Industry News
We made it to October, meaning the ski season we have all been waiting for all summer is not that far away. Some resorts out west have already announced when opening day will be, and it will not be much longer until the Eastern resorts follow suit. In the east, Killington Resort, Vermont, is typically the first ski resort to open each year and usually remains open until mid-May.
To have such a long ski season, it is critical to have the ability to produce a lot of snow, and Killington is world-renowned for its snowmaking capabilities. This past weekend, Killington started testing its new snow guns on the Superstar Glacier in anticipation of the upcoming season. Those new snow guns can be turned on and off from the office, which will help with efficiency and manual labor.
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Killington has been making many snowmaking improvements this past summer on the mountain, which will only add to its ability to have the longest season in the East. 12,000 feet of new snowmaking air and water lines were installed to replace older pipelines. The Beast in the East also added 60 semi-automated air/water hydrants, which will help light up guns faster. The mountain also retrofitted 400 existing low-energy snow guns and added 120 new low-energy tower guns, which will improve snow quality. The snowmaking improvements are also an effort by Killington to improve its snowmaking efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
The snowmaking upgrades are just one of the projects that Killington has been doing in recent years to keep it as a tier-one destination resort. The K-1 lodge is a state-of-the-art facility that was added last year. It is located at the base of Superstar and is a massive enhancement to the mountain. Killington also worked on trails and terrain, allowing groomers better access and making snow conditions even better. Killington added a new Prinoth Bison X groomer and winch with depth technology to its fleet of groomers, giving the resort a total of three groomers with this feature.
Killington is the mountain in the East that everyone is looking to visit each season, and it draws skiers and riders from all over the world. The enhancements and additions to the mountain are geared to provide guests with the best experience while visiting the resort. It is also the commitment of Killington to keep improving, growing, and being the best resort the East has to offer.
Killington made this announcement on its website:
“We are on a mission to transform the way you, our guest, experience and enjoy Killington for years to come. On its own, the K-1 base lodge rebuild is transformative for Killington. But building on prior investments, and combined with the other infrastructure enhancements and new experiences, these upgrades set the tone for future generations to enjoy Killington Resort. Killington is undeniably the Northeast’s resort for year-round adventure.”
For more information, visit Killington’s website.
