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A Little Bit of Snow Last Night; A Lot of Football AND Skiing This Weekend

Snowed Inn — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:01:52 +0000

Want in on a secret? Perhaps the best skiing weekend of the season will happen this weekend, on February 4^th and 5^th. Why? Lots of skiers who are avid football fans will abandon their winter sport passion and become couch potatoes, cheering on their favorite football team to win the Super Bowl. Fair enough, I guess, but for those of you who want great skiing conditions AND fewer than usual crowds on the slopes to contend with, the first weekend in February is tailor made for you. Generally speaking February and March bring us the best skiing days, and when you can have shorter lift lines and open trails, life is good! Add in some later season sunshine and Killington’s new and wildly popular umbrella bars with a perfect view of Superstar Trail and the valley vistas, and great memories are made. And for those who want to ski and experience the thrill of watching the Super Bowl as well, there are terrific Sunday afternoon/evening parties at many of Killington’s finest night spots with large screen tv’s galore. Now that is après ski with panache!

From Jet Lag to Insight

Snowed Inn — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:43:37 +0000

Switching roles can be an educational exercise, and in this case, also a very fun experience. I just returned from a two week trip to Europe, seeing three cities that I had not visited before, each with its own personality, highlights and quirks. It was great fun, exploring the unknown, seeing sights that I had dreamed about for a lifetime. And above all, being a guest and realizing the importance of comfortable lodging when you are away from the familiarity and comforts of your own home. The significance of a smile and a friendly, welcoming face cannot be underestimated, regardless of what language is being spoken. It is critical in the hospitality industry and beyond, not just because it is good for business, but because it is good for humanity. What a valuable reminder that my guests are just like me, away from home, grateful for the warmth of a caring host.

Speaking of being grateful, especially with Thanksgiving on the horizon and Irene in our rearview mirror, we have to give thanks for the spectacular recovery efforts and preparations for the ski season that have been underway. Killington Resort has been working feverishly to repair the damaged section of the base lodge and is installing the innovative Umbrella Bar, putting a positive, fun spin on the damage inflicted by Irene. Snowmaking has been pretty consistent in spite of fluctuating temperatures, prompting Manfred to make his first turns of the season today, pronouncing the skiing quite good. I think all of us in our resort town are grateful that Killington Resort once again recognizes the value in being the first ski resort to open, and we all understand the value of that welcoming smile. Come on up-we are ready for your arrival!

Returning from a week in Florida and Killington is open!

Snowed Inn — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:52:10 +0000

The past week has definitely been a study in contrasts. Manfred and I were very fortunate to be able to slip away for a week to the sun and sand of Florida. The weather was so kind to us-a cold front had chased away the humidity and presented us with hot, but not oppressive temps, and we appreciatively played and relaxed to our hearts’ content. When we flew home last Wednesday we left behind 80 degrees and sun. On our first day back in Killington we were greeted with an all-day snow storm, the forecast is now for a major storm to hit us last night, and Killington Resort has opened for skiing! Extremes? Yes. Manfred is busy finishing up the “fall” clean-up in the snow, and at the same time getting us winterized. He’ll be tuning our skis before you know it. The perfect transition to the winter season? Absolutely! Returning to normal on an accelerated schedule is just what the doctor ordered, and we are soooo ready to welcome winter and all of our guests who love the Vermont and Killington winter experience. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, as is the terrific Killington Festival of Trees. I have a fun idea for our tree theme this year and am gathering the decorations to put it all together for the weekend of December 10^th at the Killington Grand Hotel. So bring it on, Father Winter-we are ready for you!

Irene – Act II

Snowed Inn — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:43:42 +0000

I find it actually quite ironic, that when I initially pondered the concept of writing a blog I wondered what in the world I would ever find to write about. Well, that turned out not to be such a problem. At this point in time it has been two whole weeks since the flood of 2011. Two weeks ago I was entering the chaotic world of emergency response volunteerism, and honestly, it felt so good to be so caught up in assisting the massive town effort, that reflection on a personal level was impossible. Then things kind of slowed down and it became impossible to suppress those emotions any longer. At this point everything is kind of a jumble of sadness for those who lost so much, gratitude for our good fortune, uncertainty regarding the future, and incredible pride in and optimism about the astounding strides that have already been made in resurrecting our beautiful state. On Saturday I was able to leave Killington for the first time, hiking through the woods to circumvent the section of Route 4 towards Rutland that suffered such terrible devastation, and on Sunday I was able to drive through the worst hit parts of Route 4 to the east. I can’t even begin to describe the progress that has been made on Route 4 on either side of Killington-by week’s end both will be re-opened, albeit gravel based in some sections until paving takes place in the near future (this photo, courtesy of Sheriff Bernard’s Facebook post, shows the amazing reconstruction efforts on Route 4, which was completely gone two weeks ago). Route 100 north and south are also open, with lots of construction underway. For those of us whose livelihood is dependent upon access into our wonderful town, this is such good news. The trees are just starting to turn color, and the weather is beautiful-welcome to foliage season in Vermont and its amazingly resilient people!

Take a Deep Breath

Snowed Inn — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:47:51 +0000

Okay, so we were down, but we are definitely not out. Hurricane Irene threw everything but the kitchen sink at us (actually there have been a few of those and other very large items floating around) and the damage is heartbreaking, but I am so proud of our community and those around us for banding together to help each other through this terrible crisis. Manfred and I couldn’t be more grateful that the Snowed Inn was completely spared, and that we had our power restored relatively quickly, so we have been able to provide assistance to those who haven’t been so fortunate. Our town office staff has been working round the clock to coordinate disaster assistance with state and federal officials, and local contractors have worked tirelessly to restore (very) limited access in and out of town. As one citizen said, we don’t have to get back on our feet- we are already back on our feet and will be back stronger than ever in record time. Killington Resort has some minimal issues to correct and has stated categorically that the mountain will be ready to welcome the first signs of winter and the skiers and boarders who flock here for those first turns of the season. It is my hope that access to town will be restored quickly enough to welcome fall leaf peepers as well. We are extremely grateful to all of those Snowed Inn regulars who have contacted us with words of concern and offers of assistance. We look forward to expressing our gratitude in person very soon!