# Killington Closing Juggernaut



## Zand (Jul 5, 2018)

https://anrweb.vt.gov/PubDocs/ANR/P...1R0254-3 KPSRP ANR Comments 05_07 and COS.pdf

As part of a "land swap" regarding the South Ridge Quad, Killington will be closing Juggernaut. Now I'm glad I decided to check it out this past season. Picked a good day for it... hardpack spring morning but 30 degrees and sunny. Made for good sliding conditions with no poling or skating. 19 minutes from Peak to Bear Base.


----------



## KustyTheKlown (Jul 5, 2018)

i haven't skied juggernaut or any of that terrain since i was a kid. until this year. i wanted to check out the "natural woods" off of solitude/sassafras. i hopped into the woods off of sassafras where the trail map depicts a valley/drainage. the southern exposure made for really sticky shitty snow, and i ended up slogging out. if there is quality tree skiing to be had on that part of killington, i do not know where it hides.


----------



## icecoast1 (Jul 6, 2018)

Seems like a pretty useless trail to me.  I rode it once when it was hard and fast, and almost immediately regretted the decision.  A long trail like that could be enjoyable for the right person but it needs just a little more pitch.


----------



## MEtoVTSkier (Jul 6, 2018)

I believe, from what is shown in some of the documents, that they are only closing the part ABOVE Sassafras, to the Peak.  If they are closing the piece from Sassafras to Sunrise, it isn't showing in the permits yet... and they've stated they're only closing off 5 acres of space.


----------



## Smellytele (Jul 6, 2018)

Why is Juggernaut a blue trail anyway. From what I remember of it it was pretty flat. I haven't skied it in almost 30 years though.


----------



## jaytrem (Jul 6, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> Why is Juggernaut a blue trail anyway. From what I remember of it it was pretty flat. I haven't skied it in almost 30 years though.



They changed it so that beginners who can't really skate or pole wouldn't ski it.


----------



## Killingtime (Jul 6, 2018)

Yeah, I've been on it only a few times in the past decade. Took a group of beginners on it years ago and they loved it. I kept thinking I wished I had a snowmobile.


----------



## benski (Jul 6, 2018)

Killington should also negotiate to cut a narrow trail between Sassafras and South ridge, They could really use more narrow trails.


----------



## thetrailboss (Jul 6, 2018)

Looks like it is only the "Upper" Portion of the trail:



> The mitigation plan provides for the replacement of Bicknell’s Thrush habitat to be
> removed through closure of the upper portion of the nearby Juggernaut ski trail.


----------



## skiur (Jul 6, 2018)

I don't recall it even being open last winter, maybe they were just preparing us for it's removal.


----------



## machski (Jul 6, 2018)

Smellytele said:


> Why is Juggernaut a blue trail anyway. From what I remember of it it was pretty flat. I haven't skied it in almost 30 years though.


Because ALL trails off Killington Peak were  regraded to Blue or above.  This was to keep beginners off the peak and spare them from the crazy intersections.  Will be interesting to see if K keeps those grades with the new tunnels this year.

Sent from my XT1650 using AlpineZone mobile app


----------



## raisingarizona (Jul 6, 2018)

It was a green trail back in the 80's and 90's. I never skied it, I always heard that it was too flat for actually skiing or making turns on. 

It was definitely part of Killingtons numbers game back then. The claim was longest trail in the east and the gondola was the longest lift. It's sort of funny how both turned out to be less than ideal ideas. Top to bottom lifts at most mountains don't really make any sense for intermediate to advanced skiers and either does maintaining a ten mile long jeep road that no one cares to ski just to make a claim.


----------



## KustyTheKlown (Jul 6, 2018)

Marketing claims are Killingtons entire reason to be


----------



## MEtoVTSkier (Jul 7, 2018)

jaytrem said:


> They changed it so that beginners who can't really skate or pole wouldn't ski it.



They changed it to discourage beginners from trying to ski from the Peak and finding themselves overwhelmed on GE & GN.


----------



## urungus (Jul 7, 2018)

That’s a bummer, I had always wanted to try this trail just to say I had done it.  The article included a photo of what will be closed, it is the upper portion only:


----------



## ThinkSnow (Jul 11, 2018)

benski said:


> Killington should also negotiate to cut a narrow trail between Sassafras and South ridge, They could really use more narrow trails.


  Narrow trails at Kmart?  What would all the NY/NJ/CT skiers & riders do?  Oh right, in a few years it would just be widened like all the rest.


----------



## bdfreetuna (Jul 11, 2018)

Completely pointless trail except for the "10 miles long" marketing campaign. I "skied" it once, what a waste of time.

It's completely absurd they have to "swap land" in the interest of some stupid bird that maybe has a couple nests up there. Being that this creature has wings I bet it can build a nest a couple miles down the road just as easily..


----------



## Smellytele (Jul 11, 2018)

bdfreetuna said:


> Completely pointless trail except for the "10 miles long" marketing campaign. I "skied" it once, what a waste of time.
> 
> It's completely absurd they have to "swap land" in the interest of some stupid bird that maybe has a couple nests up there. Being that this creature has wings I bet it can build a nest a couple miles down the road just as easily..



It was removed from the endangered species list as well


----------



## Equinox (Jul 15, 2018)

bdfreetuna said:


> It's completely absurd they have to "swap land" in the interest of some stupid bird that maybe has a couple nests up there. Being that this creature has wings I bet it can build a nest a couple miles down the road just as easily..



The birds always win. I have a summer place on Cape Cod, and every year we lose more beach and fishing holes to a stupid bird called the Piping Plover. Now I have another bird I don't like.


----------



## AdironRider (Jul 16, 2018)

Bird nuts are some of the most intense environmentalists out there. They make PETA look like pacifists.


----------



## JimG. (Jul 16, 2018)

AdironRider said:


> Bird nuts are some of the most intense environmentalists out there. They make PETA look like pacifists.



Troutheads from Trout Unlimited can be equally intense.


----------



## urungus (Nov 2, 2018)

According to Killingtons interactive trail map (filter on open trails), Juggernaut is open, LOL.  (Mouse Run Too!). Could be your last chance!

https://www.killington.com/the-mountain/trail-area-maps/winter-trail-guide


----------



## The Sneak (Nov 2, 2018)

I skied this terrible “trail” to the gondola base in high school, it was a giant waste of time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## chuckstah (Nov 2, 2018)

The Sneak said:


> I skied this terrible “trail” to the gondola base in high school, it was a giant waste of time.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I skied it once just to do it. Never again. Good riddance!  If I want to cross country ski I'll go out in the local woods with proper equipment. 

Sent from my moto e5 cruise using Tapatalk


----------



## Newpylong (Nov 3, 2018)

The only good section was below Bear which gave you an option to bail on busy days down to Skyeship!


----------



## Brewbeer (Nov 5, 2018)

It was once part of their summer mountain biking offering.


----------



## abc (Nov 6, 2018)

I'm glad I skied it a couple years back.  I enjoyed it. 

Granted, I cross country ski a lot and LOVES skating!  I can see why others aren't thrilled by it. And to be fair, I had very little intention of doing it again any time soon after the last time I did it. It's more "ski touring" with the uphill service. Enjoyable but not special.


----------



## drjeff (Nov 6, 2018)

I wonder if anyone has ever skied it top to bottom more than once?? [emoji6]

Sure seems, and I know that I personally into this category, that the "one and done" for novelty reasons primarily, sums up the responses on AZ, as well as Killingtonzone, when Juggernaut comes up in a discussion 

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using AlpineZone mobile app


----------



## jaytrem (Nov 6, 2018)

drjeff said:


> I wonder if anyone has ever skied it top to bottom more than once?? [emoji6]



I think that's exactly how many time I did it.  Once for the heck of it ages ago, and once when I realized my Mount Snow pass would no longer be good there.  However I think by then some of the lower sections were no longer used.


----------



## SIKSKIER (Nov 8, 2018)

It used to be part of Killingtons "the most,the best, the highest" with its 10 mile mile trail.


----------



## Conrad (Apr 19, 2019)

I remember one memorable time back during the American Ski Company days where we decided we would ski top to bottom on Juggarnaut for the last run of the day near 4 o'clock. Everything was great for the first half of the run. Then we got to the bottom of Bear and realized there was barely any snow (no snow making) on the section below Bear to Skyship. What followed was an arduous slow descent, taking skis off here and there and hitting lots of rocks. By the time we reached the car at Skyship it was almost 5 o'clock.

Just for kicks and slight convenience I took the section between Bear and Skyship a year ago and found it doable, but very annoying without grooming, especially because of the many streams that crossing melting snow irregularly.


----------



## Newpylong (Apr 19, 2019)

I did ski that section once a very long time ago, just to do it. Hoofed it across the parking lot and there used to be a bridge to cross Sunrise Mountain Rd, long gone. Was that wood turnstile still there crossing the E mountainroad about halfway down to keep snowmobilers off it?

Another similar trail that doesn't get as much attention was the Sunrise Trail that came off the top off the Northeast Passage triple to the west of CherryKnoll and came back into Noreaster well below the old midstation. That sucker was long and flat, not sure if the snowmobile tours still use it.


----------



## machski (May 2, 2019)

Looks like down in the Southern Hemisphere, Lizards can hang up expansion plans.

https://www.devdiscourse.com/articl...s-cardrona-alpine-resorts-new-chairlift-plans

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app


----------



## tekweezle (May 5, 2019)

I skied it twice in my lifetime.   First time was fun,  just enough pitch,  longer way down to skyeship base than great eastern. 

2nd and last time,  flat and uphill in spots.   Generally sucked.  Won't miss it really


----------

