MESSAGES:
Killington is the first in the East again. Are you excited? Tell us about it.
KILLINGTON, Vt.--Oct. 22 , 1998--For the 38th consecutive year, Killington is the first resort in the East to open for public skiing and snowboarding, starting the official "winter" season just in time for Halloween and a month of "Snovember" early season skiing and riding. Since 1958, Killington has offered pre-holiday skiing and riding -- and for 35 of those years, Killington has had snowmaking capabilities, pushing forward the annual opening day for skiing and riding into October. The cost to the public for skiing and riding today is $10. All proceeds will go towards Killington's new Environmental Outreach Program.
After a successful snowgun test on Sept. 22nd, Killington snowmakers started up the snowguns again on Tuesday night as temperatures dropped into the 20's. They continued blowing snow throughout the day Wednesday and into last night. With an additional prayer to the Snow Gods, Killington's snowmaking team transformed the blue square, more difficult "Rime" trail into a snow sliding paradise. "Rime" is one of Killington's original trails, located just off the northwest shoulder of 4,241 foot Killington Peak.
Killington's Managing Director Allen Wilson was like a kid on Halloween, dressed up and ready to go, waiting to see what kind of "trick" or "treat" Killington's snowmakers had left behind. Finding a "treat" in a wide swath of white snow, Wilson was among the first skiing down Rime, shouting gleefully, "It's about time! Snow's up: Catch the wave." Wilson is both an avid skier and an avid surfer. In addition to Wilson, Killington Ski Ambassador Donna Weinbrecht and extreme skier Dan Egan are expected for the opening day ritual -- along with several hundred members of the public.
As is the case with all early season skiing and riding, temperatures and conditions are subject to the vagaries of Mother Nature. Killington will keep the Rime trail open and expand to other terrain as conditions allow. Daily updates are available via the internet at www.killington.com or by calling the Killington snow phone at 802-422-3261. Early season, "Snovember" cost-saving "ski-and-stay" packages, including accomodations at the new Killington Grand Resort Hotel are available by calling 1-800-621-MTNS.
This season, in addition to 300 new tower snowguns placed on Killington's most popular runs, the resort has reconfigured two major green circle trails, "Great Eastern" and "Great Northern," to provide easier ways down from the top of the new K-1 Gondola for groups and families.
Killington is an American Skiing Company resort. Based in Newry, Maine, American Skiing Company is the largest operator of ski, snowboard and golf resorts across the United States.
MESSAGES:
Killington is the first in the East again. Are you excited? Tell us about it.