Vermont Business Magazine
Additional enhancements will include significant upgrades to the K-1 Express Gondola, additional availability of intermediate trails, improvements to existing intermediate runs, and resort-wide infrastructure upgrades including the addition of hands-free lift access validation with RFID technology at both Killington and Pico.Vermont’s Killington Resort is (link is external) the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America, and is a member of the POWDR company.
“While we are committed to staying core to our beastly advanced terrain, we are also putting the focus on our blue family-friendly terrain,” says Mike Solimano, president and general manager of Killington Resort. “The investments we’re making will re-shape the guest experience for years to come. Uphill capacity will increase to 48,000 riders per hour and the downhill enhancements will create more diverse terrain for all levels of skiers and riders.”
New Snowdon 6-Person Bubble Chairlift
A new 6-person high-speed bubble chairlift will be installed ahead of next season. The new Snowdon chair, manufactured by Leitner-Poma, features a bubble shield that will protect skiers and riders from wind and weather as they ascend 1,100 vertical feet to the Snowdon Mountain peak, which features primarily intermediate cruising terrain. There also will be a storage facility built to house chairs from inclement weather to assist when weather impedes operations.
South Ridge Quad Installed
The highly anticipated return of lift service in the South Ridge area will occur with the relocation of the refurbished, Snowdon Quad chairlift. The South Ridge Quad will load and unload in the same locations as the old South Ridge Triple and will have a length of 3,900 feet and a vertical rise of approximately 875 feet. The South Ridge Quad will provide easier access to trails such as Pipe Dream and an additional way to connect back to the north side of the resort from Bear Mountain.
New and Improved K-1 Express Gondola
Killington has invested in numerous upgrades to the K-1 Gondola in the past few years. Ahead of next season, all cabins will be replaced with brand-new Leitner-Poma Sigma 8-person cabins which will be stored in a new cabin storage facility to improve reliability and de-icing time. The haul rope will also be replaced and improvements to the loading area are also planned. This lift will continue to run on electricity generated by BioGas, through a program commonly known as Cow Power (link is external)as part of our commitment to POWDR’s Play Forever using renewable energy.
New RFID Gates
Killington Resort and Pico Mountain will introduce Axess smart gates with RFID (radio-frequency-identification) at lift access points. This technology will improve the guest experience by the use of hands-free automated gates instead of manual barcode scanning.
Terrain Improvements
Killington Resort will continue to improve the on-mountain experience for its intermediate skiers and riders with a number of terrain improvements on the mountain. These improvements include trail widening and adding tunnels and bridges at the following intersections:
- Great Northern and Bunny Buster and Mouse Trap
- Great Northern and Upper Chute
- Great Northern and Lower Chute
- Snowshed Crossover at the Stash and Skyeburst
Snowdon Poma Relocation
The Snowdon Poma lift will move to Swirl to create a dedicated race training venue for Killington Mountain School and Killington Ski Club. This move will open additional terrain to guests in the Snowdon area and allow for uninterrupted top to bottom skiing and riding.
Summer Improvements
Summer operations continue to expand at Killington Resort. A Woodward WreckTangle (link is external) and additional summer attractions will be added to the Adventure Center (link is external). The WreckTangle is an outdoor ninja obstacle challenge featuring nine different sections of unique and fun-filled obstacles to conquer including cargo nets, balance beams and rope swings. Additionally, Killington’s Mountain Bike Park will make improvements to beginner terrain, unveil the newly completed Krusty Trail on Ramshead and extend riding hours.
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