Killington, Vermont — Killington Resort is experiencing many thrilling modifications proper now. In August, it was introduced that POWDR was promoting the mountain to a gaggle of native buyers. One among their first important investments is upgrading Killington’s snowmaking fleet.
Final month, Killington detailed the place their roughly 1000 (1004 to be actual) new snow weapons will probably be located. For the 2024-25 season, Killington & Pico are including 36 HKD Snowmakers Phazer transportable snowmaking weapons, 454 HKD Impulse and Phazer R5 tower weapons, in addition to 4 absolutely computerized HKD Diablo fan weapons.
Places of the brand new and alternative weapons this season embrace Cruise Management, Higher and Decrease Needle’s Eye, Outer Limits, Alpine Coaching Venue, Higher Header, Timberline, Higher and Decrease Nice Jap, Blue Heaven, Bear Trax, Skyeburst, Higher Bittersweet, Panic Button and Famous person.
Maybe a very powerful snowmaking alternative is on Outler Limits, which is receiving 33 new tower weapons. The double black diamond path is very regarded for its bumps, because it hosts the Bear Mountain Mogul Problem.
Throughout the 2025 offseason, Killington will set up one other 510 HKD Impulse and Phazer R5 tower weapons. These new and alternative snowguns will probably be added to Cascade, Center Chute, Decrease Dreammaker, Decrease Downdraft, Decrease East Fall, Simple Avenue, Bear Cub, Nice Northern, Highline, Higher and Decrease Excessive Street, Kilink, Launch Pad, Mouse Run and Mouse Lure. Higher Pipe Dream, Northbrook Path, Snowshed Crossover, Higher and Decrease Skyelark, Spillway, Snowshed Slope, The Stash, Higher and Decrease Wildfire, and Higher Yodeler trails. A brand new management and hydrant monitoring system will assist them enhance snowmaking manufacturing and effectivity.
Pico can even obtain snowmaking upgrades. For the 2024-25 season, forty-four tower weapons will probably be put in on the 49er, Ace of Golf equipment, Swinger, Higher, and Decrease Pike runs.
Total, this snowmaking challenge is an funding of round $7 million. These low-e (energy-efficient) snowmaking weapons will scale back carbon emissions by 5,818,850 kilos annually. When accomplished, they may have 2,459 snow weapons to service 3,500 units of hydrants throughout Killington & Pico.
“That is probably the most transformative snowmaking challenge since Killington expanded over to Bear Mountain within the late 70’s,” stated Killington Snowmaking Supervisor Greg Gleason. “It’s nice to see the resort investing in low power snow weapons, not solely will it save on prices, it is going to enable us to broaden terrain at a a lot sooner charge within the early season, whereas nonetheless offering a top quality product to our visitors.”
When it comes to their previous tools that was changed, they’ve given a few of it away to different ski areas within the Northeast. One instance is Magic Mountain, which put in snow weapons that had been beforehand located at Killington.
Different deliberate investments for the 2025-26 season at Killington embrace changing the Famous person Categorical with a Doppelmayr removable high-speed six-pack, changing the gondola cabins on Skyeship, and constructing a brand new Skysehip gondola barn to retailer the cabins. At Pico, a coated conveyor elevate is deliberate to exchange the Bonanza Double Chair & Rope Tow.
For extra details about Killington’s future, Mike Solimano joined the New England Ski Journal Basecamp Podcast to debate the brand new possession group, modifications for the 2024-25 season, and future investments. That podcast episode, which you’ll be able to watch beneath, provides you an awesome thought about the place Killington is heading.
Picture/Video Credit: Killington Resort, Pico Mountain, Magic Mountain Ski Space, New England Ski Journal
