epic fail

[frankm938]

it wasnt too long ago that killington was getting bashed over and over for getting beat by sunday river. now that it seems like killington knew what they were doing we dont hear from the haters....
not that im a killington cheerleader, but if they are gonna get crushed for bad decisions its only fair to give them some credit when they make a good one (the walkway is turning out to be a great move)

 

[deadheadskier]

they've done a great job from what I've read.

No doubt K is delivering a solid effort overall though and the stairwell is a big part.

People did complain plenty when they didn't open despite having enough snow. Valid complaint when people yearn for the Kton of old.

Looking forward to skiing there on 12/5 I hope

 

[frankm938]

they've done a great job from what I've read.

No doubt K is delivering a solid effort overall though and the stairwell is a big part.

People did complain plenty when they didn't open despite having enough snow. Valid complaint when people yearn for the Kton of old.

Looking forward to skiing there on 12/5 I hope

yup, i was one of the people that wanted them open. it just seems like the complaints out number the positive posts 100 to 1.
id be willing to bet that many of the people bashing them for not being open have yet to ski there this year anyway (they just wanted to jump in on a negative K thread)

 

[jerryg]

Nah, the majority of people that were bashing K are folks that ski there. K has done a great job and they've been more fortunate than other NE ski areas regarding weather. The staircase was a great move.

 

[deadheadskier]

that's pretty forum dependent

place got ripped on Kzone, but since they opened everyone's been pretty happy. well, except for that ******* 'ski' (I think) who ripped them for closing one day when the morning winds started out at 80 mph.

k got ripped here to for not opening when SR was, but really not much at all since they've been open.

November in skiing board message land..........a month (let's hope) and these convesations disappear until next September

 

[eatskisleep]

I'm confused... what's going on here?

 

[deadheadskier]

The annual recent tradition of Killington hate has been extinguished fairly quickly this year due to K's stairwell investment and early season operational plan.

They're listening to their customers.

 

[SkiDork]

yay K!

 

[Vortex]

I think this weekend many resorts join the mix. I will miss this weekend, but will be back up north turkey day weekend. Have not been to K since the stair case all the words I have heard are positive. Any time any of us can ski is good. Been out six days. Jones is soothed.

 

[gmcunni]

i skied on Nov 11, earliest ever for me. wouldn't have happened except for the stairs.. while SR won for opening first they aren't an option for me so props to K!

has there been a song parody about the stairway yet? set to the led zep tune stairway to heaven of course -

There's a skier who's sure
All that fluffy is snow
And he's buying a stairway to the gondola

When he gets there he knows
That other mountains are all closed
With a lift ticket he can get what he came for

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
And he's buying a stairway to the gondola

 

[severine]

You'll always here more bashing/complaining than praising. I generally ignore all the Killington threads so I couldn't tell you if there's a difference or not. But what you're complaining about is just another example of people tending toward complaining rather than praising...in this case, complaining there isn't enough praising.

 

[powhunter]

it wasnt too long ago that killington was getting bashed over and over for getting beat by sunday river. now that it seems like killington knew what they were doing we dont hear from the haters....
not that im a killington cheerleader, but if they are gonna get crushed for bad decisions its only fair to give them some credit when they make a good one (the walkway is turning out to be a great move)

Amen!! They should use that walkway for spring skiing....If they blow the hell out of the glades area...It would definanately last longer than SS...Keep rime for the bumpers...Keep the terrain park on reason

Thoughts?

 

[billski]

You'll always hear more bashing/complaining than praising. I generally ignore all the Killington threads so I couldn't tell you if there's a difference or not. But what you're complaining about is just another example of people tending toward complaining rather than praising...in this case, complaining there isn't enough praising.

+1. I see that in all the product reviews too. I don't just mean ski products. Too few constructive comments, too many whiners.

 

[drjeff]

Change is inevitable in most cases. Most folks don't like having to step away from a known past into an unknown future, it's just human nature.

The management at K is there. Sometimes they appear to listen to their customers and sometimes they seem not too. In this case, it appears courtesy of Mother Nature that the walkway was the proper descision (since the economic reality of a new/reconfigured lift system really was never there). Had mother nature been a little more favorable these past few weeks (basically allowing K to get open down to the base and expand as well as other areas in the K region to open up) who knows if the K bashing would have stopped??

Bottomline is 99% of folks really don't know how tough some business descisions are too make. There's a big difference between being on the outside looking in, and being the person faced with making a descsion where one could very well have to sign a 5,6, or 7 figure check to pay for it, with no guarentees that it will pay off in the end

 

[mondeo]

I think this weekend many resorts join the mix. I will miss this weekend, but will be back up north turkey day weekend. Have not been to K since the stair case all the words I have heard are positive. Any time any of us can ski is good. Been out six days. Jones is soothed.

I don't think so. Not many resorts can open on 2 days of snowmaking. Probably be SR, K, and Woodbury again. Widespread opening day will probably be Wednesday.

 

[Vortex]

Mt snow I woud think woud make a run ,I know the loaf is trying. Sat or sunday was goal on the FB post yesterday Loon and Waterville want to be. I heard rumors of Jiminy. You might be right it may take a couple more days, but we will see. I agree by Wed through Friday next week all the major players will be on line.

edit

You are right loon and Waterville have moved back projected opeinings. both going on line thursday for snow making.

 

[Highway Star]

it wasnt too long ago that killington was getting bashed over and over for getting beat by sunday river. now that it seems like killington knew what they were doing we dont hear from the haters....
not that im a killington cheerleader, but if they are gonna get crushed for bad decisions its only fair to give them some credit when they make a good one (the walkway is turning out to be a great move)

They get partial credit.

Pluses:

- They are open.
- It's kinda fun overall
- They actually did something about the early season opening/getting shut down issue.
- They provide a "quality product"
- We got 2 extra weeks of skiing, where we probably otherwise wouldn't have.

Minuses:

- They chose one of the cheapest (<$100k) solutions possible for an obvious, decade old problem.
- They basicly chose a solution that was posted on K-zone a few years ago, which was a staircase on upper downdraft.
- Then they tweaked the solution and managed to close a fairly important connector trail for the entire season (heavenly traverse). Ooops.
- They could have easily opened in late October, but didn't.
- Not willing to open without "full cover"
- They didn't get open earlier than the last 2 seasons. (they just didn't close)
- Walking is lame.....why not a surface lift?
- The Glades triple really doesn't have enough capacity for the weekend demand.
- Nobody likes a 20 minute lift line.

Soooooo......while the last few years they got a big F on their opening strategy, this year they get.......a C-...........? Passing, and an improvement, but still a long way to go.

What would win them an A or B+?

- Mid-station on the K-1, double sided, disengageable = A+ ($1M+)
- Quad on Middle-upper downdraft to top of K-1 = A (~$1.5M)
- Quad or other chairlift in other north/west side location, skiable, returning to K-1 = A- (~$1M)
- Surface lift on Upper Dwondraft = B+ ($250k)
- Automated snowguns with fanguns in certain areas = A (~$0.5-2M)
- IDE warm weather snowmaking system = A++ (~$2.5M-5M)

So yeah, there's tons of other, better ways they could be doing this. Can they justify spending the money? Who knows.

If they wanted to open mid september every year, it would only cost about $6M in equipment. lol.
-

 

[gmcunni]

- Then they tweaked the solution and managed to close a fairly important connector trail for the entire season (heavenly traverse). Ooops.

just curious HS, have you skied there yet and walked the stairway? the walkway cuts across 1 trail ( i assume this is your beloved traverse) and it looked to me that once there is a foot of snow they could close the walkway and your trail would be usable. There was no wood walkway or hand rails.

 

[Highway Star]

just curious HS, have you skied there yet and walked the stairway? the walkway cuts across 1 trail ( i assume this is your beloved traverse) and it looked to me that once there is a foot of snow they could close the walkway and your trail would be usable. There was no wood walkway or hand rails.

What kind of noob are you?

They built the walkway ALL THE WAY UP HEAVENLY TRAVERSE.

The trail was useful to ski from the K-1 to the glades area, when you were doing K-1 laps and wanted to ski along the ridge. Made for some very nice long runs. Now the upper glades section is cut off from the K-1.

And yes, I have walked the stairway numerous times, including before it was built, and have hiked heavenly traverse in the summer.

 

[jimmywilson69]

just curious HS, have you skied there yet and walked the stairway? the walkway cuts across 1 trail ( i assume this is your beloved traverse) and it looked to me that once there is a foot of snow they could close the walkway and your trail would be usable. There was no wood walkway or hand rails.

No he is talking aobut heavenly traverse (where the walkway was built). I'm not a long time Killington skier, but I never used that trail when I have been there. It's not like they eliminated access to an area, it's just not as "convienent" as it once was for a minority of mountain users.