KILLINGTON, Vermont — Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in the East, debuts $8.4 million in on-mountain improvements and environmental programs to kick off its 50th birthday season.

“By reinvesting in our mountain, we’re proud to offer a much-improved experience for our guests in the Skye Peak area,” said Chris Nyberg, Killington’s president and general manager. “From the Skye Peak Express, to The Stash, the many other trail improvements and the elimination of the Snowshed Crossover, guests will be able to enjoy uninterrupted cruising on some of our mountain’s best terrain.”

Skye Peak Express: The New Skye Peak Express replaces the Skye Peak Quad and reduces the ride time from 14 minutes to just less than five minutes, allowing guests improved access to Bear Mountain and Killington’s long intermediate cruising trails such as Skyeburst, Cruise Control and Needle’s Eye.

The new Skye Peak Express is the first lift installed at Killington Resort in more than 10 years and brings its total of high speed lifts to nine, nearly twice the number of high speed lifts found at any other resort in the East. In addition to greatly reduced ride time, the lower profile of the new lift will be less susceptible to wind holds.

The Stash: A revolutionary resort run created by Jake Burton and Burton team riders that utilizes the natural terrain, local wood products and organic features to create the ultimate freestyle riding experience. This all-natural terrain park with have 34 features, including tree jibs, road jumps and log slides. The Stash will be accessible from the new Skye Peak Express and is one of only five in the world.

Created for intermediate and advanced riders, The Stash run provides an organic, big mountain terrain park that follows the natural lines of the mountain. Riders will discover rock-wall rides, log jibs, cliff drops, a Sugar Shack and other one-of-a-kind obstacles hidden away in The Stash run. An all-natural environment, The Stash uses no metal or plastics to create obstacles, only stone, wood, trees, dirt and rocks. Even the signs that direct riders to The Stash are hand-carved out of stone and wood and are designed to be jibbed.

New Magic Carpet at Snowshed: The new Magic Carpet at Snowshed replaces the F-10 Poma lift, providing a more pleasant uphill experience for skiers and riders in Killington’s first-time Ski and Snowboard School programs and the Burton Learn to Ride program.

New and reconfigured trails: A number of new trails and enhancements to existing trails debut for the 2008-09 season. The Snowshed Crossover has been eliminated, allowing for uninterrupted skiing and riding on the following trails: The Stash, Skyeburst, Needles’s Eye, Cruise Control and Vertigo. The New Great Eastern Trail off the top of Skye Peak will allow beginners more than three miles of cruising terrain down to the Skyeship base area.

The Gateway trail, an intermediate trail off the south side of Skye Peak, has also been extended. Snowmaking will also be installed on all new trails, including The Stash.

Snowmaking improvements: Thousand of feet of new pipe, 124 new Low Energy snow guns and new hardware and software operational controls will allow for greater system efficiency and improved snowmaking production for the World’s Most Extensive Snowmaking System. The resulting changes mean less energy used to produce snow and deeper base depth for guests to ski and ride on. Our ongoing snowmaking improvements and increased use of Low Energy snow guns has reduced Killington’s diesel consumption by more than 30 percent and electricity by 25 percent over the past three years.

Environmental: Killington Resort has purchased 26,199,909 kWh of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), which will eliminate more than 17,800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere – an amount equivalent to emissions produced by the annual electricity consumption of approximately 2,079 average homes. In addition to our Low Energy snow gun purchase, Killington will install systems to capturing heat from our snowmaking compressors to dry snowmakers clothing and to heat our vehicle maintenance facility. This project will eliminate the use of a dedicated fuel oil furnace and 21.88 tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.

About Killington Resort
The largest ski and snowboard resort in eastern North America, Killington debuts $8.4 million in improvements for its 50th Birthday Season, including the new Skye Peak Express and “The Stash.” Killington Resort features diverse terrain, an expansive lift network, the most extensive snowmaking system in the world and numerous off-mountain activities, including apr??s, dining, shopping and lodging options. www.Killington.com.