Killington encompasses all that is great about skiing in America. There’s a real down home feel to the place. With a ton of terrain and a lot of moguls, it births and breeds bump skiers. A cursory survey of the parking lot will make that very clear. Moglsrus, bumpetr, mrmogul, are just some of the license plates advertising the ability to keep the knees closer together than a new purity ring pledger. The cut trails spill out across seven mountains and have a classic New England vibe.
The moguls are the size of Volkswagen beetles and are best left for the pros. One can literally disappear among them. For a real treat, the Mogul Madness competition takes place in the spring and spectators can witness some mad mogul skills as well as partake it what is really a tail-gate party on the side of the mountain. People build up little tents and stands and bring everything from barbecues to gas stoves for cooking chili and steaks, to couches and haystacks to sit on.
Need to do a little ski shopping? Save it for Killington. They have great shops, with really nice stuff. Stuff you search high and low for elsewhere but can’t find. That toque you have been looking for for three years, they have it and another one you want equally as bad. Spring brings 50% off sales - so many deals, so many good choices to up-date your ski ensembles.
Killington is only an hour and a half from Burlington, about 3 hours from Boston, Montreal or Ottawa, 5 hours from New York and for the die-hards, 9 hours from Toronto. (Hey, it’s perfect for Easter long weekend).
Though Killington is fun all year round, spring skiing is especially awesome. Because they get a lot of snow, when most ski hills have long dried up, Killington is still up and running. Ski in the hot, sunny weather and grab a Corona on the deck outside or munch on some waffles served hot and dripping in chocolate at the base.
If there’s a good amount of snow, don’t be afraid to pop into the trees. There are some nice glades that don’t really look like runs but are in fact great for tree skiing. There are so many fun trails that wrap their way around the mountain. Everywhere you go, you will encounter laughter, hoots and hollers coming from all around.
Girls: if you are feeling a little bound, let loose and add your bra to the famous Killington Bra Tree. And if you are hoping to meet boys, Killington is the place for you.
I have never been to a ski area with so many guys. They come from Boston in hordes. A popular thing to do is to rent a house with a big group of people for the year and then divide up weekends and split the cost. A friend of mine who lives in Boston split his house with 14 people. 11 of them guys. The ski houses all seem to know each other and they take turns having parties. We went to a big blowout at the end of the season and the party was incredible. Complete with hot tub, kegs, a Hawaiian theme, plenty of food, and even more guys mingling about, it’s a single girls snowy dream come true. You get extra props if you can find girls to bring to the party. You will see some girls, in full make-up and crop tops there just for the boys. They came all the way from Boston to party and they don’t even ski (booooooooo). But that aside, there’s a lot of partying to be done. Two huge nightclubs send buses to pick people up. The town is a bit spread out. And while the cover prices rival those of New York City, the clubs are fun.
The Après ski scene is also tops. The Lookout, my favorite, has crazy wing and beer specials after skiing and they always have a great crowd that combines young and old, skier and border, Budweiser and Guinness. Leave your inhibitions at the door and your peanut shells on the floor.
Killington is filled with guys living their ski bum dream. Maybe they are from Vermont and knew better than to leave or maybe, like the bartender we spent an hour chatting up, they left their job as a New York trader to live a better life in the mountains. Regardless, being in Vermont, surrounded by all things skiing, really makes you feel welcome. People from Vermont have to be the nicest people in the world. They are eager to welcome you and let you have a taste of their everyday happiness. Weather it be the owner of the lodge your staying in, the woman who makes the killer French toast at the pancake house, the liftie on the Gondola, or any of the great men and women who work in the stores, bars and restaurants, every one of them can tell you about living life to the fullest and making it revolve around what makes you happy. If there’s a huge powder day, expect the stores to be closed in the morning. Hey, pleasure before business. It just makes so much sense.
You will still find 80-year old guys on this mountain. You will still find straight skis that run 200 cms long. You will find cross-country skiers pulling baby in a sled. You will find florescent one-piece ski suits and dudes passing around a flask on the chair lift talking about the big dump of 1972. Killington will always remain one of the great American ski hills. And even though it cannot boast the snow of Utah, the glamour of Aspen or the terrain of Montana, it has something magical all on its own. It’s a ski bum magnet. Ski bums of the highest and most dedicated variety. Real ski bums. The ones that bring a tear to your eye and make you wonder if you really do have to go back to the city to make Monday’s big board meeting. What’s more important anyway, falling stocks or falling snow?
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