Killington - New Lifts and $16 million capital investment

[saltyant]

Special announcement    Although the season is far from over—we still have months of exceptional skiing and riding ahead—we’re already thinking about our 2018-19 ski and snowboard season. That's because, as you're about to find out, we have a lot of work to do before it arrives. Today, Killington Resort, along with parent company POWDR, is proud to announce $16 million in new investments—Killington's largest single-year capital investment in 20 years—designed to make the Beast of The East more fun and more accessible for all guests, but especially for families and intermediate skiers and riders. Whether you’re a newcomer to winter sports or a seasoned Killington veteran, we’re confident you’ll find something to be excited about in this round of on-mountain investment. Here are the projects we'll be tackling this summer: New Snowdon 6-person Detachable Bubble Chairlift Replacing the existing Snowdon Quad fixed grip chairlift, this new Poma-Leitner lift will improve access to intermediate and family terrain in the Snowdon area, reducing wait and ride times while increasing passenger comfort. South Ridge Quad Chairlift The highly anticipated replacement of the old South Ridge Triple, removed in 2011, restores ready access to terrific natural snow terrain in the South Ridge area, and provides additional connectivity between Bear Mountain and the north side of the resort. Extensive Updates to the K-1 Express Gondola New Poma-Leitner 8-passenger cabins, new haul rope and a newly enclosed, heated barn for cabin storage will thoroughly modernize the iconic K-1 Express, increasing reliability and guest comfort. Numerous Trail Improvements Installation of bridge and tunnel systems will improve traffic flow at key intersections on Snowdon and Skye Peak. We'll also  widen, re-grade and re-route portions of Great Northern to make it more accommodating for intermediate skiers and riders. Relocation of the Snowdon Poma Lift to Ramshead’s Swirl Trail The move creates a dedicated training area for Killington Mountain School and Killington Ski Club, while increasing guest access to intermediate terrain on Snowdon. New RFID Systems at Killington and Pico Mountain Both resorts will introduce Axess smart gates with RFID (radio-frequency-identification) for direct-to-lift convenience and hands-free automated pass and ticket scanning. Summer Improvements The plan also includes significant investment in summer enhancements, including construction of a Woodward WreckTangle (a ninja obstacle challenge course), several new Adventure Center attractions, and Bike Park trail improvements designed to bring more folks into the sport of mountain biking at Killington. There’s a lot more to know than we can fit in The Drift. Be sure to read the press release and FAQ for additional details, and stay tuned for updates as construction gets underway. Oh, and don’t forget, some of  the best skiing and riding of the season is still ahead, and there’s snow in the forecast! We hope to see you this weekend.

[toast21602]

Nice. Looking forward to getting up there again next season.


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[saltyant]

2 minutes ago, toast21602 said:

Nice. Looking forward to getting up there again next season.

It's great that Snowdon is getting a high-speed six-pack. The two lifts from the bottom take forever to get up there.

The RFID readers are definitely an improvement over their current system in which an attendant scans your lift ticket every damn time. After 50% of runs my ticket is flipped around and they have to turn it around to scan it.  Such an annoyance.

Also, it's funny I was just posting on here about how the gondolas look somewhat run down compared to Stowe's. That's a great investment because the K-1 gondola seems to always be the most heavily trafficked lift.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

4 minutes ago, saltyant said:

It's great that Snowdon is getting a high-speed six-pack. The two lifts from the bottom take forever to get up there.

The RFID readers are definitely an improvement over their current system in which an attendant scans your lift ticket every damn time. After 50% of runs my ticket is flipped around and they have to turn it around to scan it.  Such an annoyance.

Also, it's funny I was just posting on here about how the gondolas look somewhat run down compared to Stowe's. That's a great investment because the K-1 gondola seems to always be the most heavily trafficked lift.

I'll let Matt Edge know the news about Killington. He thinks Killington is badass

[SallyCat]

Huh, the Snowden quad is the main lift for the bike park in the summer. *  I wonder how the upgrade work will impact bike park operations?  Agree, though: that was one hella slow chair. 

EDIT: And yeah, that gondola was like riding the Long Island Railroad in the 1980s. Charmless and covered in graffiti. I like bubble chairs better, anyway. No need to take off skis. 

*(Yes, the gondi goes to the top trails, but those are pretty gnarly and technical. The bulk of park users are in teh Snowden/Ramshead area.) 

Edited March 1, 2018 by SallyCat

[RootDKJ]

I’m happy to see South Ridge re-opening. I read somewhere else that the new lift will use the return path. What an iconic old lift that was. 

[eaf]

4 minutes ago, saltyant said:

It's great that Snowdon is getting a high-speed six-pack. The two lifts from the bottom take forever to get up there.

The RFID readers are definitely an improvement over their current system in which an attendant scans your lift ticket every damn time. After 50% of runs my ticket is flipped around and they have to turn it around to scan it.  Such an annoyance.

No kidding! Weren't you annoyed with RFID earlier this season and liked the good old CB tickets? The scanning part is dumb, they started doing that at JF too this year, and I really don't get the point.

[saltyant]

5 minutes ago, eaf said:

No kidding! Weren't you annoyed with RFID earlier this season and liked the good old CB tickets? The scanning part is dumb, they started doing that at JF too this year, and I really don't get the point.

Yes, but at CB they rarely check your ticket. At Killington they make you stop every single time to scan it.

My order of preference for lift ticket verification (best to worst) is: Camelback/Montage laissez faire; Stowe/Blue RFID reader; and Killington/Roundtop manual scanning.

Edited March 1, 2018 by saltyant

[SallyCat]

NOPE, I was confusing Snowshed and Snowdon. Never mind. 

 

Edited March 1, 2018 by SallyCat

[Johnny Law]

16 hours ago, RootDKJ said:

I’m happy to see South Ridge re-opening. I read somewhere else that the new lift will use the return path. What an iconic old lift that was. 

No turns though, that's such a classic ASC story.

An FWIW Killy is badass

[momskeeztoo]

Yeah, I really like Killington. Not sure why some people talk shit on it. 

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Bridge and tunnel system???

[saltyant]

4 minutes ago, Ski2Live Live2Ski said:

Bridge and tunnel system???

Skye Peak is a cluster of trails. I always get lost there because 3 different lifts service that area and I forget which side I'm going to end up on. I have no clue as to what specific trails they are making these changes.

[RootDKJ]

6 hours ago, Johnny Law said:

No turns though, that's such a classic ASC story.

An FWIW Killy is badass

I know. Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.