Looking down Lower East fall with Cascade and Lower Dipper in the background

Brilliantly sunny, stiff winds and a cool for early April, 28* at 2:30pm in Bay 1

So, upon leaving the shop, I run into Lisa who is just getting off the hill and she tells me that Superstar is skiing best as the wind has really buffed out a lot of the mountain. In honesty, I’m not really dying to ski a bunch of Superstar’s as there will be plenty of that after April 21.

I get there and I figure I would do a small tour around the mountain. I head up the K1 in hopes of some wintery snow and ski upper and lower East Fall, which was good. Up the CQ4 to ski natural snow bumps on whatever the trail that used to be called West Glade. Sorry, I forget the name of it. Which was really, good. Growing tired of taking the slow CQ4 as it was stopping frequently, I head to Bear via K Peak.

Bear was just alright by that point of the day. It had started to soften earlier, but now was resetting as the sun was off it. Up the Skye Peak chair to a Bittersweet, which was okay. The lower part had a ball bearing type surface. I finished things up with a run down Superstar which had the best snow.

I guess I should of listened to Lisa and stuck to the good snow on Superstar..

Moguls on the trail formerly known as West Glade

Pretty day on K Peak!

Lower East Fall from the CQ4

Looking down Skyeburst

The Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge course lies and waits..

Looking back on Lower SS after the day is done

Jonathan Celauro started skiing when he was four and still hasn't quite figured it out yet. After college, he moved to Killington and now 16 yrs later, each comprised of 100+ day ski seasons, he's still trying to grasp the whole skiing concept. At this point he imagines his best option is to just go with the flow. "I still find myself dreaming of big mountain lines and deep powder snow." J.C. Shop Our Online Store

Morning line up for the Golden this morning. Photo taken without permission from our friend Tom Horracks via Rutland Herald

Overcast with light snow, no wind and 25* at 8:45 to complete bluebird and 30* by time I left at 11:30*

Everyone and their brother knows the lifts at Pico have not spun since the first flake of this storm fell beginning Monday evening. In the same breath, everyone and their brother seemed to be at Pico today too. No matter, I know the place well enough to ditch the crowds and get my share of freshies!

I missed opening bell, but I did manage to be in the right place at the right time when they dropped on upper GK. Giant Killer was just alright. A bunch of wind effected snow on top of frozen moguls. As the trail lessened in pitch and dropped below where the winds really effect it, it skied better. From there it was pow turns heaven on Poma Woods.

I skied a few more Pike>upper Birch>Poma woods with my buddy Steven whom I ran into earlier. Then we headed over to the Outpost where that chair spun earlier than its scheduled 10:00. By this point the sun was breaking out and making this a day to remember. I did a few more Outpost runs, one more off the Summit and finished up with a lap off Outpost.

All in all an A+ for the day!

Poma Woods

Poma Woods

Poma Woods

Bronco. Photo by Jeff Miller

Upper Birch

Bronco

Bluebird heading up the Outpost Chair

Jeff Miller on Bronco

Jeff Miller on Bronco

Last run of the day at 11:30 under the Knones Knoll triple

Jonathan Celauro started skiing when he was four and still hasn't quite figured it out yet. After college, he moved to Killington and now 16 yrs later, each comprised of 100+ day ski seasons, he's still trying to grasp the whole skiing concept. At this point he imagines his best option is to just go with the flow. "I still find myself dreaming of big mountain lines and deep powder snow." J.C. Shop Our Online Store

Basin Sports customer Matthew Dispenza after winning the Killington B Klasic on Saturday

Overcast  a few intermittent drops from the sky from time to time. Strong Southerly breeze and 44* at the top of  K1 at 1:15

Today was one of those making lemonade out of lemons kind of a day. Being that yesterday was so awesome, one would think that today would be pretty darn good too. Well, it was, but in a different way. No one really expects a 45* day following a powder day, but that’s what we were served with today.

I skied solely off the CQ4 today as what seemed like every Killington local did. Downdraft was definitely the ROTD. Double dipper was good too, but not as consistent as Downdraft. DD was more of a softening glacial surface until you hit where they were making snow on Monday where that soft snow was pretty manky. Downdraft on the other had had perfect corn snow throughout.

I do apologize, but as I went to reach for my camera to snap some pics, I found the camera to be dead. Fear not though, I have some pics of Basin Sports customer, Matthew Dispenza, who I did coach when I worked for KMS, winning the Killington B Klassic on Saturday. Way to go Matthew!

Extension is key!

Spin to win!

Jonathan Celauro started skiing when he was four and still hasn't quite figured it out yet. After college, he moved to Killington and now 16 yrs later, each comprised of 100+ day ski seasons, he's still trying to grasp the whole skiing concept. At this point he imagines his best option is to just go with the flow. "I still find myself dreaming of big mountain lines and deep powder snow." J.C. Shop Our Online Store

Steep and long.

Overcast skies, 30 at the base windy and mid-20′s atop the Forerunner quad today at 10:45.

Sorry for the late post today, but traveling, lack of a decent wifi signal and happy hour had me delayed today. Today was Ski industry business appreciation day at Stowe. I decided to take full advantage of it and head north.

Stowe has always been one of my favorite VT resorts, but the cost of it is rather unfriendly to me. Having a free lift ticket and a good buddy who is a season pass holder and knows the area made the decision to take the day off and drive an hr and a half a no brainer. I was supposed to meet him and his buds at 10 for a hike up the backside to “the chin”, but I was running late and they went on without me. I skied solo for a few runs before we eventually met up. Once we met up it was just him and myself and since I’ve never really checked out the place I asked for the tour. He was happy to oblige.

He represented his home hill well as he took me all over and everyplace else in between on both the Stowe/Mansfield side and Spruce and even to the Toll House lift on groomers, natural and recently manmade snow. My favorite aspect about Stowe is the consistency of the pitch and the length of the runs. I’ll be back at Killington tomorrow with a report on the home front.

Looking back from the Forerunner quad

Nice moguls on Centerline

Lots of freshly made snow with huge whales on Hayride

Looking up liftline from the Forerunner quad

Huge snowmaking whales on Hayride

Jonathan Celauro started skiing when he was four and still hasn't quite figured it out yet. After college, he moved to Killington and now 16 yrs later, each comprised of 100+ day ski seasons, he's still trying to grasp the whole skiing concept. At this point he imagines his best option is to just go with the flow. "I still find myself dreaming of big mountain lines and deep powder snow." J.C. Shop Our Online Store

Snowguns roar back to life!

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was a spring like day and today is a more normal December day.

A cold front moved through late overnight which really froze up everything. This prevented the groomers from getting out there as the groomed product they would of made in the soft snow would of froze making for a “less than desirable” product.

Resulting in which, in my opinion a good idea,  Killington opened at 10:30 (superstar chair  at noon) and used that time to groom the now set up snow.

At the same time the snow guns went back on resurfacing terrain in many locations including Snowdon, Skye Peak and North Ridge.

I didn’t get a chance to ski today, but those that did came into the shop saying it wasn’t all that bad. I believe it. It would be like catching fresh groomers at noon rather than 9. I’m sure tomorrow will be better as they’ll have a full night to work over and groom the open terrain as well as continue resurfacing. I plan on getting out tomorrow, so I’ll have a first hand report.

Jonathan Celauro started skiing when he was four and still hasn't quite figured it out yet. After college, he moved to Killington and now 16 yrs later, each comprised of 100+ day ski seasons, he's still trying to grasp the whole skiing concept. At this point he imagines his best option is to just go with the flow. "I still find myself dreaming of big mountain lines and deep powder snow." J.C. Shop Our Online Store