Looks like by trail count they are more than half open. If you don't include the Bear mountain area, the rest of the mountain is about 2/3 open by trail count. By acreage they are only 25% open, but I would guess that is due to including all the closed gladed areas in the closed count.

Bonzski wrote:

Some friends are planning a trip to VT and have Killington on their list but it appears it's the least, not the beast, this season.  What's going on there, only about 25% terrain open?  Most mid-A places are well beyond that.  Anybody been this season?

A buddy and I thought about flying or even driving up there next month.  The fact that it's on the Ikon with no reservations made it appealing.   We were spooked off by the trail counts and the travel restrictions in the state.

Maybe things will change by March.

wgo wrote:

 Looks like by trail count they are more than half open. If you don't include the Bear mountain area, the rest of the mountain is about 2/3 open by trail count. By acreage they are only 25% open, but I would guess that is due to including all the closed gladed areas in the closed count.

Bonzski wrote:

Some friends are planning a trip to VT and have Killington on their list but it appears it's the least, not the beast, this season.  What's going on there, only about 25% terrain open?  Most mid-A places are well beyond that.  Anybody been this season?

 WGO I prefer to go by terrain, not trail count, just because trails can cover a range of meaning...some real and some not really.  Besides, I like the glades!  I bet FIS canceling the Women's WC race really hurt their pocketbook, on top of everything else.

hi weather pattern has changed finally, should get more terrain open next 10-14 days.

Fair enough - I'm sure I would like the glades there too, if I ever got a chance to ski them! Agree that trail count by itself can be misleading. I didn't have time to do a deep dive but it does look like they have a reasonable selection of runs available. Enough to justify a 10+ hour drive to Vermont in the middle of a pandemic to a state with a quarantine period? Maybe not.

 WGO I prefer to go by terrain, not trail count, just because trails can cover a range of meaning...some real and some not really.  Besides, I like the glades!  I bet FIS canceling the Women's WC race really hurt their pocketbook, on top of everything else.

wgo wrote:

Fair enough - I'm sure I would like the glades there too, if I ever got a chance to ski them! Agree that trail count by itself can be misleading. I didn't have time to do a deep dive but it does look like they have a reasonable selection of runs available. Enough to justify a 10+ hour drive to Vermont in the middle of a pandemic to a state with a quarantine period? Maybe not.

 WGO I prefer to go by terrain, not trail count, just because trails can cover a range of meaning...some real and some not really.  Besides, I like the glades!  I bet FIS canceling the Women's WC race really hurt their pocketbook, on top of everything else.

 Agree, definitely not worth that drive. Many from more than 12 hrs away so looking to fly in and hit spots on Ikon pass.

SouthWest has a sale now and will end on Thursday.  

1) From BWI to Manchester, NH (MHT) - if fly on certain weekdays, RT is as cheap as $70.  K'ton is about ~2.5 hours from MHT airport.  

2) From BWI to Denver (DEN) has some cheap airfares too.  Cheapest RT ~$110.  

With SW, you can check in 2 suitcase for free + 2 carry on. 

The Beast has the best skiing in the east bye far, not even close 

I have been skiing trees all over and have plenty of sweet pictures to post but this  site is not very user friendly as most sites and doing a trip report without pictures is not good 

  Staying at a condo walking distance to the slopes if anyone wants a sweet deal to stay or discount tickets just email me, mid week, not doing weekends or holidays this season 

they have so many lifts open theirs no waiting 

knowing so many people with epic and ikon they are flooding other resorts with mobs of people 

I think it’s okay to see someone bashing the best place in the east for skiing as perhaps that will keep people away but theirs so much room I figured to let the good people on this site know where to go for some sweet skiing.

nickhaas212 wrote:

What is Jaypeak like? Good, Great???

 The tram has not opened yet for the season and they are making snow only on one trail, with the border closed they are not getting people from Canada so perhaps they are cutting back, but definitely not worth going way up there until they get a couple feet of natural snow 

we made it to the Beast in 7 hours leaving early Sunday morning 

Bonzski wrote:

Some friends are planning a trip to VT and have Killington on their list but it appears it's the least, not the beast, this season.  What's going on there, only about 25% terrain open?  Most mid-A places are well beyond that.  Anybody been this season?

 Mid Atlantic “mountains “ are so small it’s not logical to compare evenly going on percentage open, especially with the beast having so much natural woods areas you can go into 

Bonzski wrote:

wgo wrote:

 Looks like by trail count they are more than half open. If you don't include the Bear mountain area, the rest of the mountain is about 2/3 open by trail count. By acreage they are only 25% open, but I would guess that is due to including all the closed gladed areas in the closed count.

Bonzski wrote:

Some friends are planning a trip to VT and have Killington on their list but it appears it's the least, not the beast, this season.  What's going on there, only about 25% terrain open?  Most mid-A places are well beyond that.  Anybody been this season?

 WGO I prefer to go by terrain, not trail count, just because trails can cover a range of meaning...some real and some not really.  Besides, I like the glades!  I bet FIS canceling the Women's WC race really hurt their pocketbook, on top of everything else.

the race being cancelled is actually a blessing for skiers as they were able to open up so much more terrain, they don’t seem concerned about their “pocketbook “ with all the snow they are pumping out, of course if you were there you would see that , unlike Vail mountains where they are not making as much snow etc

fosphenytoin wrote:

SouthWest has a sale now and will end on Thursday.  

1) From BWI to Manchester, NH (MHT) - if fly on certain weekdays, RT is as cheap as $70.  K'ton is about ~2.5 hours from MHT airport.  

2) From BWI to Denver (DEN) has some cheap airfares too.  Cheapest RT ~$110.  

With SW, you can check in 2 suitcase for free + 2 carry on. 

The drive from Manchester NH to Killington can take much longer if theirs snow as you go though the mountains 

driving to Killington from DC you really don’t go through any mountains other then the one passing Pico, so flying could really get dicey in the winter 

Vermont wrote:

The Beast has the best skiing in the east bye far, not even close 

I have been skiing trees all over and have plenty of sweet pictures to post but this  site is not very user friendly as most sites and doing a trip report without pictures is not good

Not bashing them, just an observation they seem lacking when they are typically ahead of the game. 400 out of 1500 acres open for mid January. Would love to see some tree shots. Since Scott upgraded, posting pics is straight-forward.  Just click on the picture button on the toolbar then select the file.

RodneyBD wrote:

Has been a rough early season no matter where you go in VT.  I was in VT and NH over the holidays and no one had more than 30-40% open.  Northern VT even worse off than Southern VT, which is pretty unusual.

 I noticed Sugarbush has 366 of their 580 acres open, and 75% trails.  That's more promising than Killington.

Bonzski wrote:

RodneyBD wrote:

Has been a rough early season no matter where you go in VT.  I was in VT and NH over the holidays and no one had more than 30-40% open.  Northern VT even worse off than Southern VT, which is pretty unusual.

 I noticed Sugarbush has 366 of their 580 acres open, and 75% trails.  That's more promising than Killington.

 I spoke with a woman skiing who was digging the conditions said she skied Sugarbush the day before and it was so bad she left after couple hours 

They had glades open even down in Ramshead where I took a 1st time tree skier,

Up off north ridge quad is where the early season tree skiing was, now you can find quite a few other options 

Having so many different mountains and exposures gives  you more opportunities to find the snow that gets blown off the slopes into the trees 🌲 

any place in Vermont in the winter is a good time 

 I tried posting photos again after the switch thought it wax going to work but it needs a more specific format 

I’m heading to the beast at the end of Jan. Cannot wait! They are opening more trails everyday!

Those sneaky upslope showers have been a godsend since the Xmas rain event.  Jay still only has 23 trails unfortunately.  MRG spinning the single for the first time all season today.

Bonzski wrote:

RodneyBD wrote:

Has been a rough early season no matter where you go in VT.  I was in VT and NH over the holidays and no one had more than 30-40% open.  Northern VT even worse off than Southern VT, which is pretty unusual.

 I noticed Sugarbush has 366 of their 580 acres open, and 75% trails.  That's more promising than Killington.

nickhaas212 wrote:

What is Jaypeak like? Good, Great???

 I learned how to ski at Jay Peak as a kid, but unlike most Jay skiers I’m not a hard-charging, off-piste glade skier. I’m more a terminal strong intermediate (for Vermont skiing). Jay is not a ton of fun for intermediates; but there are a few great blues, like Vermonter from the top (my favorite blue), Ullrs Dream, and some steepish but groomed (so easier) blacks like the Jet. Additionally there are other blacks in the stateside pod next to the Jet that are not groomed often but still fun for the strong intermediate/ lower advanced skier. The very fair knock against Jay is that the trail design of the blue thorougfares like Northway and Goat Run funnel many skiers into routes that are already windscoured from northwesterly wind patterns, resulting in a lot of skied off areas of the trail. But better skiers there tell me Jay is fantastic for advanced skiers who spend most of their time making tight turns in the woods (not me). If you’re not in that category but you’re looking for great northern Vermont conditions similar to Jay, I found Stowe and Smuggs are much, much more fun for the average ability skier with great high elevation twisty blues/easier blacks from the top of the Madonna, Sterling, Spruce and (almost top of) Mansfield. Stowe is just a superb mountain.

Vermont, I'm glad to see that conditions are so good at Killington.

Thanks for your report.

Woody