Industry News
Killington is one of the most storied resorts in the Northeast and in North American skiing as a whole. For generations, the resort has consistently provided high-quality skiing from autumn to late spring, often reaching into June. The resort has long boasted an impressive snowmaking system and a diehard attitude toward season longevity. Closing day often involves walking between patches of snow, yet hundreds or even thousands of skiers and riders still show up.
The heart of spring skiing at Killington is the Superstar trail. This run is well known for hosting a women’s World Cup race every year on Thanksgiving, and Killington keeps blowing snow on it throughout the year until the snowpack soars above the top of the lift towers around late March. This behemoth, dubbed the “Superstar Glacier” by the resort, is what makes June skiing possible.
The atmosphere at Killington in the spring is downright joyful. It is an agglomeration of people who love skiing and love to be outdoors. It’s rare for anyone on the chairlift in April or May to complain about conditions. The talent that shows up for May skiing is also incredibly impressive. Those who can’t ski like an Olympian should expect to be humbled.
The experience isn’t for everyone. Common obstacles include challenging slush bumps and occasional patches of grass, mud, and rocks. The payoff of this is that the snow remains soft, and skiers can comfortably wear a T-shirt and tailgate like it’s a college football game.
Killington’s spring operations will be different this year. The legendary Superstar Express Quad is being replaced with a new six-passenger chairlift and will close to the public on April 13, after providing almost 40 years of incredible spring skiing. The new lift will be finished in the fall, though not in time for the annual Thanksgiving World Cup race, which has been moved to Copper Mountain, Colorado, for 2025. Due to the construction, spring skiing will predominantly take place this year higher on the mountain, on the Canyon and North Ridge lifts.
This year’s change is exciting. The Canyon is fun terrain with a more alpine feel that could be really fun to ski in a T-shirt. This should be an entertaining change in scenery before spring skiing returns to Superstar in 2026. While many will miss the Superstar Quad and the memories formed while skiing it, the new lift will pave the way to decades more of blissful skiing.
