Lemons to Lemonade I have a friend who is battling cancer, and she appears to be winning the battle. Her secret? In her words, an “attitude of gratitude.” What a mantra for any difficult situation. Here in Killington, and in other parts of Vermont, we have been put to the test. But we are finding that in spite of the hardships, there is much to be grateful for. For us for starters, Irene caused no loss of life or bodily harm, and our inn and our home were undamaged. Yes, business has suffered, but here’s the lemonade part—folks are informed about the quick rehabilitation of our roads and infrastructure, and they are coming toVermont. They have become much more aware of the tenacious aspect of the Vermonters’ character and are rewarding us with their presence, often because they want to help us back on our feet, knowing their experience will be vintage Vermont—beautiful views and warm hospitality. Yes, Irene dumped a lot of water on us, but it turns out that’s good for the quality of the foliage colors (more lemonade). We are in turn more grateful than ever for the faith our guests have in us and in this beautiful state. Killington Resort is squeezing those lemons as well. First of all, Killington Base Lodge was NOT destroyed by Irene. Damage to one small section, yes; destruction, no. As a result, the damaged section has been removed and will be replaced by a brand new deck topped by two European custom built outdoor bars, fully heated, with adjustable walls and windows to adapt to the changing weather conditions, offering prime views ofKillingtonPeakand Superstar. What a great, brand new way to savor the après ski experience at the finest ski resort in the East! Lemonade, anyone?
Categories: Discover Vermont
Tags: Irene, Killington, skiing, Vermont, Vermont Foliage
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Irene – Act II
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!
Categories: Latest News
Tags: Hurricane Irene, Killington Resort, Vermont Foliage
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