# AlpineZone Challenge 2012: Mike Solimano of Killington Resort



## Nick (Oct 12, 2012)

Mike Solimano, president of Killington, has agreed to participate in the 2012 AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge! 

The AlpineZone Challenge is your chance to offer up questions, suggestions or praise to the people who run the mountains in the northeast. For more information on the challenge itself, please see the stickied post at the top of the forum. 

We will pick ten of the questions asked here and submit them for review and response, and post them in theChallenge area when complete! 

Caveats: we may edit/modify your question for grammar, tone, or similar. Questions may be merged. If we don't get to all the questions, we will encourage followup from the representatives, but no promises. 

Please be respectful as well to those answering questions - please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. as these may be confidential to the mountain. 

Killington Mountain Profile

2011 AZ Challenge Results
2009 AZ Challenge Results
2007 AZ Challenge Results
2005 AZ Challenge Results
2004 AZ Challenge Results


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## steamboat1 (Oct 12, 2012)

* Is replacement of the Snowdon fixed grip quad for a HSQ still on schedule for next year?

* Are you still planning on using the Snowdon fixed grip quad to replace the South Ridge chair & if so when do you think this will happen?

* Any chance of having the Skyeship gondola opening at 9am again instead of the 9:30am opening?


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## skiersleft (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks for being so forthcoming in your interviews. Very refreshing. 

What are your plans for the interconnect? Any chance we see this happen within the next five years?


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## tt431 (Oct 12, 2012)

Are you going to be as aggressive blowing snow this winter, as you seem to be early, and try to extend the season into the end of May or even June , like the good old days?  
Thanks in advance.


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## Highway Star (Oct 12, 2012)

Is Killington going to be open tomorrow?


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## Nick (Oct 12, 2012)

Highway Star said:


> Is Killington going to be open tomorrow?



Haha, no way will you get an answer to that this quickly. 

My question is on the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge - the new vision that was recently laid out mentions a return of the BMMC. Last year, the event was cancelled for the first time in 31 years. The general reasoning given was that it had to do with state laws and regulation. With that said; what do you envision the BMMC to look like this year - given the constraints that state law provides?


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## steamboat1 (Oct 12, 2012)

Highway Star said:


> Is Killington going to be open tomorrow?





Nick said:


> Haha, no way will you get an answer to that this quickly.


I think he did.


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## boston_e (Oct 12, 2012)

This year I went with Pico season passes for the entire family, however in the past I have done the express card, and think that is a great alternative option to a full season pass.

Would you ever consider again making the express card operate to give some discount at Pico as well as Killington, and would it ever be possible to have the Pico pass act as an express card at Killington?  I understand that the Pico pass offers a 20% discount for a Killington lift ticket, which is a great benefit, but direct to lift access would be even better.


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## Smellytele (Oct 13, 2012)

steamboat1 said:


> * Is replacement of the Snowdon fixed grip quad for a HSQ still on schedule for next year?
> 
> * Are you still planning on using the Snowdon fixed grip quad to replace the South Ridge chair & if so when do you think this will happen?


 To add to this - if a chair is put in place on the south ridge any chance it could go to the top of killington peak? Well high enough to get to the new peak lodge being built?


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## MEtoVTSkier (Oct 13, 2012)

boston_e said:


> This year I went with Pico season passes for the entire family, however in the past I have done the express card, and think that is a great alternative option to a full season pass.
> 
> Would you ever consider again making the express card operate to give some discount at Pico as well as Killington, and would it ever be possible to have the Pico pass act as an express card at Killington?  I understand that the Pico pass offers a 20% discount for a Killington lift ticket, which is a great benefit, but direct to lift access would be even better.



You can use your Killington Express Card at Pico... and your 7th visit is FREE.



> Express Card gives you 50 percent off weekday and 25 percent off  weekend / peak* day ticket rates at Killington Resort, and $29 weekday  and $39 weekend / peak* day ticket rates at Pico Mountain. NEW for the 2012-13 season, use your Express Card six times and your  seventh visit will be FREE. Your free visit will be used automatically  on your seventh visit and is valid any day during the 2012-13 season.


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## Boston Bulldog (Oct 13, 2012)

I know this comes up every freaking year, but two words: Pico Interconnect


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## skiNEwhere (Oct 13, 2012)

skiersleft said:


> Thanks for being so forthcoming in your interviews. Very refreshing.
> 
> What are your plans for the interconnect? Any chance we see this happen within the next five years?


*
The response from last year*

*Chris Nyberg: *I have a plan for the Interconnect of  Killington and Pico and it’s sensible for all good reasons cited by  Highway Star. As I have stated many times before, it’s our intent to  connect the two mountains, but not in the first five years of our new  ownership.
This decision has been made because we have many  projects that needed to be completed before the Interconnect. For  example, the Skye Peak Express Quad, major snowmaking pipes needed to be  replaced, upgrading the Peak Facility, etc. As many of you know, the  prior owner struggled financially in their later years and a number of  capital upgrades and improvements did not get done that certainly should  have. To date we have spent over $20 million in capital improvements  and sadly not much of this money was for anything sexy, besides Skye  Peak express.
We are getting closer to finishing these projects  with the replacement of the Snowdon Quad in the headlights. Please keep  in mind, our focus is on the quality of experience that our guests have  at Killington and Pico, so we will improve lodges, trails, snowmaking  and lift infrastructures so when we Interconnect, we can safely handle  the additional visitation. Timing for the Interconnect and the Village  is in the playbook.


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## skiNEwhere (Oct 13, 2012)

steamboat1 said:


> * Is replacement of the Snowdon fixed grip quad for a HSQ still on schedule for next year?
> 
> * Are you still planning on using the Snowdon fixed grip quad to replace the South Ridge chair & if so when do you think this will happen?





Smellytele said:


> To add to this - if a chair is put in place on  the south ridge any chance it could go to the top of killington peak?  Well high enough to get to the new peak lodge being built?



*The response from last year*

Snowdon Quad is certainly the next lift on the replacement list. As  stated earlier, there have been numerous items that we needed to address  prior to updating this lift. The Snowdon Quad will not be replaced next  summer, our capital funds will be tied up in finishing the new Peak  Facility. We certainly hope to replace this lift in the next several  years with a high speed quad. We have no plans to run a second  lift to the peak. Eventually, the replacement for the South Ridge Triple  will terminate at the same location. There is no viable unloading point  at the Peak for an additional lift.


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## skiNEwhere (Oct 13, 2012)

* The Sunrise Triple use to extend all the way down to US-100, but it was shortened in the mid 90's, with the previous owners stating that low snowfall due to lower elevation, and lower skier volume was the reasoning behind the truncation. The original reasoning behind opening up sunrise was to expand southeast towards parker's gore, but this was put on hold because this area was believed to be a bear habitat. Is there any plan to re-open sunrise, or build in parker's gore? I could see a benefit in real-estate in that area if the economy turns around.


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## millerm277 (Oct 14, 2012)

skiNEwhere said:


> Is there any plan to re-open sunrise, or build in parker's gore? I could see a benefit in real-estate in that area if the economy turns around.



Just to note, while they can reopen Sunrise any time they want, they traded the land in Parker's Gore for the Interconnect land, so that's no longer a realistic possibility.


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## oakapple (Oct 15, 2012)

My question about the Interconnect, is whether the new inbound lift would go to the top of Ramshead, putting those trails back into service?

(With Vermont's trend of warmer winters for the last 20 years, lower Sunrise would be an extravagance. They'd get perhaps 2½ good months out of it every year. The Interconnect would have SO much more bang for the buck.)


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## RENO (Oct 16, 2012)

Nick said:


> Haha, no way will you get an answer to that this quickly.
> 
> My question is on the Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge - the new vision that was recently laid out mentions a return of the BMMC. Last year, the event was cancelled for the first time in 31 years. The general reasoning given was that it had to do with state laws and regulation. With that said; what do you envision the BMMC to look like this year - given the constraints that state law provides?


To add to this: Will the BMMC happen end of March/early April like most recent years or return to the old schedule of mid April?


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## skiur (Oct 17, 2012)

With the dew tour not being held on bear this year, how have your plans changed on when and where snowmaking will be handled this year?  Will some of the trails that were forgotten last year like DF get some love this year?


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## steamboat1 (Oct 17, 2012)

Are there any plans to add more summer activities to the mountain such as a zip line, mountain coaster, water slide or bungee jumping etc. to attract more people to the mountain during the off season?


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## SKIQUATTRO (Oct 17, 2012)

my question is about Killington's little sister down the road, Pico:  what are the operational/snowmaking plans for the 2012/2013 season and beyond? True, last year mother nature didnt supply a ton of natural, but Pico really lacked in firing up the guns...it hurt to come over the ridge on the Summit chair, look across and see K under a full gun assault when there wasn't 1 gun firing at Pico.  We are season pass holders, drive 4.5-5 hrs every weekend from mid December to the end of March as my girls race for Pico. Hopefully Urrl will reap this year, but if not, will Pico step up?  also, why not mow Exhibition?  thats the first trail you see, make look nice...thanks


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## mister moose (Oct 17, 2012)

You indicated Killington would return to the first to open last to close mode of years past.  The early open this season certainly made a big splash.  In percentages, how much snow do you plan to blow on Superstar this season?  100% of Last year?  120%?  What do you think of pole mounted automated fan guns lining a signature trail like that?


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## boston_e (Oct 18, 2012)

MEtoVTSkier said:


> You can use your Killington Express Card at Pico... and your 7th visit is FREE.



Good call... that is not listed anywhere on the Pico website...


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## boston_e (Oct 18, 2012)

steamboat1 said:


> Are there any plans to add more summer activities to the mountain such as a zip line, mountain coaster, water slide or bungee jumping etc. to attract more people to the mountain during the off season?




I'd be curious about this as well... and would also add... would there ever be plans to do an indoor water park, similar to what Jay Peak has done, or that there are a copule of in North Conway.


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## Rogman (Oct 20, 2012)

A lot of people were disappointed with the removal of the South Ridge Triple. Granted, it's never been a show piece, but it serves some of Killington's most unique terrain and provides a valuable link from Superstar, Skypeak, and Bear back into the Canyon. Without it, skiers are forced to ride the crowded K1, or make the slog across to Snowdon. Additionally, without that lift, getting out of Bear pretty much limits you to the Skye Peak Express. 

Your predecessor suggested a surface lift might someday go in there; but it seems unlikely that it would go high enough to allow Canyon access, furthermore it would require destroying the quirky character of "The Jug". The triple was literally the backbone Killington's "upper west side". Would you discuss your plans (if any) for the future of this area?


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## mister moose (Oct 20, 2012)

Rogman said:


> Your predecessor suggested a surface lift might someday go in there [South Ridge]; but it seems unlikely that it would go high enough to allow Canyon access, furthermore it would require destroying the quirky character of "The Jug". The triple was literally the backbone Killington's "upper west side". Would you discuss your plans (if any) for the future of this area?




Oh, just go ahead and ask about the Rogman Super Connect, you know you want to.....


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## Nick (Nov 5, 2012)

I'm going to put a new Challenge up in the next few days and pull this one down. Last chance for questions!


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## John Rowland (Nov 5, 2012)

Why is your Express card on average $10-20 more expensive than your competitors? Plus your card is back end loaded. Most resorts offer the first day free, yours after 6 days?


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## RENO (Nov 7, 2012)

Will you be running the Needles Eye Quad and Bear Quad midweek this season?


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## bzrperfspec77 (Nov 9, 2012)

Wheres the results!?


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## SIKSKIER (Nov 9, 2012)

Ya,great challenge with no responses.What's the point?


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## bzrperfspec77 (Nov 9, 2012)

The results are somewhere. I saw them, just can't find them again!


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## Nick (Nov 9, 2012)

Guys, the questions have to be sent to them and then they need time to respond. I will start a new thread when the results come in. Everyone calm down :lol:


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