garren is dead-focused as he lines up his swing.

“Thwack!” Garren watches the ball rocket long and high down the fairway with a slight draw.

“It’s like a tuning fork in the loins,” Garren says with a smirk. He’s quoting the classic golf movie “Tin Cup” to explain the synergy between club and ball.

I think my fork is out of tune. Garren patiently tosses out tips: “Bend your knees more. Loosen your grip a little. Find your swing thought.”

“Swing thought?” I take a homerun swing with the driver and barely

“For this game you need, above all things, to be in a tranquil frame of mind.”

— Harry Vardon

Green Mountain National, Hole #2

golf | 35

Killington Golf Course, Hole #15

graze the top of the ball, sending it skittering off like a weak grounder.

After my morning session you think I’d show some improvement, but instead I’m lost in my own head. Garren confides that the mental side of the sport can break even the best golfers.

At one point he even took some time away to clear his mind.

Confused, I turn to Garren. “Swing thought?”

He explains how many golfers have a method for clearing the mind when preparing to swing. Whether you envision a flock of geese on a pristine pond or the course all covered in snow is inconsequential. What matters is that you’re able to clear your mind, relax and focus all at once.

“I stopped playing golf after college in 2001, and did not touch a club again until 2005,” he says. “In that time I traveled the world, met my future wife and moved to Killington, Vermont.”

The hiatus allowed Garren to return to golf with a fresh perspective, and by moving to Vermont he’s immersed himself in the mountain-style of play and become one of the better golfers in the state. “There’s something about the smell of fresh-cut grass and being out here during those golden hours,” he explains.

“Golf is 90 percent mental,” Garren assures me.

I place another ball on the tee, find my “swing thought” and “Thwack!” For a moment I feel the adrenaline that reverberates from making solid contact. Then I realize I’ve sliced the ball so far into the woods that the squirrels ran for cover as if the sky was falling. The next several holes play out in similar fashion. Garren effortlessly uncorks one swing after another while I do my best impression of a golf barbarian clubbing his way through the round.

Just seven miles away from Killington Resort, Green Mountain National is a beautiful 18-hole municipal course located in an idyllic Vermont setting. Expertly manicured fairways and greens are carved from the surrounding forest and mountain landscape. The 6,589-yard par-71 course was designed by Gene Bates and local golfer Steve Durkee. To this day, Steve is a Green Mountain fixture.

36 | golf

After a couple rough swings right out of the gate, and a requisite stop in the rough, I actually get close enough to the hole to wield the putter. Putting feels a little more natural and it’s easier to hit the ball square when you’re not trying to send it 300 yards.

“Reading greens is a science,” Garren says. Then he sinks an effortless putt from about 10 feet out. The man’s a scientist.

I assess the slope of the green and channel my swing thought before releasing the putter in a smooth, pendulum-like motion. In that moment everything Garren showed me throughout the day comes together. The ball’s trajectory follows a slight arc uphill before curving back towards the hole and approaching the lip. And then it drops.

“Booyah!” I holler. I pump my fist and tip my cap to the “crowd.” Small victories, right?

I can see how golfers like Garren spend many days and nights out here surrounded by the great outdoors and good friends. Even for the heavy hitters, it’s as much about enjoying the outdoors as it is about playing the game.

MORE Swing.

Four friends + two carts + 18 holes = $100

With Fore for All Wednesdays at the Killington Golf Course, get more drive for your dime. killington.com 800.621.MTNS

GOLF COURSE

FOR DIEHARD SKIERS + RIDERS , summer in the mountains is little more than an intermission. Sure, you can break out the shorts and flip-flops for a few months, but until I discovered mountain biking, there was no substitute for skiing’s perfect blend of fresh air and adrenaline.

There still isn’t...but ripping around on two wheels comes really close. I’ve explored trails all over Vermont, but hadn’t visited Killington during summer until a crew of friends and I made

a mission there this August. Fellow mountain bikers who ride the Eastern States Cup races at Killington described the trails as technical, fun, challenging—and long. That’s all the motivation we needed. I threw both the cross-country and downhill bikes on the car, just in case. Joining me were Alix Klein, Jonathan VonBriesen, Matt Green, photographer Jim Deshler, and Danielle Owczarski, also Killington biking newbies. Not as bike-obsessed as me (I think the total number of bikes I own is somewhere around seven), they chose to rent from the massive fleet of rentals available from Killington Resort’s K-1 bike shop.

With a selection of cross-country, freeride and downhill bikes from Kona and Scott, they have all the bases covered.

can be found on the double-black diamond trails toward the top of the mountain. This might explain why all the people I know who learned to downhill here are such incredible riders—the trails demand precision and skill.

Don’t think that it’s all expert-only on the hill, though. If you want to up your skills or just learn the basics, Killington has IMBA-certified instructors and offers Learn to Ride packages for kids and adults.

There are sections where you can just open it up and let ‘er rip. That

Shop manager Ben Colona, a dedicated Killington rider for the past seven years, gave us the good trail beta: “Pretty much everything on Snowshed area has seen a lot of trail-building love this season. Definitely hit up Stinky for a good, medium jump line—you can basically push your bike back up and hit it over and over again. Make sure you check out Wit’s Wiggle—it’s a green circle on the map, but don’t let that fool you—it’s good.”

WIT’S WIGGLE is a beautifully built flow trail that snakes down from the base of the K-1 Express Gondola to the bottom of the Snowshed lift.

Dropping nearly 300 vertical feet, it’s a good introduction to Killington’s riding. Snowshed has a ton of terrain to ride, from fast, flowy singletrack that appeals to all rider abilities to jump lines for those who want to send it. Killington recently added new progression terrain and additional lower mountain trails off Snowshed to expand their offerings.

Our cross-country bikes allowed us to link-up trails like Scarecrow and Solitude that have both uphill and downhill segments, and we weaved our way through everything from sliver-like singletrack to machinebuilt berms and booters. After a few hours of riding, we rolled down the road for burgers and beers at The Lookout, a Killington access road institution. Afterwards, stuffed to the gills and exhausted, we shut it down early at Killington’s Grand Hotel to rest up for a day of downhilling.

As we waited for the morning fog to lift from the mountain we fueled up at Liquid Art, a funky Killington Road establishment that’s part restaurant/coffee shop and art gallery. With our tanks topped off, we suited up for full-on downhill mountain biking off the K-1 Express Gondola. Killington Peak is the second highest mountain in Vermont at 4,241 feet, and features the highest liftserved mountain biking in the state. With almost 2,000 vertical feet separating top and bottom, we knew we were in for a workout. Luckily our bikes—equipped with eight inches of travel, powerful brakes and super-fat tires—made the roots, rocks and rolls even more fun.

Ben told us that Killington is not a bike park, but a true downhill mountain bike area. “We’ve got a lot of old-school, technical trails—they’re not super manicured like you find in other places,” Colona said. At first I was unsure what he meant exactly, but after finishing my first top-to-bottom run I understood.

Killington trails like Low Rider are routed through technical terrain that definitely has a wild side. It took some intense focus to navigate the long rock gardens and rooty corners that

40 | mtb

became especially apparent after Jim rode with local Brett Williamson and his seven-year-old son Aidan. Aidan and his dad are regulars at Rutland’s Pine Hill Park, a local cross-country hub, and Aidan hits up Killington whenever he can. Snowshed’s berms and drops were a ton of fun for all of them, with Aidan boosting off the lips harder than anyone.

They even had a pretty solid puddle-session after the mid-afternoon rain. Just after losing a tooth to a gummy snack, Aidan discovered a series of pretty deep puddles and spent a good 20 minutes roosting through them.

Killington is looking to expand the more manicured, flowy options starting in the summer of 2015 with help from Gravity Logic, Colona told us. “They’ll be here this fall to map out some trails on the Snowshed area and then they’re going to start construction in the spring.”

The team at Gravity Logic got their start designing and building the now world-famous trails at Whistler, British Columbia. Riders of all abilities will definitely have something to look forward to as the dirt magicians from Canada, working with the dedicated trail crew at Killington, craft some sweet tracks that fuse the flavor of classic Vermont riding with the flow and air of new-school trail building.

www.killington.com

With almost 2,000 vertical feet separating top and bottom, we knew we were in for a workout.

No matter how many times you ride it, it never gets skied out.

With a couple more hours to burn before the gondola stopped running, we sessioned the trail Hold On. It’s aptly named, and huge, perfect-radius berms left me with a feeling akin to the giddiness of a powder turn. We all took turns hiking up and shredding down, watching each other push the speed limit. I knew we were feeling good when we trained into the big Tombstone gap at the end of the trail with ease. Watching Danielle fly through the air with her ponytail floating behind her left me cheering.

Standing at the top of the Gondola just before our last run, we watched slivers of clouds drift past, the surrounding hills dappled with dark blue and green shadows. The air was crisp and held the first hint of fall, conjuring daydreams of skiing in the months to come.

www.killington.com

After two days of riding, I have to admit I was feeling pretty happy. If you can’t make a big turn through untouched powder, then you might as well rail turns through big dirt berms on a downhill bike. In some ways, it’s better than a pow day. No matter how many times you ride it, it never gets skied out.

mtb | 41

DUSTIN CRAVEN CGI Territories 3-in-1 Jacket // CGI Snowcone Pant _ KYLE CLANCY CGI Fractle Jacket // CGI Snowcone Pant

Explore MORE. singletrack + freeride + downhill = Killington Mountain Biking

THE NATURE OF Learn to mountain bike at The Beast for $99. killington.com 800.621.MTNS

THE BEAST

farm

to

peak

“If the cows aren’t eating we can’t make power.”

44 | cow pow

www.killington.com

A Cow Power Story

by Mike Horn

On a frigid January day at Monument Farms Dairy in Weybridge, Vermont, steam billows behind every breath by man and beast. Much of the ground is coated in thick, impenetrable ice rendered bulletproof by a winter’s worth of wind and freeze-thaws. Brick-red barns and buildings stand in stark contrast to the ground and sky’s shades of gray.

This environment might break a lesser man, but on a day when most humans are wrapped head-to-toe in Gore-Tex and fleece, Peter James walks methodically across the ice, hatless with his work jacket mostly unzipped, unfazed by the cold. James’s grandfather started this farm in 1930, and it remains a family-owned and operated dairy farm to this day.

“We grow our own crops, birth our own cows, raise them and milk them,” James explains as he walks past rows of steaming, hay-chomping, lip-smacking cows. “It’s a totally closed system. It all works together. Our whole business is integrated—if we can’t produce the milk we can’t process the milk. If the cows aren’t eating we can’t make power.”

Part of James’s “closed system” is the production of Cow Power—a renewable energy produced by capturing the methane released by processed cow manure. The Cow Power Program was created by Vermont energy coop Green Mountain Power (GMP) in 2004, and Killington Resort and Monument Farms Dairy are both invested in it, albeit from different ends of the spectrum. photos by Justin Cash

“A number of years ago, Green Mountain Power approached us with this great idea of using cow power. We loved the concept as it was both innovative on the energy side as well as supportive to another Vermont industry,” explains Killington Resort Director of Mountain Operations Jeff Temple. “So we worked out a plan with them, and once they brought some farms online we immediately signed up and have been humming along with the program ever since.”

Purchasers of Cow Power pay a $.04 surcharge per kilowatt-hour to support the program. One of the early adopters of Cow Power, Killington continues to participate and increase its involvement.

“Killington is the first ski area, and one of our largest customers supporting the Cow Power Program,” says GMP’s David Dunn.

“They signed up 100 percent to run the (K-1 Express) gondola and the Peak Lodge.

It would make it very difficult—the farms wouldn’t be able to afford this technology— without their contribution to the program.”

For James and other Cow Power farms, it’s an opportunity to turn a problem (waste) into a potential revenue source with environmental benefits. “A few years ago, we looked at all the manure waste the cows were making and thought, ‘Jeez, what can we do with this?’” James says.

So he approached GMP about enrolling in the Cow Power program. Monument Farms is one of 12 Vermont farms on board, with more expected to sign on.

According to Dunn, “They [Monument Farms] looked at this as a way to be a more responsible neighbor, to be able to produce some of the local need for renewable energy, as well as start to have a positive impact on our environment.”

Green Mountain Power estimates that one cow produces over 30 gallons of manure a day. Multiply that by 1,000, the number of (continued on p 49)

Cow Power is generated through a relatively simple process. Manure is collected and funneled into a “digester” where bacteria-like microbes break it down to produce methane.

46 | cow

www.killington.com

Killington is the first ski area and one of the largest customers supporting the Cow Power Program.

www.killington.com

greetings pow | 47

MORE Perspective.

Find world-class views and farm to table fare from 4241 feet.

THE NATURE OF killington.com 800.621.MTNS THE BEAST

cows on a typical Cow Power farm, and you’re talking about 30,000 gallons of manure per day. That’s a lot of poo—and a lot of potential power—in Vermont and around the globe.

Cow Power is generated through a relatively simple process. Manure is collected and funneled into a “digester” where bacteria-like microbes break it down, and as a result, methane is produced. That methane is captured and then used to power a generator and pump energy back into the grid. For every kilowatt-hour (kWh) of Cow Power produced, farmers like James get the going rate for energy (as determined by the state) and a $.04 kickback.

They can also use the straw-like byproduct of producing Cow Power in place of sawdust for bedding.

Participating Farms Berkshire Cow Power LLC

Green Mountain Dairy

Blue Spruce Farm

Kane’s Cow Power LLC

If you’d like to learn more about Cow Power, GMP’s Energy Innovation Center in Rutland, Vt. is a state-of-the-art facility that features interactive displays and presentations suited to kids and adults alike.

PSIA-E_Learn-Turn_7-875x4-625h_Killington.pdf

1

7/25/14

8:19 AM

Montagne Farms

Four Hills Farm

Monument Farms

Gervais Family Farm

Notable Supporters Cobb Hill Community

Killington Resort

Cooperative Insurance

Long Trail Brewing Company

Drew’s All Natural

Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Park

The Equinox Resort

Mary Meyer Inc.

Green Mountain College

Middlebury College

Green Mountain National Forest Groennfell Meadery Handy Toyota Harrison Concrete

www.GreenMountainPower.com.

Maxwell’s Neighborhood Energy LLC

Dubois Farm

“The four cents per kilowatt-hour that we receive is definitely beneficial,” James says. “There’s a lot of money involved in building one of these things [digester] and trying to make that payment back.”

While you won’t see herds of cattle grazing the base areas anytime soon, Killington’s Cow Power connection is a strong one. Once a season Killington does bring an actual cow to the resort to hang out for the day, to educate people and to create awareness about the program. Two of the K-1 Express Gondola cabins are painted in quintessential black and white cow print, and there’s a third Cow Power-inspired gondola car that grazes at the K-1 base.

Maplehurst Farm

Chaput Family Farms

Stark Mountain Woodworking Vermont Clothing Company

The Vermont Community Foundation Vermont Hard Cider

E

LE

VA TE

D

O N D U C AT I E

Killington partners with Elan and Burton to create the ultimate learning experience

another level by partnering with Elan Skis during the 2013-14 season and, new for 2014-15, Burton Snowboards.

The unique partnership between the resort and the manufacturers is both incentivizing people to enroll in four days of lessons and providing them with the equipment they’ll need to continue to advance once they’re on their own.

For the 2014-15 season, the ski and snowboard program is open to firsttime skiers and snowboarders, ages 18 and up. There’s also a new Ministars Discovery Camp that will be open to 4-6 year olds (skiers only).

Do you remember your first chairlift ride?

The heart-thumping thrill of the liftoff?

The beauty of the mountains beneath your feet?

Approaching the top terminal, you likely realized that going up (unlike most sports) is the easy part. Descending is where the skills come in.

So you reached the top. Then what? A person’s first time on snow can make or break their future as a skier or rider. Many do it the hard way—suited up in borrowed and/or antiquated gear and sent to the top of the mountain without a clue how to get down the hill. Some50 | education

times it works out, but “jumping with both feet into the fire” can also scare people away from the sport before they ever feel the grace and glory of sliding on snow.

Ski and snowboard schools exist to share that feeling of flow and maximize peoples’ fun on the slopes, whether they’re newbies or returning to the sport. It’s about creating lifelong skiers and riders, and passing the passion down, generation to generation. In an effort to support that mission, Killington has taken its Learn-To programs to

The program was the brainchild of Pico Mountain Manager Tracy Taylor, says Dave Beckwith, Killington/Pico’s Snow Sports and Golf Director. “His thought was, ‘What if we gave them a pair of skis for free?’” Beckwith recalls.

“I grabbed the ball and ran with it from there and put the program together.

We piloted the program last year with Elan; I engaged Burton in talks last summer in preparation of launching a snowboard complement for this winter, and we were able to pull it together for 2014-15. We are very fortunate to have these great working relationships with both Elan and Burton.”

The program includes four days of lessons, lift tickets and rentals culminating in guests receiving the free skis or snowboard prior to the lesson on the fourth day. Beckwith says, “The idea is to give the guest a day on their new gear with an instructor to tap into the spectrum of opportunity the new gear provides, in turn opening up more www.killington.com

E D E LE VA T

N IO E D U C AT

It’s hard to forget about skiing when you have a pair of skis in the closet or garage.

photos by Chandler Burgess

terrain and the magnitude of Killington for these new skiers and riders.”

Elan Skis President Gary Fleming speaks to the symbiotic nature of the resort/manufacturer partnership: “We are always looking for ways to grow the sport and Killington is so committed to skier conversion that a partnership just made sense to us. Actually giving away a pair of skis was a dramatic way to convert people to skiing.

Ski areas have the biggest burden as they are the one’s controlling the experience. Killington’s commitment goes beyond what most areas are doing.

They had been offering lift tickets and other perks to those that completed the four days, but giving away a pair of skis was a major commitment on their part. It is hard to forget about skiing when you have a pair of skis in the closet or garage…skis are the ‘magic’ item in the sport.”

Beckwith is excited by the program’s success in the inaugural 2013-14 season. “We sold out before Christmas,” he says. Most importantly we had over a 97 percent completion rate on the program, almost doubling the number of four-day lesson participants we had year over year. It was a tremendous success getting guests fully entrenched in the sport and getting them to a point where they can call themselves ‘skiers.’”

Education and equipment are key ingredients in creating an impactful Learn-To experience, as Fleming points out: “The skiing lifestyle is what keeps skiers coming back, but new equipment goes a long way in helping the experience be a positive one. In these days of instant gratification, people want to learn quickly, and it is essential that this happen. Creating products with those who teach and see what the barriers are lets us create skis that let people learn quickly. The skis we create for rental purposes use the same technology as our retail skis, so the progression is natural and seamless.”

For Beckwith and his fellow instructors, it’s about building relationships between instructors and students and enabling those students to develop www.killington.com

“Make ‘em fall in love with it, and they are hooked for life.”

their own relationships with their equipment, the mountains and, of course, snow.

“The relationships that are built on the snow with the instructor are integral to creating an emotional connection to the sport, which really ties people to activities,” he says. “That’s where the lifelong skier/ rider feeling comes into play and why it is ever so critical for the sustainability of this industry. We try to expedite that feeling while mitigating the hassles and challenges of learning something new.

Learning to ski or ride can be quite expensive and uncomfortable at times. We make it easy and fun. Make ’em fall in love with it, and they are hooked for life.”

—4241’ elevated | 51

made in the

u.s.a.

WHERE ARE YOUR

SKIS & SNOWBOARDS

MADE? SEE HOW WE MAKE OURS

I want YOU to

RIDE RAMP AWARD WINNING SKIS & SNOWBOARDS PEACEPIPE

PEACEPIPE

BEAVER

GROUNDHOG

BEAVER

CHICKADEE BIGBAMBOOSKI

Why buy imports when Americans make the best??? #RAMPisUSA / HANDMADE IN PARK CITY, UTAH / RAMPSPORTS.COM

Inside Opening Day The Longest Season in the East begins with a strong foundation

by Michael Sudmeier

There’s a certain excitement inherent to opening day.

It elicits in adults the same blend of anticipation and enthusiasm with which many children greet Christmas or the last day of school. And for opening day at Killington, this is especially true.

“The energy is beyond high,” explains Tucker Lange, a Killington local and big mountain coach for Killington Mountain School. “There are a lot of smiles and high fives while waiting to get on the first gondola of the year.” After all, while their neighbors are carving pumpkins, skiers and snowboarders are celebrating the start of another season.

By kicking things off in October, The Beast is often the first

resort to open on the East Coast. And by keeping the bullwheels turning late into spring, it’s the last to close. Securing such a long season, however, is no easy task. Far in advance of opening day, an army of unsung heroes is hard at work.

“From an overall planning perspective, preparations begin at the end of the previous snowmaking season with an in-depth analysis of system performance relative to goals,” explains Jeff Temple, Killington’s director of Mountain Operations. This analysis, in part, leads to the creation of a snowmaking plan for the upcoming season.

photography by Chandler Burgess + Justin Cash

54 | early early

www.killington.com

www.killington.com

greetings | 55

A LT HOUGH

terrain park features and readying the mountain’s snowmaking infrastructure, which features nearly 90 miles of pipeline and approximately 2,200 snowmaking guns. Some of these guns are tower-mounted while others are portable and moved across the mountain as needed. This year, Killington added 397 energy-efficient guns to its fleet.

“You can just ski forever.”

opening day plays a key role in this plan, it is not the sole focus. “The strategy isn’t just about producing enough snow to open for a day, it is about producing a sustainable product that will hopefully begin and continue the ski operations for the new season,” Temple reveals. “After opening day, the plan becomes a balance of expanding new terrain and resurfacing what we have produced to keep the quality of the experience high.”

It also involves preparations for the spring. According to Snowmaking Control Room Foreman Steve Reynolds, “As we get into the mid-to-late season we start building our snow depth to allow us to stay open as late as possible.”

After all, Killington’s late season is just as noteworthy as its early opening.

For proof, ask any of the skiers and snowboarders who’ve experienced the mountain in May. “You can just ski forever,” Lange says. Last year, the season totaled 199 days. And although bittersweet, closing day is also a cause for celebration. “There is quite a stir for the last chair of the year. It’s a great gathering of friends who all share the same love of skiing and riding,” Lange explains. “It’s a celebration of the seasons changing—dictated not by a day on the calendar, but by the mountain and the sports we love so much.”

Laying the foundation for such a long season is a continual process. As the last patches of snow disappear from Killington, the Mountain Operations Department begins mowing trails, repairing equipment, preparing lifts and

“We have our snowmaking system ready October 1 and any time we see the window of opportunity, we’ll take it and try to get open,” explains Dave Lacombe, Killington’s snow surface manager. Capitalizing on this window requires both strategic planning and an ability to adapt. In October, the ideal conditions for making snow—cold water, low humidity, light wind and temperatures that hover around 15-degrees Fahrenheit—are elusive. Luckily, the snowmaking crew, which is part of the Mountain Operations Department, is armed with equipment capable of working outside these conditions. “We set up our early-season trails with three different style snow guns and utilize the one best suited for the current conditions,” Lacombe adds. “We may start out utilizing a gun to make the base snow and then end up switching to a different gun to put a top coat on it before we open.”

Due to warmer ambient temperatures, the water that Killington uses to make snow during October tends to be warmer than that used during the winter.

This results in snow with higher moisture content. Consequently, this snow is often left in piles to cure—or dry out—before being put to use. In advance of opening day, these piles are spread out and an additional layer of snow

“While their neighbors are carving pumpkins, skiers and snowboarders are celebrating the start of another season.”

56 | notes

www.killington.com

“We have our snowmaking system ready October 1 and any time we see the window of opportunity, we’ll take it and try to get open.” with lower water content is often blown on top of them and groomed to create an especially smooth surface.

Thanks to its extensive network of pipelines, hydrants, compressors and pumps, Killington can make snow in 3,300 different locations. But luckily, the snowmaking team is able to focus its early-season efforts on the upper mountain—which wasn’t always the case. For the 2010-11 season, Killington debuted the Peak Walkway, which climbs from the top of the North Ridge Triple to the top of the K-1 Express Gondola.

During the early season ,

skiers and riders can now take the gondola from Killington’s base to the upper mountain and lap the terrain off the North Ridge Triple. Then, at the end of the day, they can hike 10 minutes up the walkway to the top of the gondola and download to the base of the mountain. In addition to allowing for an earlier opening day, the Peak Walkway has also enabled the snowmaking team to operate with greater efficiency. Prior to the walkway, it had to make snow on the upper mountain during the day and move snow guns and personnel to the base in the evening when temperatures cooled sufficiently to allow for snowmaking.

Leading up to opening day—as well as each day during the season—members of the Mountain Operations team meet in the afternoon to develop a snowmaking and grooming plan for the following day. “Each day we have

www.killington.com

many variables to consider. It all starts with the weather,” Lacombe explains.

In addition to tracking broader trends in the region, the team closely monitors local weather at 12 stations positioned throughout the mountains.

While keeping an eye on the weather, Mountain Operations carefully tracks every aspect of Killington’s snowmaking system. From the snowmaking control room, Reynolds monitors the type and number of snow guns being used, air and water pressure and ratios, the number of pumps and compressors in operation, and the system’s energy consumption.

“As the weather opportunities become more attractive, [bringing] lower temperatures and extended hours [for making snow], we begin to strategize opening day,” Temple explains. Once the forecast is favorable, a date is established. While skiers and snowboarders start rummaging through their closets in search of the gear they stashed last spring, the snowmaking and grooming teams make their final preparations.

The attention to detail and long hours these teams put into opening day do not go unnoticed. “It’s amazing what they can do in a limited amount of time,” Lange explains. “It gets better every year.” Yet for Killington, the importance of opening day resonates far beyond its slopes.

“We have always believed that our commitment and ability to get the resort open early drives the excitement and anticipation for a new season in Ver-

early season | 57

“The smiling, whooping and hollering let us know that we have accomplished our goal.” mont—and for the New England ski industry as a whole,” Temple says.

“From the day we begin making pre-season snow to opening day, the process generates a spark and unmitigated enthusiasm to get your skis or board out and get those first turns of the season.”

58 | early early

For Killington’s Mountain Operations team, this excitement validates all of its efforts. As Temple concludes, “The smiling, whooping and hollering let us know that we have accomplished our goal.”

www.killington.com

MORE Adventure.

You see progressive coaching and high energy training. They see a mountain that’s all theirs.

With the Killington Snow Sports School’s Unleashed Program, the kids make the most of every weekend on the hill. killington.com 800.621.MTNS

“Fun” is the founding principle of the Neff Land project.

Killington Parks team skier Kevin Merchant’s favorite piece is the rocket ship, which takes a little launch to gap over and bonk. As a higher-order skier, he’s a big fan of the unique lines that Neff Land offers, resulting in a run that you just can’t get elsewhere. And as a coach to up-and-coming skiers, he’s aware that the pacing and feel is just as fun for those just getting into freestyle terrain. “It’s definitely an awesome place to get a start riding park terrain,” Merchant says. “The space theme really lets the kids enjoy themselves.”

According to Mark Copeland, Neff’s Director of Sports Marketing, “fun” is the founding principle of the Neff Land project. “Whether it’s the youth learning to ride park or a proven pro rider approaching features in their own way, the idea was to create a fun environment for kids, families and hardcore snowboarders alike to shred together. So many brands over the years have made mind-blowing features or unique setups, but the everyday rider couldn’t really access those features. Now, with Neff Land, you can ride the same park and setups that the pros do,” Copeland says.

Killington’s park program carries its own reputation for excellence—but stopping at a standard park was never in the plan

Custom fabricated obstacles, including rocket ship and planet R

62 | NeffPERFECT PLATES 62 Land

jibs, send Neff Land over the moon.

www.killington.com

for the resort, or Rosenbaum. With the success of the East Coast’s only Burton Stash Park, this latest venture with Neff was another chance to differentiate, and once again take a creative license with the look and feel of freestyle snowboarding and skiing. “The themed parks set themselves apart and just beg the rider to look at the beauty of what they are riding,” Rosenbaum says. “It also showcases our ability to create some amazing stuff.”

What’s next? As always bigger and better.

As always, the Killington team was working feverishly, and in tight secrecy, before the snow even flew. Bent over fabrication tables, illuminated by welding torches and the screeching sparks of metal grinders, the crew labored to bring their space-age ideas to life— shapes that Rosenbaum says people had never seen before. “Creating features that specifically looked like rockets and spaceships— and rode well—was the biggest challenge,” Rosenbaum says. “But the closer we got to completing each feature, the level of stoke was just boiling over. The reward is getting to ride what we build and having fun with it. This is why we do what we do.”

The payoff for Rosey goes beyond his own team’s satisfaction.

Watching the tight-knit crew of Killington riders get their first look at the park and throw down tricks that nobody could have guessed would happen really brings the success home.

“What makes it different,” Merchant says, “is that you can tell the Killington Parks crew really took the time to get into the space theme and make it flowy and fun. Going from feature to feature, you can switch up lanes and be creative. You never have to take the same run twice.”

Even after successfully averting the alien invasion, and securing the future for fun and creativity-loving snowboarders and skiers everywhere, Rosenbaum won’t be resting on his laurels. Plans are well underway for expanding the universe that Neff Land started.

“What’s next? As always bigger and better,” Rosenbaum says.

“We’ll be adding a few more unique features like a lunar land rover and space saucer as well as some others that will be out of this world!”

www.killington.com

R

PERFECT PLATES Neff Land | 63 63

M ISSION ° CONTROL

by Drew Pogge

When Mother Nature throws a tantrum, Mountain Operations fights back

photos by Dave Young + Chandler Burgess

“It’s January what?” Frustration abounds on this dark, wet morning as Killington’s Mountain Operations team tries to ignore the dreaded sound of ice breaking off tree limbs and shattering into a thousand pieces on the ice-covered ground.

“We can’t control the weather events,” says Killington Director of Mountain Operations Jeff Temple. “It’s really about what we do coming out of them.” Temple would know: he’s been orchestrating recovery efforts at Killington for 15 years, and has helped the

64 | mtn ops

M ISSION ° CONTROL

The grooming team is standing by, ready to buff out trouble spots long before guests reach the mountain.

resort earn a reputation rooted in remarkable resiliency and dependably good conditions.

“Many, many hours are spent during and after each weather event so we’re ready to go out and recover the slopes,” Temple explains. “It’s kind of a cool thing at Killington and Pico,” he continues, “we take a lot of pride in getting the trails back and skiing very well.”

When temperatures spike, or rain pummels the snowpack overnight, Killington’s highly capable and experienced Mountain Ops team—led by Jeff—assemble in the predawn darkness to assess, plan and execute a recovery. The goal is ambitious: get the lifts running, the trails skiable, and provide a fun mountain experience for guests.

When ice coats the mountain like a Bering Sea crab boat, that’s a tall order indeed. But they’re up to the task.

“We have a great team with a lot of experience,” Temple says, “and everyone brings something to this process.”

In their non-descript office, computer monitors display fore-

66 | mtn ops

casts, radar and real-time weather info from all over the mountain while reports crackle in over the radio from every corner of the resort.

“We assemble all of the resources of Mountain Operations— Mountain Patrol, Lift Operations, Lift Maintenance, Snow Surfaces—so that we can make quick decisions, real-time decisions to get the mountain up and going,” Temple says.

On the wall, giant whiteboard mountain maps show every lift and trail, like game pieces on a battlefield rendering. Red and green color-coding identifies the status and needs of each area and clearly shows how everything is interconnected.

“It’s a great visual representation as we go along,” Temple explains, pointing to red line segments on the map. “Based on how the weather has impacted the various lifts and trails overnight, we have to make timely operational decisions to help guests get back and forth across the mountain. On good mornings, all the lines turn green.”

In the hours before opening, there are up to 14 lift mechanics and electricians on the mountain getting lifts ready and assessing

www.killington.com

M ISSION ° CONTROL wind and icing conditions. “With volatile weather, we get a lot of wind, and, depending on what direction it’s coming from and how it’s affecting the lifts, decisions to open a lift or not are made,” Temple says. “Every lift is affected in a different way.” Simultaneously, lift operators are moving to their posts and mountain patrol is skiing the trails and providing feedback on surface conditions.

Terms like “wear spots,” and “resurfacing needs” that fly in over the radio sound more like something one might hear in an upholstery shop than a ski area control room. But textile terminology is somewhat fitting when soft, carvable corduroy is the ultimate goal. The grooming team is standing by, ready to buff out trouble spots long before guests reach the mountain.

“We actually choreograph the opening,” Temple explains. “And once we’ve made decisions on what we’re going to do to open the resort, we get that information to our communications department so they can get it out to the digital channels.” The result is most often a snow report that exceeds expectations—especially after a rain event.

About 10 minutes before opening, the control room buzzes with phone and radio chatter. There are reports of all clear, last-minute adjustments and delayed lift openings, but the team takes it in stride.

“It all comes back to: what are we going to do when the rain stops?”

Temple reiterates. “What are we going to do to bring it back?”

Fortunately, Temple and his team almost always have the answer.

The process is complex and finely tuned, but the goal every day is ultimately very simple: make skiing fun. “The key is for the guest to have a seamless experience,” Temple explains.

On this morning, and most every morning, the last call on the radio is the same: “All scheduled lifts are open to the public.”

Mission accomplished.

Many, many hours are spent during and after each weather event so we’re ready to go out and recover the slopes.

www.killington.com

mtn ops | 67

68

R

PERFECT PLATES

www.killington.com

Weather Analyzed Daily

Production Window no

yes

Production Capability for Weather Window Developed

Production Capability Wet Bulb Profile

Equipment Availability

Energy Pricing & Availability

Staffing Mode

Wind Profile

Needs by Elevation

Needs Analyzed

Production Priorities Set

Period Plan

Current Needs

Season Plan

Expansion

Customer Demographic

Events

Resurfacing

Production Plan for Weather Window Developed in Detail

Daily Production and Grooming Plan Developed

Production Plan Wet Bulb Profile

Daily Production and Grooming Plan Communicated

Communications Co Com C om mm mu mun uni nicca ati tio on nss

Competitions

Equipment Availability

Energy Pricing & Availability

Production and Grooming Audited and Updated Daily

Grooming Plan Implemented Production Plan Implemented

Wind Profile

Needs by Elevation

Feedback Process

Staff

Guest Services

Customers Email / Guest Service Form

Mountain Operations

Marketing M Mar Ma ark ke eti tin ng g

Snowmaking

Other Ops

Intranet Int In ntrra an ne et

Grooming

Dispatch

Internet IIn nte errn ne et

Ski Patrol

Lifts

www.killington.com

Staffing Mode

Daily Production and Grooming Plan Completed

mtn ops | 69

ESCAPE

from NEW YORK:

48 HOURS

in KILLINGTON

by Marisa Wong

photos by Justin Cash, Ryan Grattan, IJfke Ridgely, Marisa Wong

W

inter is running long, its frigid nature doled out in relentless doses since before I can remember. The widely publicized Polar Vortex has become an excuse for idle eating and television marathons. Was there life before layers and the scrape of snow boots trudging toward the subway? I’m not so sure anymore.

B

ut there is life beyond the city. There are places where winter’s ingredients are a bonus, not a burden. Just a five-hour drive from Queens, Vermont’s Killington community embraces winter rather than treating it like a case of seasonal affective disorder. It’s high time to meet the season on its own terms.

great escape | 71

O

ur crew can’t get out of the city fast enough.

IJfke Ridgely is a modern-day nomad, a fashion photographer with a penchant for pretty things and exotic locales. She’s been moored in New York City for a few weeks before she returns to the 120-degree deserts of Oman. Ivy Thompson is also on a brief pit stop from warmer climes where she works with a women’s artisan cooperative in Peru. Ryan Grattan is a medical student, which means that the weekends he’s not preparing for an exam are as scarce as the days of sunshine we’ve seen this winter. And I’m just your average workobsessed New York City creative, in need of a change of scenery and a dose of inspiration. Between the four of us, there’s enough pent-up wanderlust to fuel a trip to the moon.

We rendezvous in Astoria, Queens on Friday afternoon and pile the rental car full of camera gear, music and fresh water-boiled bagels (both road sustenance and a traveler’s offering from the city to the mountains). Within an hour, we’re northbound, leaving the gray metropolis behind.

As the sun retires behind the tree line, strip malls and blazing billboards give way to scenic forests and dusk-painted back roads. Our entry to the brighter side of winter begins at the aptly named First Stop Ski and Board Barn, where we’re fitted for gear by the cheerfully exhausted Randy Elles. Ours is just one car in the steady parade of weekenders who make their way into the Green Mountains throughout the season. We first met Randy when he was living in Manhattan. He introduced us to Killington a couple years ago and loves to show off his backyard. The Elles’s longstanding, family-owned and operated shop has become a familiar and essential waypoint on our seasonal pilgrimages to these mountains.

W

e’re all geared up and now it’s time to fuel up for tomorrow’s fun. The requisite second stop is The Lookout for a thick spread of black-and-blue burgers, jerk wings and cold local brews. The bar is rustic and already raucous with a mix of locals and other Friday arrivals.

72 | escape

www.killington.com

decide to try something new—a one-onone lesson. I meet Anthony, a full-time snowboard instructor and part-time children’s book author, waiting under the blazing blue flags pinpointing our meeting place. Under his unflinching (and patient) eye, my S turns begin to gain a little more control. By the time he surfs off to meet his next apprentice, I’m still speed-averse, but no longer terrified.

Though the turns I’m carving down the mountain are still clumsy arcs across the fall line, I find a kind of gratefulness. For once, I’m not fighting the snow. Instead I relent to its flow as it pillows up around me, clean and pliant and accommodating. When I rejoin my comrades I’m actually able to keep up, and I chase their snowy rooster tails down the mountain with more confidence than ever before.

After a couple hours on the trails, the clouds envelop us and snow starts falling like New Year’s Eve confetti. Winter flexes its muscles, wind whipping in frenzied gusts that shake the trees.

“Shouldn’t we find somewhere to stop?”

IJfke asks, waving her ski poles above her head like an air-traffic controller. It’s hard to see her through the squall.

I

t’s after midnight when we pitch camp at the Sunrise Mountain Village condominiums. The lofted living room and airy guest rooms are a far cry from the cramped motel we suffered on our last visit. Between the four of us, we’ve cobbled together a sorry trunk of mostly borrowed, mismatched winter gear that’s better suited to New York drudgery and costume parties than skiing and snowboarding. We enact an impromptu “fashion show” with our goofy attire, which includes retro one-pieces and circus-sized neon pants. Weary from our travels, we bed down for the night.

The alarm goes off, and I awaken to a queue of icicles framing the hulking mass of mountain in the distance. A groggy morning scramble for goggles and gloves and coffee ensues, and we peel out the door. It’s just a five-minute drive to Snowshed Lodge, already a veritable ant farm of activity at 9 a.m.

Raised on an island, I’ve never gotten used to the sensation of having a snowboard strapped to my feet. I’m typically an awkward and mildly terrified rider with an acute aversion to speed. So this trip, I

www.killington.com

It’s serendipitous that at that moment, we stumble upon a scene out of a fairy tale. But instead of a cabin made of candy, a full-service ski-in (or sleigh-in) Mongolian yurt casts a warm glow in an off-trail grove. The forest-green Ledgewood Yurt looks like an inviting hobbit hole built to provide travelers like us with shelter from the elements. We tug the door open like storm-weary wanderers, stomping our boots and stepping into the cozy, woodstove-warmed den.

The broad communal tables, comfortfood-heavy menu and full bar make it an idyllic mountain oasis. A good hour later we finally suit up and tumble out of the yurt, bellies rounded from feasting on meatloaf, lobster bisque and hot mugs of spiked cider. The snow squall has passed and the wide cerulean sky is clear enough to drink.

At this rate, it would be easy to spend the entire day zigzagging up and down the mountain. But we’re on a mission to sample a little bit of everything on this trip, and Ryan has maniacal ambitions to drive something really fast. First, we from NY | 73

The forest green Ledgewood yurt looks like an

inviting hobbit hole built to provide travelers like

us with shelter from the elements.

hightail it back down to Bear Mountain’s base area, where the womp womp of bass wafts up from an open-air concert. The annual Nor’Beaster festival is going off, and an energetic crowd steps and sways in sync with the music. After lingering to watch soul musician Allen Stone kicking and crooning on stage, we cram into the car for the short drive over to Vermont Snowmobile Tours headquarters.

After sitting through the requisite safety presentation, I find myself perched on the back of a snowmobile behind Ryan’s helmeted bobblehead. My speed anxieties resurface. A motorcycle-style helmet is squeezing my brain like it’s a rubber stress ball and I can barely hear Ryan yelling over the motor’s whine.

Given a choice between driving my own snowmobile and trusting Ryan not to buck me off, I choose the lesser of two evils.

“READY!?” he bellows over the engine roar. I squeeze his arm “yes” and the beast jerks forward in line behind our guide.

The caravan rumbles tamely along the lip of the road until a sharp left propels us steeply up into the woods. We dip in and out of fresh tracks, following the whims of previous joyriders and occasionally setting our own line. Within minutes, I’m having enough fun to snap a few photos from the saddle.

When we cut the engines at an opening in the trees, the quiet view is stunning. Rolling layers of hills stretch into the horizon, and suddenly I feel very far away from city life. Our senses of adventure sated, the pack re-mounts and embarks on the ride back to camp.

After a long day of shredding and sledding, the crew has no choice but to hit the hot tub before dinner. A scantilyclad polar dash from the locker room to Sunrise’s party-sized outdoor jacuzzi is nippy but totally worth it. Steam boils up in smoky tendrils and we share icy beers in plastic cups. After some much needed R&R, we head into town. It’s a busy Saturday night in the mountains, and we’re fortunate to score a spacious table at Domenic’s Pizzeria, where our hungry troops easily down nearly a pie per person.

74 | escape

www.killington.com

We’re just in time to catch the Nor’Beaster afterparty at the Wobbly Barn—a well-known local restaurant and venue that, tonight, feels like onepart nightclub and one-part Vermont house party. BoomBox, a thumping electronic live band / DJ hybrid, has the place packed. The night blurs into booming bass riffs and rounds of celebratory drinks. We end an epic day and night at the Pickle Barrel for last call.

W

e can’t help but sleep in the next morning, but the prospect of one more pre-departure excursion keeps us from wasting the day away.

After refueling on rich, black coffee and breakfast sandwiches from the Sunup Bakery, the foursome pairs off and splits up. Ryan and Ivy are eager to tackle some more runs, and IJfke and I opt for a more laid-back morning.

For those questing for quiet, snowshoeing offers a true two-footed escape.

Sunrise Mountain Village has miles and miles of well-marked snowshoe trails. Armed with our cameras and a couple pairs of festively colored snow76 | 48 hrs

shoes, we begin crunching and plodding through groves of woodpecker-pitted birches. As we shed our jackets and push deeper into thickly wooded meadows, the week’s problems are blissfully reduced to the question of a fork in the road: Left? Or right?

Reunited back at the condo, we trade breathless stories while packing the car.

Vermont has served up yet another 48 hours of equal parts adventure and relaxation—quite literally, the breath of fresh mountain air that we all needed.

www.killington.com

in Killington | 77

we’re your friends that never bail now booking reliable weekly roUnDTriP bUs service from nyc killington, vt

visiT

our friends who won’t bail on you either

urbansherpatravel.com

for DeParTUres anD besT raTes

MORE Space.

With 5 parks and 150+ features, Killington is the center of the East’s freeskiing universe.

killington.com 800.621.MTNS

’M 41 42 I AZ AG N E TO O PH G A LL Y ER 14 20 /2 5 01

Day | Night | Winter | Summer | Light | Dark

Randy Elles pushing the Outer Limits | Justin Cash 80

photo gallery

www.killington.com

Justin Cash | Skye Peak and Killington Peak

www.killington.com

Renee Cook paddling in the afterglow | Justin Cash

photo gallery

81

Tips up | Chandler Burgess

Fog cutter: Kim Williamson | Chandler Burgess

82 | photo

www.killington.com

Justin Cash

|

Double stack of Lintilhac: Louise makes a wake in the woods

sh

Jo

e

or

at

lv

Sa

s

rn

tu

s

hi

s

m

ea

dr

de

si

up

n

,K er

ak

M

w

do

am

re

D

ks

r Pa

d

se

lo

(c

)

se

ur

co |

in

st

Ju

h

as

C

gallery | 85

www.killington.com

Riley Nickerson grinds his way to a Rails 2 Riches victory | Chandler Burgess

Bradley Seeds is all smiles during the Valentine’s Day powderfest | Justin Cash

86 | photo

www.killington.com

Justin Cash | Matthew Hauke rides the storm out

Kevin “Gravedigger” Court steps out for a minute | Justin Cash

Justin Cash | The Bear Mountain summit as seen from the top of Skye Peak

www.killington.com

gallery | 89

Galin Foley punches through a powder cloud | Justin Cash

Justin Cash | An unknown rider charges the Chunnel

Justin Cash | Native Vermont brookie: Chris Danforth presents his daily catch

速

AN DIoErsS IZE C tural Flav BITtiEficS ial & Na Ar

SPECIALTY SHOPS

SHOP MORE AT KILLINGTON SPORTS

VISIT THE EAST’S ONLY OBERMEYER CONCEPT SHOP AND 23 SPECIALTY SHOPS Killington Sports has got the goods for every style from fashion to freeride, and there’s even more coming your way for the 2014-15 season. With today’s top brands all under one roof, you’re sure to find all the high performance gear which skiers and riders have come to expect.

SPORTS

www.killingtonsports.com

W E N 9

H T S D N A BR

Auclair Bula Burton Giro Gordini Helly Hansen Oakley O’Neill Scott Skullcandy Smith Optics Spyder The North Face Under Armour

NEW THIS SEASON Bogs Dakine Hestra Karbon Orage Patagonia Pistil Quiksilver Roxy

R A E IS Y

Located at Route 4 at Killington Road, with satellite locations in Killington Resort Lodges. Call 802-422-6800 for hours of operation.

SKIN Skiing Uphill

DEEP Restores the Soul

by Peggy Shinn photography by Justin Cash

R

96 | skinSUMMER JOURNEY 96 deep

www.killington.com

Pico has long attracted those who like to work for their turns, skinning up the mountain, and then

skiing down. In the beginning,

the dedicated downhillers

thought we were crazy.

Don’t you know the chairlift is running?

they’d say. Or they would point out that we were going the wrong way, that skis were meant to go downhill, not up.

But we weren’t doing it for the trip down the mountain. The climb up was the reason we were there—skinning Pico for the exercise, the feeling of satisfaction when we made it to the top and the pure adventure of it. It takes about an hour (give or take) to skin up Pico’s 2,000 feet of vertical, and in winter, there are few better workouts. The ski down is just an added bonus.

I started skinning up Pico in late fall 1998. A group of us had been hiking Pico after work on Monday nights. When the snow fell in November, we didn’t stop. I pulled out my old, 160-centimeter Olin skis with purple Salewa alpine touring bindings and Koflach mountaineering boots—equipment purchased in the early ’90s to ski Colorado’s high peaks in summer. I stuck my climbing skins on the ski bottoms and kept hiking. A few others joined in with telemark equipment. As winter set in, I skinned up Pico whenever I had time, even when the lifts were running.

But we were far from the first to climb Pico in winter. Although the ski area opened on Thanksgiving Day 1937 with a 1,200-foot-long rope tow, that lift only carried skiers to the top of Little Pico, the sub-peak on Pico’s flank that’s home to A, B, and C Slopes. A longer trail named Sunset Schuss swooped 2.5 miles down from Pico’s 3,967-foot peak. To reach it, skiers had to hike.

“In those days, the climb was not regarded as a tedious prelude to a downhill run,” Linda Goodspeed wrote in her book, Pico—the First 50 Years. “The austere spell of the remote and lonely snows meant as much to the skiers as the actual run down.” www.killington.com

While equipment has changed a lot since the mid-20th century (for one, skins are no longer made of seal skin), people still climb up Pico in winter for the same reasons—the “austere spell” serving to restore the soul. It’s also a great pre- or post-work exercise plan.

Diane Miller, who owns Base Camp Outfitters with her husband, Mike, remembers when they were starting the business several years ago, working 80-hour weeks. Following work, they sometimes headed to Pico long after the sun set. The uphill grind and solitude of the climb were the perfect antidote for their busy lives. Diane remembers her skins up Pico as “a little piece of heaven.”

She and Mike still skin up Pico regularly, and their favorite times are under a full moon or before dawn, so they can watch the sunrise from the summit.

Peter K, who owns Mountain Travelers in Rutland with wife, JoAnn, typically skins Pico twice a week, once in the evening with friends, and once in the morning before work. If he starts climbing by 7:15 a.m., he can beat the chairlift, get first tracks and be at his store just before 10, coffee in hand, ready to open for the day.

While many locals skin up Pico with friends, Seth Coombs from Chittenden prefers solitude. He first bought skins for his telemark skis about eight years ago after seeing skiers climbing into Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington without having to carry their skis on their packs.

Calling it “fabulous exercise,” Coombs likes to skin whenever he can and particularly after hours during a snowstorm. skin deep | 97

TIME TO HIT THE SLOPES! BOOK NOW!

Great Rooms!

Great Rates!

Your 4-Season Getaway!

SKIN

• 93 NEWLY FURNISHED SPACIOUS ROOMS • MICROVWAVES, REFRIGERATORS, COFFE MAKERS • COMPLEMENTARY CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST DAILY • FREE WIFI HIGH SPEES INTERNET • PET FRIENDLY HOTEL

CALL TODAY 802-315-0039 • 888-612-5436 WWW.HILLSIDEINNKILLINGTON.COM LOCATED AT 375 KILLINGTON RD.

Last winter after a storm, Coombs skinned up Pico at dawn, then did a couple laps on Giant Killer. Thoroughly thrashed, he headed over to Little Pico, took one look at the lift line and knew he had to ski it, tired legs or not. “I couldn’t resist,” he said. “It was just golden having 18 inches of new snow, the hill all to myself. You can’t beat that. Unless you’re with one or two other people who don’t get in your way,” he added, laughing.

One of those people is his wife, Nina. A few years ago, Seth gave her skins for a Christmas present.

“I remember thinking, ‘Really?’” she said.

“It wasn’t as bad as a mop, but I remember being less than thrilled initially because it was something that he liked to do.”

Accommodations

Now she values the time they spend skinning Pico together. “It gives us time to talk and just enjoy the surroundings,” she said. And it’s “a really exhausting but exhilarating workout.”

Skinning also extends the season—both in the spring and during the week, when Pico is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. “Probably some of the best days are in April when it’s warm, sun is out and we can skin in T-shirts and the snow is beautiful corn,” said Shelley Lutz, who’s skinned Pico since the late ’90s. “Next best days are powder days when the mountain is closed midweek, and we have the whole mountain to ourselves.”

One of Killington’s premier rental agencies, providing private homes, condominiums, townhouses & cabins from luxury to budget.

Some units with additional amenities such as trailside, hot tubs, pool tables, walk to night life and shuttle to slopes.

800-535-8938

www.VTKillington.com

Those are the days when all is right with the world, and the mountain feels as if we own it. Birch Glades beckons on days like this, just because it’s the perfect pitch and the trees hold the snow. Seth Coombs remembers skinning on just such a day last winter when he “felt like the Norelco

www.killington.com

UPHILL

& AROUND THE HILL

UPHILL @ PICO Check the daily conditions report for the current status of the uphill travel route. Skinning and snowshoeing will be made available as conditions permit. Park on the left side of the Pico parking lot (near the Little Pico Triple) and look for the Uphill Travel sign. Or visit: picomountain.com UPHILL PASSES: Available at the Pico or Killington season pass office for $20/season. Season pass holders may pick up an uphill pass at no extra charge.

DEEP

Santa—flowing over rolls and lips and cruising down with sun and sparkling snow and nothing but a few trees in my way.”

As of last year, Pico management began officially welcoming uphillers—but on a designated route and when conditions permit. Uphillers used to skin and snowshoe up Pico without official permission and sometimes encountered groomers and snowmaking operations during night excursions. Rather than shutting it down, Pico and Killington decided to embrace uphill travelers 24/7. They ask uphillers to stay on a designated route far from mountain operations. They also require uphillers, both skiers and snowshoers, to have an uphill pass and to obey the rules (provided when people pick up or purchase their pass).

Now, as we skin toward the summit during operating hours, we rarely hear “you’re nuts.” Instead, those heading downhill often stop to ask us how long it takes to reach the top and where they can rent or buy equipment so they can experience it for themselves.

A FEW RULES OF THE CLIMB: Climb up the edge of the trail, stop only where downhillers can see you, steer well clear of groomers and snowmaking equipment, and leave Fido at home. And if you have an accident after hours, don’t call ski patrol. You’re on your own, so call 911. Read the full list of rules when you pick up your uphill pass and sign the Assumption of Risk waiver.

UPHILL @ KILLINGTON Killington also welcomes uphill travelers—both snowshoers and those on skis and splitboards. The designated route begins at Ramshead and gives skiers and riders about 1,400 feet of vertical on intermediate terrain. An easier pitch can be welcome on the climb up.

But unless climbers continue into the out-of-bounds terrain above the Ramshead Express Quad chairlift to the top of Ramshead Mountain, the ski down offers few challenges for the hardcore.

For the latest designated route, check the Uphill Travel sign in the Ramshead parking lot, or visit: killington.com Also, check the daily conditions report for the current status of the uphill travel route. It will be made available as conditions permit.

BE AWARE: If you decide to leave the ski resort premises and continue to the top of Ramshead Mountain on the Old Swirl trail, this section of the route is outside the ski area boundary and is not maintained or checked by ski resort personnel at any time, both during non-operating AND operating hours.

Or they simply give a thumbs up—and a smile—as they ski by.

www.killington.com

skin deep | 99

ALL HAIL the 100 DAY CLUB

photos by Justin Cash

Saluting Killington’s most passionate skiers and riders

The 100-day season holds a special place in skiing and snowboarding lore. It’s the territory of the hardcore, the dedicated few who spend more time in the mountains in one season than most people do in a lifetime.

It’s also a badge of honor. Those who can brag about a 100-day season are few and far between, but it’s also a very diverse group with varied motivations. For all, skiing and riding are not just sports to be played but lifestyles to be lived.

There’s Barb Marshall, mother to Olympic skier Chelsea Marshall, who’s skied at least 100 days at Killington for each of the last 42 years. She averages 260 days of skiing a season, which is worthy of a club all its own.

And Rob Kovalesky, one of the spark plugs behind the creation of Killington’s 100 Days Club. For Rob, his first 100-day season had particular significance. After being downsized out of his job, his son encouraged him to go up to Killington and ski during the mornings and continue his job search. Rob chased his second season of 100 days or more in the midst of these recent Winter Olympics. He says the day he hit 100 felt like “my own personal Olympic moment.”

DAVE DIXON “Eleven months and three weeks of skiing would be perfect for me.” years skiing at Killington 20 days skiing in 2013/14 122 - 124 notable Skied 100 days last five seasons. Skins up mountain after work. Alpine skis, teles and snowboards.

It’s about getting up in the morning and realizing that it’s important to me. I work a lot in the winter. I’m a bartender, so I constantly have all of our customers, our skiers, with me. So it’s really important to me to get into a good frame of mind, get some fresh air and get excited about my day.... It’s about keeping my lifestyle going good and strong.

[On Training] I make sure that I’ve got coffee in the house, and that 100 | 100 Days

I’ve got plenty of dog food...that’s about as specific as the training gets (laughs). Aches and pains all over the place...I wouldn’t trade it for the world. If you don’t have some aches and pains it means you’re not doing anything. If anyone would listen I’d start lobbying for snowmaking to start next week. Eleven months and three weeks of skiing would be perfect for me. www.killington.com

Killington Resort President and General Manager Mike Solimano speaks to the genesis of the club. “Rob [Kovalesky] sent me a message asking if Jeff Temple [Killington’s Director of Mountain Operations] and I would stop by for a picture with his crew, as he was celebrating his 100th day on the mountain. It made me wonder how many other people were on the hill that much. We looked into it and decided it would be fun to recognize our most committed guests, so we created the ‘100 Day Club.’”

“I think it shows that the people skiing and riding at Killington are amazingly passionate about the sport and our mountain,” Solimano continues.

“To make 100 days they need to be here several times a week for the entire season. Not everyone has the time, but I hope it is on more peoples’ ‘bucket list’ moving forward.”

Marshall, Kovalesky and the other members of the 100 Day Club featured here embody a passion for skiing and riding that is difficult to quantify in pure numbers. Daily life—work, responsibilities, kids, flu season, hangovers—all these things can cut into your mountain time. If you let them. Sliding on snow is also a cure for what ails you, a means to health and happiness.

—Mike Horn

PAUL HOLMES “I retired because there was too much kayaking and skiing to be done.” years skiing at Killington 46 days skiing in 2013/14 146 and counting notable Avid photographer. Educator. Never called in sick for a powder day.

The key to having a 100-day season? Persistence. More often than not, conditions are good. Even the ice storms were not ‘one and done’ days. I tele ski, so the first few days are a love/hate relationship with my quads. Shortly after that, things fall into place. I met my wife in Killington in 1967; we built a vacation home here in 1976. My kids have been skiing here ever since. The goal is to try and ski every day.

I’ve got a pretty sore left knee at this point, but for the most part I feel www.killington.com

great. I am not a ski bum. I definitely worked many years up to retirement. I like to think of myself as a ‘skiing retired person’ now. I’m definitely looking forward to next season. Actually I’m anticipating having a new knee for next season, so I’m really looking forward to it.

I retired—not because I didn’t like the work—but because there was too much kayaking and skiing to be done.

100 101 100Days!

Days | 101

ALL HAIL

BARB MARSHALL “I’ve skied 100 days for at least 42 years.” years skiing at Killington 50+ days skiing in 2013/14 ~260 notable Has skied Killington every month of the year.

I’ve skied 100 days for at least 42 years. I ski about 260 days in an average year. You have to love the sport to ski that many days in a row, and you have to keep your body in shape all year long. My husband and I have made our livings in the ski industry since 1977. You have

102 | 100 Days

to take a vow of poverty, but it’s worth every second. I wouldn’t trade my life for anybody’s. I don’t pick my days; I just come every day.

Every day is a perfect day if it’s on the hill. There’s no such thing as a bad day of skiing.

www.killington.com

“The groomers and snowmakers here are unbelievable.”

ALL HAIL

JIM HARRIS “There are no bad days at Killington.” name / Jim Harris years skiing at Killington 40 days skiing in 2013/14 112 notable Skied 100-plus days in each of the last six years. years skiing at Killington / 40 Most days skiing: 127. Works at a local ski shop and one morning a week at a hardware store. days skiing in 2013-14 / 112

There are no bad days at Killington. Motivation can get to be a problem, especially at the end of the season. I like to ski. The groomers and snowmakers here are unbelievable. I have an arrangement with the hardware store, where if there’s more than six inches of snow they’re

R

104 BIGDays Joe Swensson 104 | 100

notable / Skied 100-plus days last six years.

127 most days skiing. Works at a local ski shop not going to see me. I ski all the time so it just kinda falls in that I end and one morning a week at hardware store. up with 100 days. Once you’ve skied Killington, where else do you go in New England to have the same [experience]? www.killington.com www.killington.com

KAITLYN HUMMEL “That’s what it’s about for me. The passion.” years skiing at Killington 17 days skiing in 2013/14 125 notable Second season with 100 days; 142 last season.

The first rule of 100 Day Club is getting 100 days. The key to riding 100-plus days in a season is commitment and very warm gloves and socks. My body feels great after 100 days. After 100 days my gear is pretty rough looking, but it sustains. To stay motivated, I usually try and get out in the morning, get the runs in, get the fresh air, get a feel for the mountain.... A bad day of skiing is better than almost anything.

There’s a lot of fun to be had in these mountains. I love being in the www.killington.com www.killington.com

gondola and on chairlifts with people and hearing their stories, where they’re coming from. I was on the gondola with a guy who was 93, and one of his friends who was in his 70s. He was buckling his boots for him because he couldn’t bend down. He was just psyched to be out there, and that’s what it’s about for me. The passion. Being part of the 100 Day Club happens organically.

BIG Joe Swensson

R105

ALL HAIL the 100 DAY CLUB Killington’s most passionate skiers and riders:

BOSTON AREA DAY BUS

85

$ S K I

A N D

S N O W B O A R D

T O U R S

DON’T MISS THE BUS! KILLINGTON EXPRESS

Weekend round trips Bus & Lift Ticket Bus only $45 Bus WIFI & video equiped

www.newenglandsnowbus.com

VALUE VACATIONS SKI WEEKS AND WEEKENDS $

149

SnoSearch Ski & Snowboard Tours www.snosearch.com

Scott C Mark B Rick S

Mark F

Philip C

Nathan D

Jim N

Tom G

Ronald W

Timothy D

Terry O

Chuteman S

Donald M

Greg P

Poopsie S

Jackie N

Johnathan N S

Bill S

Dave M

Joseph H

Peggy G

Alan R

Gilbert L

Paul H

Russell W

Kathy B

Richard K

David C

Karen C

Steve G

Derek S

Steven K

Lynn M

Daniel M

Susan L

Matthew J P

Kevin F

Justin P

Jonathan C

Robert J G Jr

Harvey Z

Sandra K

Michael K

Brenda H

John S

Charlotte L

Richard T

Larry G

Patti M

Sarah W D

Thomas B

Justine G

Aaron M

John T

Thomas S

Cindy B

James E G

Charles U

Michael C

www.killington.com

Play Hard..

SleeP For leSS GreaT Value!

BreakFasT included clean, modern rooms

a Four season inn locaTed on killinGTon road

FREE WIFI Toll Free 1-888-422-3315

John D

Jon L

Brad P

Sean F

Dave K L

Donald M B

Rich H

Sean K

Michael S

Scott H

Jack D

Forrest B

Donna M

Scott G

John B

Barry S

Scott K

Samantha G

William T

Ron H

Tricia N T

Patricia C

Craig H

Michael C Jr

Peter D

Rick S

Carol G

Louis F

Karen L D

Detlef H

Neal G

Bradley L

Brittany D J

Myong K

Robert D P

Sharon M

Jennifer H L

Robert S

Daniel T O

Nate M

Robert L M

Jeffrey T

Aaron N

Skip D

Ayal B

Tucker A L

Erik H

Nic B

Zach R

Jim L

Vito G

David K

Andrew M

Rosemary M

Joseph D M

Lilian A

Brian C

Joshua O

Gary J

Corey P

Rich W

Richard P

Bob S

www.killington.com

mounTainsporTsinn.com

RESTAURANT & BAR NOW OPEN! Tuesday - Saturday at 5pm AprĂŠs ski at 4pm Nightly specials $

:

Tuesdays : 12.9 5 Homestyle Dinner Wednesdays :

Chef's Choice Flatbreads and $5 House Martinis

Thursdays : Half Price Glass of Wine with the Purchase of an Entree

78 Cream Hill Road Mendon, VT 05701 for reservations: (802) 775 - 0708 www.vermontinn.com

KILLINGTON’S PLACE FOR LIVE MUSIC, FOOD, AND FUN

JAX

FRESHIES

LONG TRAIL. KEEPING OUR BEERS CHILL SINCE 1989.

LONG TRAIL BREWING CO. B R I D G E W AT E R C O R N E R S , V T

LONGTRAIL.COM

WWW.

I’m blown away by how educated people are about beer here; how interested they are; how knowledgeable they are about the styles; how dedicated people are.

— Dave Hartmann Long Trail Brewing

From Bear Mountain to Bridgewater Corners, Killington’s beer scene flows freely

by Tyler Cohen / photos by Justin Cash

AT AN Y BE E R TA S T I NG ,

a sample flight runs light to dark, the full spectrum from wheats and pilsners to stouts and porters. In Vermont, the beer scene is no different, with breweries running the gamut from backyard micro operations to breweries with nationwide distribution and everything in between. Roaring Brook Brewing, which is inspired in Killington and brewed at Rock Art, and Long Trail Brewing Company, in Bridgewater Corners, sit at opposite ends of the proverbial beer flight, based on size, distribution and more. But their similarities run deeper than you’d expect.

We caught up with Howie Karass, who founded Roaring Brook Brewing, which is known locally for its Arctic IPA, and Dave Hartmann, brewmaster at Long Trail, which recently released their Farmhouse series of IPAs, to talk tastes, the Vermont beer scene, Killington and winter sports. Here’s what these two Killington beer guys had to say.

by Tyler Cohen

B E E R B E G I N N I NGS

Dave Hartmann: I started at Long Trail in 1992 and worked for the company for about two years. Back then, I’d run the bottling line; I would brew some days, do filtration, lab work, pretty much a little bit of everything. I was as certain as certain can get that I wanted to make a career out of brewing so I decided to go back to school for brewing. I went out to UC Davis, was out there for a little more than a year, spent a few years working for various breweries and came back to Long Trail about five years ago.

Howie Karass: I used to be a wine guy and went to wine tastings, but in 2006 I went to my first Brewers Fest up in Burlington, Vt. and was exposed to some of the best beers I’d ever had. It was then I realized I liked craft beer more than I liked wine. Around the same time, I started home brewing with my friends.

The first Arctic IPA we did as a homebrew wasn’t so good. The second version was knock-yoursocks-off good.

— Howie Karass Roaring Brook Brewing

In 2011, I started branding a company called Roaring Brook Brewing, ’cause I live on Roaring Brook Road in Killington. The first Arctic IPA we did as a homebrew wasn’t so good. The second version was knock-your-socks-off good. We had 30 bottles of it, and I said, “I need to take this around Killington to some of my friends.” So we started doing tastings out of my trunk in the [Bear Mountain] parking lot. It could be 15 degrees out, and friends would be at my car.

LONG T R A I L’S F A R M H O US E

DH: Long Trail bought a property that came with an old farmhouse. We had really maxed out our main production facility, and we were looking for a spot to do pilot brewing, because we really felt the need to develop some new beers and needed something more official than our home brew system. The idea basically presented itself to put it over in the farmhouse.

Initially, we were making the beer over there, bringing it over in kegs and putting it on tap over in the pub and just calling it the Farmhouse Beer. Just last year we bit the bullet and put the facility over there.

We’re going to brew a beer with the Green Mountain Club here coming up; we’ve done beers with friends; we’ve done beer with bar owners in the area.

Mostly, we do research and development in the Farmhouse.

C OM M U N I T Y & COL L A BOR AT I ON

HK: They [Long Trail] let me brew in their pilot system in June of 2013. Dave said, “Hey, I’ve got some space in the pilot system. Bring your hops and let’s see how it goes.” We debuted it at a Killington Chamber of Commerce event, and it went over really well. That’s when we knew it could work on a bigger level.

Dave [Hartmann] was the one who said I should talk to Matt and Renee [Nadeau] from Rock Art Brewery. Everybody says, “Are you a master brewer?” and I say, no I’m a home brewer. Essentially, I’m just the chef. This is a Rock Art product; I’m the branding guy.

DH: We’re definitely happy to help other brewers. We have a lot of resources that some of the other guys don’t, which we’re generally pretty happy to share when we can. We don’t really look at them as competitors. As long as everybody is doing well, it just doesn’t feel like there’s any competition.

C R A F T C U LT U R E

DH: There’s a lot that’s unique about Vermont. People are really into beer here—you could say that about other places, too—but I’m blown away by how educated people are about beer here; how interested they are; how knowledgeable they are about the styles; how dedicated people are. People are really into it, and it’s very cool. www.killington.com

continued on page 112

tapped | 111

Honestly, the brewery wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the mountain.

DH: Beer fests are generally really positive. Some are like a tasting fest— where people are looking for single releases and hard-to-find beers—and others are a bit more fun where you try a bunch of different beers: more fest and less tasting. Killington falls into the latter category. It’s a beautiful time of year with the foliage going on.

SK I I NG & B E E R

HK: When we got out of college, my brother and I said, “We want Patriots season tickets and we want a ski house.” That was back in 1984 and in 1990 we bought a ski house. We didn’t have wives yet and we only had apartments back home [in Foxboro, Mass.], but we thought a ski house would be a good thing to have.

I ski a lot of days each year, but I don’t ski a lot of hours. I’m a 2 to 4 guy.

DH: I haven’t skied in a while—I’ve had both of my knees reconstructed but just about everybody else here rides or skis. It’s part of the culture at Long Trail. A lot of people end up here because they’re into skiing.

Killington is great for us. In ski season, on Friday night, the pub is packed and we sell a lot of beer to people coming to pick up a case for the weekend. The guy who started the company [Andy Pherson] built a ski house up here.

Honestly, the brewery wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the mountain.

Want more beer? Each fall, Killington’s Brewfest features over 100 craft beers.

Sample to your heart’s content during this two-day event.

Learn more at killington.com.

KILLINGTON’S ULTIMATE RENTAL AND DEMO CENTER

Ski & Snowboard Rentals, Demos & Sales Tuning

Snowshed Base Lodge Mountain Green Resort

Rams Head Upper Snowshed Parking Lot

Accessories Santa Fe Steakhouse

Apparel

BLACKDOGDEALS.COM

802-422-4281

MOUNTAIN GREEN BUILDING 3 • EAST MOUNTAIN ROAD • KILLINGTON, VT

Killington Access Road

KILLINGTON’S ONLY

CRAFT BEER GARDEN

WITH OVER 15 DRAFT LINES! Lunch and Dinner, Seven Days a week from September to May Dine-in Or Takeout • Reservations Accepted • Private Seating Available

1807 KILLINGTON ROAD • KILLINGTON, VT 05751 • (802) 422-4241 • VERMONTSUSHI.COM CHECK OUT OUR OTHER LOCATIONS: 1128 MOUNTAIN ROAD, STOWE, VT (802) 253-4135 • 1818 STATE ROUTE 9, LAKE GEORGE, NY (518) 668-4135

MORE Memories.

The place you love with the people you love most.

weddings@killington.com 888-644-7263

Ledgewood Yurt Smoked Pork Brisket with Maple Jack Mop Sauce, accompanied by Red Flannel Hash

Chef Greg Lang for the Ledgewood Yurt

photos by Justin Cash

recipe on page 120

by Mike Horn photography by Justin Cash

R

114| perfect Hello, PICO! 114

www.killington.com

Pork Osso Buco with Madeira Wine Demi Glaze, accompanied by Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Portobello Mushrooms

Chef Bryan Gudelis for The Garlic recipe on page 121

www.killington.com

R

Hello, PICO! plates |115 115

Ginger Grilled Salmon with Miso Slaw Marinade

Chef Eric Rusch for the Peak Lodge

Ginger Grilled Salmon 3 tbsp Soy Sauce 1 tbsp Water 1½ tbsp Sesame Oil 1 tbsp Grated Fresh Ginger 1 tbsp Honey 2 Garlic Cloves 1 Shallot Prepare by mixing together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, honey and ginger. Rough chop garlic and shallot, then incorporate into the mix. Stir well. Place the salmon in a pan that can submerge the salmon in marinade. Marinate for four hours, then take out and let it dry on a pan in the refrigerator for another four hours.

Sear salmon on the grill and cook to medium rare.

R

116| perfect Hello, PICO! 116

Miso Slaw ¼ cup Golden Miso Paste ¼ cup Honey ¼ cup Water 1 tbsp Lemon Juice ¼ tbsp Sesame Oil ¼ tbsp Soy Sauce ¼ tbsp Ginger ½ cup Mirin 1½ tbsp White vinegar Dash white pepper Dash salt ¼ cup Jicama ¼ cup Cucumber ¼ cup Carrot ¼ Red Bell Pepper ¼ tbsp Fennel 1 tbsp Cilantro ¼ cup Kohlrabi Combine miso, honey, water, lemon juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar and ginger in a blender; blend until smooth. With machine running, gradually add vegetable oil. Season miso dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the jicama, cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot, kohlrabi and fennel into matchsticks. Rough chop fresh cilantro. Mix the vegetables and dressing into a bowl.

www.killington.com

Lobster Salad Roll

Chef Eric Rusch, for the Peak Lodge recipe on page 121

www.killington.com

plates | 117

Sausage Polenta Lasagna

Chef Jimi and Beth Sarandrea for Liquid Art recipe on page 122

118 | perfect

www.killington.com

Roasted Vegetable Panini

Chef Greg Lang, for the Ledgewood Yurt recipe on page 123

Ledgewood Yurt Smoked Pork Brisket

In a saucepot heat the butter and add the onions. Caramelize golden brown and add the garlic, rosemary and thyme. Deglaze with the vinegar and add the molasses and honey.

8 oz Smoked Pork Brisket 4 oz Red Flannel hash 4 oz Maple Mop Sauce Place the brisket in the oven to heat, brush with a small amount of mop sauce to keep moist. Using a hot sauté pan heat the hash and place it in the center of a 10” plate. Place the brisket on top of the hash and cover it with the sauce.

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

To Go

Maple Jack Mop Sauce 1 medium white onion, diced medium 1 oz Garlic, minced 1 oz Butter, clarified 1 tbsp Thyme, chopped ½ tbsp Rosemary, chopped ½ cup Molasses ½ cup Honey ¼ quart Cider Vinegar 1 oz Tabasco Sauce 1 fluid oz Worcestershire Sauce 2 Bay leaves ¼ cup Parsley stems, chopped ¼ quart Tomato Paste ½ can crushed tomatoes 1 oz BBQ Spice Mix ¼ cup Smoke Drippings, from the ribs ½ cup Jack Daniels ½ cup Apple Juice ½ cup Vermont Maple Syrup ½ cup Cannonball BBQ

Simmer down and allow this to caramelize. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 3-4 hours allowing it to caramelize on the bottom of the pot. Do not burn or it will get bitter.

Puree in Vita Mix or similar-type blender to create a smooth texture. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, vinegar or honey.

Red Flannel Hash 3 oz Carrots, peeled, 1” cubes 3 oz Onion, 1” cubes 3 oz Roasted Beets, peeled, 1” cubes 3 oz Celery, 1” cubes 3 oz Red, Green and Yellow Pepper, 1” cubes 3 oz Smoked Pork Brisket trimmings, 1” cubes 1 tsp Pickling Spice, ground 1 tsp Tabasco Sauce 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce Dash Cayenne Dash Salt 1 tbsp Cracked Black Pepper 1 tbsp Bacon fat Sauté the pork trimmings with the bacon fat in a 10” sauté pan and allow it to slightly caramelize.

Add the carrots, celery and onion to the pan with the seasoning and cook until the carrots become tender.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Killington’s On-Mountain Grocery Store

killington

market

BACK

COUNTRY CAFE Pancake house

802- 422-7736 Deli 422-7594

Vermont

GROCE RY

Hearty Breakfast

DE L ICAT E S SE N

French Toast Belgian&Waffles

Country Style

MEATS PRODUCE SEAFOOD

extensive selection of BEER

Take Out

and WINE convenience

Farm Fresh Eggs Local VT Coffee

BAKERY PIZZA CATERING VT PRODUCTS MAPLE SYRUP 2023 Killington Road www.killingtonmarket.com Open Daily at 6:30 a.m.

Daily Specials • Take out M AT

923 Killington Road, Killington, VT 802-422-4411 www.killington.com

Pork Osso Buco Bone-In Pork Chop 1 22 oz Pork Shank Flour 1 tbsp Garlic 1 tbsp Tomato Paste or similar 1 tbsp Shallot 2 Large Portobello Mushroom 1 Clove Roasted Garlic 1 Medium Carrot 2 Stalks Celery 1 Medium Onion 2 Bay Leaves 10 Peppercorns ½ cup Madeira Wine Lightly flour and season the pork shank with salt and pepper. Brown off the pork shank in an ovenproof pan. Add all of the remaining ingredients and cover pan with aluminum foil. Roast in a 350-degree oven until the Osso Buco is fork-tender (about four hours). Serve with mashed potatoes. Spoon the reserved cooking liquid over the Osso Buco.

www.killington.com

Lobster Salad Roll 1 lb Lobster Meat, picked 1 lb Butter ¼ cup Mayo ¼ cup Sour Cream ½ tbsp Dijon Mustard 1 tbsp Lemon juice ¼ Red Pepper ¼ Red Onion 1 stick Celery ½ tsp Cilantro ¼ tsp Old Bay seasoning Pinch Kosher Salt Pinch White Pepper Melt butter in a saucepan, poach the lobster for two minutes to let the lobster soak up some of the butter. Strain the meat from the butter, save the butter for next time. Let lobster cool. In the meantime dice up the vegetables into small pieces. Then put into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

Mix well. Fold in lobster and season to taste.

Butter and grill your favorite roll.

Place the lettuce and tomato in first as a bed—this will help keep the bread from getting soggy.

Scoop your salad on top and enjoy.

Sausage Polenta Lasagna Ingredients 1½ cup Water, then ½ cup more ¾ cup Corn Meal 1 tsp Oregano 1 tsp Thyme 1 tsp Basil 1 tsp Chopped Garlic ½ cup Shredded Mozzarella 1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese 2 Sweet Italian Sausage Links (cut casing on sausage and cook ground meat until done.

Salt and pepper to taste) 1 cup Spicy Tomato Sauce 3 tsp Parmesan cheese Directions

Replace half of cake in ramekin.

Evenly spread ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella and Italian sausage atop the first half of cake in each ramekin.

Top with other half of cake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove from ramekin and top off with spicy tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.

Firetini 2 oz Habanero-infused vodka ¾ oz Passion fruit puree ¾ oz Simple syrup Mint leaf 1 tbsp sugar Directions

In a saucepan combine 1½ cups water, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs.

Bring to a boil.

Combine ½ cup water with ½ cup cornmeal.

Add cornmeal mix to boiling water.

Stir consistently for 10 minutes with wire whip.

Coat three 6 -8 oz ramekins with cooking spray.

Fill ¾ of ramekin with cornmeal mixture Place in refrigerator for one hour to cool.

Mix ricotta with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove firm polenta from ramekins and cut in half.

Put sugar on plate and rim chilled martini glass.

Fill a Boston Shaker with ice and add ingredients.

Shake well and strain into sugar-rimmed martini glass.

Garnish with mint leaf.

LEDGEWOOD YURT AT KILLINGTON

A Unique Fine Dining Experience The Ledgewood Yurt at Killington The Ledgewood Yurt offers unique farm-to-table fare for ski-in, ski-out lunches, nighttime excursions, and rustic family nights.

Whether traveling by snowcat-drawn sleigh or soft snowy turns, guests are ushered out of the cold into a Mongolian-style mountain escape.

Dinner reservations required.

Please call 866-809-9147.

www.killington.com

Roasted Vegetable Panini Ingredients 1 Portabella Mushroom cap 6 Zucchini slices 6 Summer Squash slices ½ Red Pepper 1 Slice Smoked Gouda cheese 2 pieces of Focaccia or Ciabatta bread 2 tbsp Basil Aioli (see recipe) 4 tbsp Olive Oil 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 4 slices Tomato 2 pieces Green Leaf Lettuce Salt and Pepper to taste Toss vegetables with oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Cook in 375-degree oven until browned.

Spread aioli on bottom half of roll or bread. Place lettuce and tomato on bread. Arrange squashes, then mushrooms, then pepper on lettuce and tomato. Top with Gouda and the top piece of bread, and grill on Panini machine or sauté pan.

1 tbsp Chopped Basil 1 tsp Lemon Juice Pinch of Sea Salt Ledgewood Caesar Dressing 3 Egg Yolks 1 oz Garlic ½ oz Anchovies ½ cup Dijon Mustard ⅓ cup Red Wine Vinegar 5 ½ cup Olive Oil 2 cup Canola Oil 1 tbsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper Mix yolks, garlic, anchovies, Dijon mustard and lemon juice in small blender and puree.

Slowly incorporate oil.

Remove from blender and fold in black pepper.

Sandwich is done when bread is toasted. Slice and enjoy.

Peak Lodge Killington Peak at Killington (802) 422 6201

Ledgewood Yurt on Killington Mountain (866) 809 9147

Basil Aioli 2 tbsp Mayo ½ tsp Chopped Garlic

Liquid Art 37 Miller Brook Road, Killington (802) 422 2787

The Garlic 1724 Killington Rd, Killington (802) 422 5055

LET YOUR ADVENTURE BEGIN!

We offer custom guided snowmobile tours in the Calvin Coolige State forest. All ability levels are welcome in our four great locations!

www.killington.com

Local Knowledge

124 | real

www.killington.com

In Killington, because of the snowmaking capability, you can count on great skiing regardless of the natural snowfall.

What is your history in the Killington area?

I grew up in New England. I began skiing at Killington when I was in high school. After I was married in the mid 1980s, my husband and I rented ski houses in Killington for the ski season with another couple. In 1998, we bought a condo in Killington with the idea that we might want to relocate to the area from Boston on a permanent basis.

We sold our home in Boston in 1999 and relocated to Killington as permanent, full-time residents in December 1999. We both joined [Killington Resort’s] Ambassador program at the mountain for the 1999-00 season. I participated in the Ambassador program until the 2010-11 season, and my husband still participates.

How did you get involved in real estate?

How long have you been in the business?

When I first moved to Killington, I was exhausted from my corporate career and travel in the management consulting business. I took two years off and played full time in the area. Once I had fully decompressed I decided that I wanted to start a new career in the area. I always had an interest in real estate, and I decided to get my license in Vermont. I got my Vermont real estate license in January 2003 and have been selling real estate in Killington ever since.

How would you describe the state of the market in Killington?

I would say that the real estate market in Killington is improving slowly. The worst period for real estate sales since I have been selling was 2010. The market has been slowly improving since then. The number of properties sold is increasing slowly, however, the prices for most properties have not started to rise yet.

What types of properties are people looking for nowadays—are there types of properties that are more coveted than others?

Chandler Burgess

Local realtor Heidi Bomengen on the state of the market and snowmaking’s surprising influence

www.killington.com

There are more 2- and 3-bedroom condominiums sold than anything else in town. Most people are buying to use the property themselves and offset some of their costs by renting the property out on occasion.

Most people like the convenience of being close to the mountain and the restaurants and shopping. If that could be combined with a ski in/ski out location, that would be optimal. That combination, however, is not generally available in Killington yet, as the only true ski in/ski out properties are located in Killington East, Sunrise, or at Pico. estate | 125

The

Red Clover Inn RESTAURANT & TAVERN

“A feast for the senses in an idyllic setting” - Boston Globe

What do people value about the Killington lifestyle? What’s unique about the area?

Most of the people who purchase property in Killington like the variety of terrain offered at the mountain and the proximity of the mountain to their home. Most people who purchase property in Killington are from New England, New York, New Jersey and/or Pennsylvania.

One of the key features that I emphasize when selling property in Killington is the snowmaking capability.

When dealing with New England winters, you cannot count on a great natural snow season. In Killington, because of the snowmaking capability, you can count on great skiing regardless of the natural snowfall.

How does that influence potential buying decisions?

Restaurant open for dinner Thursday through Monday 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Stylish, secluded lodging. Exquisite Vermont food.

Just minutes from Killington.

7 Woodward Road, Mendon, Vermont — 1/4 mile off Route 4 between Killington & Rutland 802.775.2290 • 800.752.0571 • www.redcloverinn.com

I think that the snowmaking capability is a positive factor in the buying decision. Most people who buy in Killington have experienced skiing at Killington as well as other areas. They decide to buy here because of the mountain terrain and favorable snow conditions.

Mountain Living:

FALL LINE CONDOMINIUMS

Located on Killington Road at the Basin Sports Complex 802.422.3923

w w w. p r e s t i g e k i l l i n g t o n . c o m

A Killington Resort managed property, these mountainside deluxe accommodations in a private village setting offer some of the best views of Killington.

There’s convenient shuttle and ski-home access from December-March, and in the summer, the first tee of the Killington Golf Course is only a third of a mile from the front door.

Sports Center For Fall Line guests only and centrally located, enjoy an indoor pool, exercise equipment, 10-person hot tub and sauna. www.killington.com

How do home and condo prices compare to other mountain communities in Vermont?

I believe that you get a lot more value for your money in Killington than other areas that some buyers consider.

Most buyers who come to Killington are also considering other areas [like] Okemo, Stratton and Stowe. Killington real estate prices are considerably lower than all of those areas for a comparable property.

Where do you see the market heading in the coming months?

I believe that we will continue to see slow improvement over the coming months. Unfortunately, until the Village is underway, I don’t believe there is anything other than significant and visible investment in the area that would be likely to “supercharge” the market.

Heidi Bomengen is an agent at Prestige Real Estate of Killington. When she’s not selling real estate, you can find her skiing on the mountain, trying to improve her golf game, or playing with her Portuguese Water Dog.

Killington Condos

TAKE A LOOK!

PRINT

MOBILE

HIGHRIDGE CONDOMINIUMS These deluxe accommodations feature stone fireplaces and spacious interiors with great views. From December-March, enjoy complimentary shuttle service to and from the slopes or choose the ski-home trail to get you back (flat terrain, not recommended for snowboarders).

Come summer, you’re a short drive to the Killington Golf Course, and Killington’s network of hiking and mountain biking trails are right at your doorstep.

Sports Center Exclusively for Highridge guests, the sports center features a large indoor pool, 20-person outdoor hot tub, exercise room, game room and sauna. In the summer, enjoy two outdoor clay tennis courts as well. www.killington.com

WEB

local news now available anywhere, anytime, any way you like. www.mountaintimes.info

PINNACLE CONDOMINIUMS Within a mile of the slopes and summer activities at Killington, Pinnacle is ideal for those looking for comfort and convenience. Units feature gas fireplaces and spacious interiors with views. From December-March, enjoy complimentary shuttle service to and from the slopes. Come summer, you’re a short drive to the Killington Golf Course and Killington’s network of hiking and mountain biking trails.

Activities Center The Pinnacle Activities Center features a small exercise room, game room and TV lounge. In the winter, guests can enjoy 20-person and eight-person hot tubs, steam room, sauna and wine/beer/soda bar.

In the summer, Pinnacle is most desirable, offering an outdoor pool, hot tub and tennis courts.

Gramps Shuttle PICO RESORT HOTEL & CONDOMINIUMS Walking distance to the slopes at Pico Mountain (open mid-December through March), and just five miles to Killington Resort, Pico Resort Hotel and Condominiums offer a quiet retreat and easy access to all the activities.

Sports Center When you stay at Pico, receive complimentary access to the Pico Sports Center, featuring a 75-foot indoor pool, weight and cardiovascular equipment and sauna.

Take part in a variety of fitness classes as well from yoga to spinning and more. www.killington.com

SUNRISE CONDOMINIUMS Set aside from the main resort area, Sunrise Mountain Village condominiums and common areas offer a peaceful atmosphere, yet are still less than a 10-minute drive to all the action. Enjoy the convenience of walking or skiing to the slopes January-March (conditions permitting) with a dedicated chairlift getting you to all of Killington’s terrain. In summer, enjoy the tranquility of the outdoor spaces including a small pond and walking trails. Cellular service can be limited in the Sunrise area due to its mountain side location.

Sports Center Visit the sports center with indoor pool, hot tub, steam room and exercise room. In the winter enjoy a restaurant and lounge; ice skate on the pond and snowshoe or cross-country ski on the private trail system, all with complimentary equipment. Three asphalt tennis courts, an outdoor pool and walking trails are available in the summer.

Relax

IN THE MOUNTAINS

SKIN

NAILS

MASSAGE

Experience a full service spa, offering massage, nail care, facials and other services. Located in the Killington Grand Hotel.

Call for reservations 802.422.1050

TRAIL CREEK CONDOMINIUMS Trail Creek offers a one-of-a-kind community atmosphere with walking paths and green spaces. In winter, walk (not suitable for all) or hop on the shuttle to the slopes and ski back at the end of your day. Come summer, the Killington Golf Course is just across the street, and mountain biking and hiking trails are out your back door. You’ll enjoy privacy coupled with convenience and décor that is pure Vermont.

Trail access is to and from Snowshed area at Killington Resort and is only available when that facility is operational and conditions permit.

Sports Center The Trail Creek activity center provides a relaxing environment in which to rejuvenate after a day on the slopes, including an indoor pool, two hot tubs, exercise equipment, sauna and game room.

For more information, call (800) 372 2007. www.killington.com

228 East Mountain Rd. Killington, VT 05751

+

The Best of Both Worlds Killington and Okemo Combine for

2,164 ACRES · 41 LIFTS · 275 TRAILS

4.0 The College Pass

Unlimited pass at Killington, Okemo, Pico, and Mount Sunapee for college students

Killington Unlimited Pass Holders Receive 3 free days at Okemo

Multi-day (3+) Lift Tickets

Use one of your days at Okemo

½ Hour South on Vermont Route 100 · Ludlow, Vermont · okemo.com · (802) 228-1600 130 | notes

www.killington.com

22868_IPOD Consumer Poster

7/1/14

The Largest Demo Center in the Northeast!

brands d r a o b w o n s d ive ski an s lu c x e t s o m e Featuring th Located on the mountain with ski-in access

iamond Double D ter at n Demo Ce Lodge d e Snowsh -0145 (802) 315

lington Also in Kil ute 4 Ro Sports on -4119 (802) 776

m others.co r b r e t t o .p ne: www Shop onli

MORE Family.

At the Killington Tubing Park, the adventures continue under the lights.

Lift-serviced tubing, snowshoeing and the Clubhouse Grill & Pizza, right at the heart of the resort. killington.com 800.621.MTNS

c

Parting Shot:

4,241 Reasons to Love Vermont

Mike Horn

WE MET CALF #4241 of Monument Farms Dairy on a blustery January day in Weybridge, Vermont while working on the Cow Power story (Farm to Peak, p44). At just seven days old she was a feisty little thing, looking at us with wild eyes, gnawing at the cage and trying to grab coattails and sleeves if we got too close.

We, of course, thought it was great that she bore the same ID as this magazine. The herdswoman who cared for all the calves said we could name her if we wanted to. We called her “Buttery.”

Ten months later, just before this magazine went to press, we called Monument Farms to check on her. The secretary read a note passed along by the herdswoman. “Buttery is doing well. She’s with the rest of the young heifers in the white barn.”

— 4241’ Hello, PICO!

R 135

FUELING DRIVERS

EVERYWHERE.

FIND YOUR LOCAL STATION AT GOSUNOCO.COM

“ONE

CANNOT THINK WELL, LOVE WELL, SLEEP WELL, IF ONE HAS NOT DINED WELL.”

FOUNDRYKILLINGTON.COM • 802.422.5335 63 SUMMIT PATH KILLINGTON, VT