Snow Journal - Serious About Snowsports!

Home

Forums : NELSAP Discussion : NELSAP Discussion Archive
Moderated by: Chris

Anonymous posts are not allowed in this forum

Sunrise Mt expansion at Killington-new thread...

Page: 1 2

Author

Post

aricracer
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 230

Location:Sunset Lake

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 12:27 AM GMT

The Sunrise expansion ended up looking so bad because it was never finished.

The original plan called for that lodge and lift to be an access point to some new high-altitude terrain that was never built. I'm not sure which mountain they were going to expand on to (Little Killington maybe?) but it just south of the main peak.

But there are a few Bears up in those woods that didn't want to loose their home, and I think the permitts never came through.

I also believe that there was some kind of trade-off for being able to develop the land between Ram's Head and Pico for the interconnect.

Which when the money ran out, was never finished. So now we get to stare at that huge cut in the side of Pico and not get the benifit of skiing on it. To bad too, the interconnect trails were said to become some of the best at Killington...and would have re-opened the true summit of Ram's Head

So now there are three sepreate areas on killington that were unfinished developments and cannot be skied:

1. Sunrise
2. Interconnect trail
3. Ram's Head Summit

For my 2 cents, I think they should move the Devil's Fiddle quad to the notch between Snowdon and Ram's head. Put the base of the lift near the bottom of the Black Diamond section of the Great Bear trail, and have it run up to the top of Ram's Head. That will re-open the top of Ram's Head's trails and give them more early/late season terrain.
We woud get back Horn, the upper half of Vagabond, Timber Line, Ram's Head Road, the Header head wall, and Upper Swirl.

Just for relocating an existing lift that is never used....

__________
Attachments:

Jonni
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Oct 12, 2001
Posts: 2341

Location:Sunapee, NH & Rutland, VT

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 2:41 AM GMT

I have heard some information that the Devil's Fiddle Quad will be running this next ski season because they are relocating some of the Terrain park stuff to where that lift is. It was in the newsletter that they send out every so often, that the lift would operate on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Now knowing Killington this probably won't happen, but there is a little hope for the Devil's Fiddle.

__________
Fall Line n. Imaginary line following the most direct path down a slope that skiers continuously traverse on a run, often stopping at other invisible slope features along the way like the Tumble Lane, the Stagger Path and the Topple Zone.

rocket21
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Sep 13, 2001
Posts: 8404

Location:USA

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 2:49 AM GMT

Interesting concept.

__________
NewEnglandSkiHistory.com

rothski
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Jun 05, 2004
Posts: 180

Location:Illinois.........

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 12:54 PM GMT

I Have not been to Killington in years, but according to the map, it looks like all of the trails on Ram's Head are serviced by the Double. Do they force skiers off at a mid-station? What am I missing? Need some explanation here....thanks.

__________
Stuck in the flatlands

jaytrem
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Mar 21, 2002
Posts: 1075

Location:

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 1:37 PM GMT

rothski,

That's an old map that aricracer used. The double was replaced by a HSQ that end below the expert portion of Rams Head. Only way up there no is to huff it. It top shjould reopen someday when the Killington/Pico connetion is completed. Whose knows when that will happen.

As for the Devil's Fiddle quad it'll be interesting to see if they really do run it all that much. The "Friday" part of that announcement surprised me.

Jay

aricracer
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 230

Location:Sunset Lake

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 2:12 PM GMT

rothski,
I had to use that old map to show the old Ram's Head Summit trails. The newer maps don't show them any longer.

As for the interconnect, my understanding is that it's basically dead in the water.

It would take a MAJOR financial turn-around for there to be the cash to finish it.

which sucks...

dirk109
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Nov 21, 2001
Posts: 1082

Location:Stratton, VT

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 2:52 PM GMT

The reason they stopped the new quad at rams head short was the steep pitch at the top. They primarily use Rams Head for learning Center so they needed to stop it before the top for better begginer terrain.

ODDfreakPERSON
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Apr 23, 2003
Posts: 603

Location:Northeastern Massachusetts

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 4:56 PM GMT

they should build a little poma to the top

__________
- Chris

ski-n-sail
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
May 17, 2004
Posts: 33

Location:South Jersey Shore

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 5:55 PM GMT

Here is a copy of the email I recently received from Killington regarding Devils Fiddle.......

Hey Drifters -

Are you ready to get fired up for winter? We have some big news this week! You might still be wearing golf clothes but you're going to take a longing glance at your skis or snowboard after reading this...

Parks and Superpipe at Bear Mountain

If you like going big in the terrain park, you might want to tie a bib on before reading this so you don't drool on your shirt.

With the increased popularity of The Beach terrain park at Snowshed and the explosive growth of the freeski/freeride culture, Killington is moving its main park to Bear Mountain for the '04-'05 season! And not just to one slope either. Skiers and riders will find terrain parks all over Bear, with more rails, tabletops, hits and signature giant jumps than we could ever squeeze in at Snowshed. The new area will also feature a competition-spec Superpipe, maintained by our new Zaugg pipe groomer.

That's not enough? Killington regulars know that skiing and riding doesn't get much more hairy than Devil's Fiddle, a double black diamond knee-buckler with rocks, cliffs and other sanity-threatening natural features. Often closed in recent seasons, the Fiddle will be back this year in all its gnarly glory -- with the addition of massive signature jumps at the bottom! And yes, we'll be firing up the Devil's Fiddle Quad on Fridays through Sundays to keep you moving around the mountain.

Non-big air types looking to push the envelope at Bear can still hit Outer Limits, as always the steepest mogul slope in the East and home to the 25th Annual Budweiser Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge. More details on the park and pipe developments at Bear and elsewhere on our six mountains in upcoming issues of The Drift!

Terrain park fans, you may pick your lower jaw off the floor now.

Snowmaking Upgrades, New Trail Signage

It won't just be the parks and pipe crew feeling the love, either. If you come up to the Adventure Center or the golf course this summer, you might notice some heavy machinery chomping away at sections of ski trail around our six mountains. It's all part of a $2 million snowmaking upgrade that will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of what is already the most extensive system in North America. What this means for you is more snow, where you want it and when you want it there! As we like to say around here, ignore the forecast, we've got your snowstorm.

We're also overhauling signage throughout the resort to make it easier to get around the place both on-mountain and off, and frankly to make things look a bit nicer (I think everyone agrees that parking lot signs were never meant to appear in magenta or teal). We'll be showing you our new trail signs in an upcoming issue of The Drift as well.

__________
Ski-N-Sail

aricracer
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Apr 03, 2004
Posts: 230

Location:Sunset Lake

Posted: Jul 24, 2004 - 8:18 PM GMT

Edited: Jul 24, 2004 - 8:23 PM GMT

That would be very cool if they started using The Fiddle again.

I remember in 2001 when they blew snow on it, how much fun that was to ski....

Three photos from 2001:
__________
Attachments:

newpylong
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Nov 05, 2003
Posts: 1466

Location:Billerica, MA Enfield, NH

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 3:02 AM GMT

Edited: Feb 09, 2005 - 3:14 AM GMT

This thread is way old, but I thought I would resurrect it with some new info.

So far this year K has kept their promise and run the Devil's Fiddle quad every weekend for the most part. They also blew a good amount of snow on the Fiddle. I skied it this past Saturday and there were bumps the size of VW's... but nice spring snow. First time down the trail in almost ten years for me, and I found it extremely challenging.

I also took a trip over to Ram's head and realized how much I missed the upper portion of the mountain, but when I took a look around and saw who was skiing there I can see how it makes sense. Looking at that old old map, I forgot how little snowmaking Ram's Head had before they developed the mountain in 96.

Maybe someday we can ski the top again.

Did they ever come out with a proposed trail map for the interconnect?? I also heard it was going to be some great terrain. While I would hate to see Pico (a great crowd escape) fall to the masses, if it means that or closing (which may become a reality), I will take it being annexed to the main mountain anyday.

Edit: I found this, anyone got any better? Interconnect

marcski
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Dec 14, 2003
Posts: 2066

Location:Westchester Co., N.Y.

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 4:02 AM GMT

Devil's Fiddle is definitely a great trail. Love the rock band in teh middle....great in some fresh snow....definitely had a few great days....jumping off those...into some fresh. But, I haven't skied it in quite some time.

As for that interconnect map you found. Looks pretty cool. Looks like only one new lift would do it on that map to get from K to P. And that you could ski right from P back to K off the new pico trails. But I always thought, that it would take at least 2 additional lifts to make the connection.

rocket21
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Sep 13, 2001
Posts: 8404

Location:USA

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 5:14 AM GMT

The last plans I saw called for two chairs, one to Ram's Head and one to Pico.

__________
NewEnglandSkiHistory.com

catamount82
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Jan 18, 2005
Posts: 573

Location:NJ

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 12:50 PM GMT

Edited: Feb 09, 2005 - 12:56 PM GMT

I just can't get excited about Killington. The place is too big, if that's possible. If you ski with more than one other person, you can literally spend 25% of your time arguing about where to ski.

Give me the big vertical top to bottom mountains like Stowe, Mad River, Jay Peak, Sugarloaf, even Burke, any day.

The other thing that sucks about K-Mart is that there's no town there. It's the most un-Vermont thing in Vermont. I know they have the snowmaking and the early opening and late closing, but I just can't warm up to it.

__________
Attachments:

__________
"Always drink upstream...from the herd"

Jonni
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Oct 12, 2001
Posts: 2341

Location:Sunapee, NH & Rutland, VT

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 1:17 PM GMT

They could always just pull another Slide Brook Express.

__________
Fall Line n. Imaginary line following the most direct path down a slope that skiers continuously traverse on a run, often stopping at other invisible slope features along the way like the Tumble Lane, the Stagger Path and the Topple Zone.

Tree_Skier
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Feb 21, 2002
Posts: 485

Location:

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 2:26 PM GMT

The trails at the top of rams head were given up in the permit process to get the interconnect to Pico. don't ever expect them to be open again. That double was one long ride.

tin woodsman
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Aug 12, 2004
Posts: 259

Location:

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 3:24 PM GMT

The Niehues graphic has two lifts - one to the top of Rame Head, and one to the top of Pico. Not sure what you guys are looking at. Also, now that I look at it, it seems like the Pico trail pod was lousily conceived. Perhaps the best intermediate cruising terrain in the entire Coolidge Range is that which falls from Pico Peak down to Pico Pond. About 1700' of fantastic intermediate to advanced cruising terrain. The graphic seems to indicate that they were only going to use a portion of that vertical.

Anyway, the info about giving up the toip of Rams Head is false. The only land K-Mart gave up is in Parker's Gore to the South. They had wanted to expand to Mendon Peak and environs, but the bears got there first and they traded that land for some base area real estate as well as the interconnect rights. If K-Mart/ASC ever has the money, the interconnect will happen and it will go to the top of Rams Head.

Tree_Skier
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Feb 21, 2002
Posts: 485

Location:

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 4:56 PM GMT

[quote]

Anyway, the info about giving up the toip of Rams Head is false. quote]

Perhaps I used the wrong wording. When they were applying for the permits for expansion to pico, at the same time the rams head quad went in, They agreed to not use the upper trails anymore. I think it had to do with the long/appilacian trail but not sure.

The parkers gore land swap wasn't related to the pico interconnect.

tin woodsman
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Aug 12, 2004
Posts: 259

Location:

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 5:33 PM GMT

Quote:

Perhaps I used the wrong wording. When they were applying for the permits for expansion to pico, at the same time the rams head quad went in, They agreed to not use the upper trails anymore. I think it had to do with the long/appilacian trail but not sure.

The parkers gore land swap wasn't related to the pico interconnect.

Are you sure about this? That's not my understanding of the situation at all. They are not using the peak of Rams Head b/c they wanted to make that the family skiing area, the the steeper terrain at the top of Rams Head wouldn't be conducive to that. The LT/AT in that area was re-routed to the western side of the ridge in order to accomodate the interconnect. Basides, as the Neihues graphic indicates, the plan has always been to run a lift to the top of RH from about where the red X is on the attached topo:

Interconnect Area

Tree_Skier
Profile | Galleries

Rank:

Member Since:
Feb 21, 2002
Posts: 485

Location:

Posted: Feb 09, 2005 - 5:42 PM GMT

yes I am pretty sure but not absolutely positive (it's been awhile). If you look at the graphic it doesn't go to the rams head summit only about 1/2 of the unused distance and only some of the northern most trail is used.

Page: 1 2