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Killington Vermont Where the Long Ski Season Lets Families Experience Endless Adventure on Some of the Highest Peaks in the East

December, 2002

While skiing is a passion for our family and a great winter activity we enjoy doing together, one of the drawbacks of the sport is that the season, at least in our part of North America, is shorter than we would like.

Having heard all the superlatives used to describe Killington, located in Central Vermont, including the fact that it has the longest ski season, the highest peaks and more snowmaking than any other Ski Resort in Eastern North America, coupled with the fact that the Boys wanted to try out their new Snow Blades as soon as possible, Killington presented a very attractive subject for a www.hotelfun4kids.com "Visits..." a Ski Resort.

In fact Killington's longest ski season was in 1996/97 when it ran from October 14 to June 22 with 301 inches of snowfall - you could almost go from shorts to ski wear and back to shorts again without missing a beat - imagine that.  For families though, its best to visit Killington by late April when most of the trails are still open.  Late season is popular with advanced skiers and riders with usually just one lift and about 10 trails still operating. 

There are seven mountains at Killington (that's including Pico Mountain) with 200 trails, giving skiers and boarders over 87 miles of trails with 31 lifts, including 2 gondolas and 12 quad lifts, 6 of which are high speed.  All that can accommodate over 50,000 skiers an hour and that's just some of the staggering facts.

To help plan a family vacation to Killington start by learning all you can and here are some of our tips:

  • Check out the web site for Killington at www.killington.com - its a great place to start planning and the best place to find out about vacation packages - which is also the the best value for visiting Killington.  The site also details promotions for free skiing for children under 6, free lift tickets for children under 12 with the purchase of a 5 day adult ticket and the online mE-ticket discounts.  

  • Request  the brochure and trail map so you can study it ahead of time.

  • Booking your tickets, accommodations and lessons on-line can save you up to 30% or you can call 1-800-621-MTNS.

  • Reserve lessons, children's programs and daycare before you arrive to be sure you won't be disappointed.  Prepaid Reservations are required.  

  • Lift tickets included in accommodation packages include arrival and departure dates.

  • There is a wide range of accommodations including lodges, inns, condominiums (some with ski-home convenience), hotels and motels with varying prices, accommodation styles and amenities.   Some even have access to the Slope Shuttle. 

  • Plan on taking a free Mountain Tour that is offered Monday through Saturday starting Mid-December until the end of April.  These two hour tours start at 9:45 am slopeside on Snowshed Mountain and explore the peaks on novice terrain.  This is a great way to learn your way around with a guide.

Packing for ski vacation takes a certain amount of organization.    For some tips on packing for a family ski vacation go to Winter Holidays - Ski Vacation Tips.

As soon as we arrived at Killington we headed to the slopes for an afternoon of skiing.  All that pre-planning paid off because we already knew where to start and had  packed our equipment within easy reach.

TIP:  We added a rooftop carrier to hold all our skis and poles this year.

Rams Head Family Center

Rams Head is THE PLACE TO START for families.  This is where all the children's programs meet and where the daycare center is located.  Pico Mountain also has a Children's Center.

Beginning our ski adventure here allowed us to check out the arcade area on the third floor - where the boys wanted to start - and grab a quick lunch before we started skiing.  
Mitchell and Stephen had some quarters to finish off so I took a quick peek around the lodge.
The fully licensed Friendly Penguin Nursery and Day Care for ages 6 weeks to 6 years is located in the lower level of the Rams Head Base Lodge.   Pre-registration is recommended.

This program includes age appropriate toys, indoor and outdoor activities and lunch for full day participants

Contact information for babysitters is available at the Center.

Killington's Perfect Kids™ Ski Programs

Located on the second floor of the Rams Head Base Lodge is the registration and ticket center for the Perfect Kids™ Ski Programs. 

 

Since the boys were joining the Superstars program for skiers and snowboarders aged 7 to 12 for one morning, I took a few minutes to confirm our reservations, checked which ability level and where the boys needed to go for their lessons before we left the lodge.  It's usually pretty busy in the mornings so it is a good idea to do this ahead of time.  

TIP:  Every level of the Perfect Kids Program has a designated meeting and pick up area and specific ability levels for the participants.  It helps to check this out ahead of time and be ready for the lessons.  Children receive a Progress Card on the completion of their lessons based on their ability level.   Full day program includes lunch.

The Magic Snow Play Park with handle tows and Magic Carpet are part of this great beginner program.

Killington's Perfect Kids™ Ski Program's First Tracks for ages 2 to 3 years, with rental equipment and lift ticket included in the cost, runs out of the lower level of the Rams Head Base Lodge in conjunction with the Day Care. 

Ministars/Lowriders (ages 4 to 6 years) meet on the second floor with a complete rental and play area just for them.  

Snowzone for ages 13 to 18 meet on the third floor of the lodge.

On the Slopes

While it is a big ski resort, we discovered some great ways to explore it as a family without getting lost or losing anyone.

First off, we decided as a family that we would ski together and try not to get separated.  Just in case we did separate, our plan was to meet at the lift base where we were last together.  We also reminded the kids of where they were staying and that if they had any concerns to look for a Killington staff member or an Ambassador.  An Ambassador is a volunteer - there are over 150 of them - recruited to assist guests and can be identified by bright red jackets with "Ambassador" on the back.  

With our tickets attached, we were now ready to hit the slopes, beginning with the Rams Head and Snowshed Mountain novice trails.  Since this was our first time on skis and blades this season we wanted to take advantage of the gentle terrain on these mountains to practice and warm up before taking on Killington Peak and the rest of the resort the next day.   The Beach Terrain Park on Showshed gave the Boys a chance to practice some jumps with their new Snow Blades too.

Rams Head and Snowshed Base Lodges are connected by tunnels under the road that make it easy to use these areas for beginners and families. Snowshed Mountain is also the home for Killington's Perfect Turns, a unique program where beginners age 13 years and over are introduced to skiing and snowboarding.  

The plan for our first full day at Killington was a family ski day.  I want to pass along a strategy for first timers at Killington we learned from some locals, but don't tell anyone else.  It's a wonderful way to ensure you see all that Killington has to offer and make it back to your car before the lifts close at 4:00 pm.  

We started off at the Killington Base Lodge and rode up the K-1 Gondola for a six minute ride to Killington Peak, one of the highest skiable summits in the Northeast.  The view on the way up is great, including the double black diamond runs, which was the only way I was going to see them - skiing them was not in my plans.  
A short jaunt on Great Northern brought us over to Juggernaut, the longest run at the resort and our favourite run of the day.
We wound our way down the side of Killington Mountain and took Juggernaut Too to finished this run at Sunrise Mountain, "11 miles from Pico Mountain at the other side".  At the top of the Sunrise Village triple we weaved our way over to the Bear Mountain Base Lodge and headed inside for lunch.  There is a food court at every base lodge at Killington.  
After lunch we were ready to ride up the Bear Mountain Quad for a spectacular view of "Outer Limits", considered to be one of the premier mogul trails in New England.  At this point we connected with the lower half of Great Eastern following it all the way down to the Skyeship Base Station.    
The Skyeship Express two stage gondola is over 12,000 feet long, giving us plenty of time to rest our legs before disembarking at Skye Peak
A short run on the middle part of Great Eastern led us to Snowshed Crossover, where I had a brief race with the boys on this gentle slope, (we always ski in control) and back over to the Killington Base Lodge.  
TIP:  The trails are all well marked and signs indicating which lodge the run is headed will help ensure that you make it back to the parking lot on time.  Certain trail signs also remind skiers and boarders when to take returning trails.
We ended our day a little early so we could stop by the Rams Head Lodge to enjoy the Magic Show, one of the many ski week activities at Killington.  
TIP:  Check out the Ski Week Activities ahead of time so you won't miss any your family might be interested in and plan your days ahead of time.  Activities include Magic Shows, Sleigh Rides, Tubing, and more.  Some activities are an extra charge.

On our final day at Killington the boys participated in the half day Superstars Program.  This program meets outside and we were glad we took the time to find out before hand.  

While the boys were having their fun, we took in some of the more challenging blue and black runs for some exhilarating skiing.   Turns out that the boys mastered some of the same hills we did as part of their lesson.  The Kids Only Terrain Park and an opportunity to meet and ski with other kids were added benefits of the lessons.

Lodgings at Killlington Resort Villages

While there are plenty of choices for accommodations at Killington, some of the most popular are part of the Killington Resort Villages, which are a group of lodges, inns, hotels and condominiums located closest to the ski resort.   Each complex within the Killington Resort Villages has its own facilities and the Killington Grand Resort Hotel even has on-site day care facilities.

A quick stop at Killington Golf Clubhouse for the lodging check in and we were all set with our keys, tickets and a resort map.  Our package included a two bedroom condo located in the Pinnacle.

As luck would have it (although we did make a request) we were in the same building as the recreation room and just a short walk from the Spa and Jacuzzi.  
With two bedrooms, living room and a dining area, we had plenty of room to spread out and relax.  
A fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms and the washer/dryer provided all the comforts of home.

Dining at Killington

For dining we opted to have breakfast and afternoon snacks in the room, which made use of the fully equipped kitchen.  While there is a small grocery store located not far from the slopes, we brought our food along so that we wouldn't waste any ski time grocery shopping (it's a little less expensive that way too). 

Lunches were slopeside, including one at Killington Peak Restaurant - not to be missed.  
On Wednesday evenings a popular Ski Week Activity is Dinner at the Peak - a buffet where children under 5 eat free.  Reservations are recommended. 

There are a mirade of choices for dinner along the Killington Road and at the many Hotels and Inns.  Here are just a few of our favourites:

Casey's CabooseLocated midway on the Killington Road, this railway themed restaurant has an actual circa 1900 railroad snowplow car as part of the dining area.  Casey's specializes in fresh seafood, including Maine Lobster and steak.  The Children's Menu offers smaller meal portions including shrimp and crab legs for kids 12 and under.

We dined in the raised observation deck where the engineer controlled the plow - they looked like they had fun.   Get there early if you want to dine in the snowplow.

Outback Pizza:  This restaurant is outback of  The Nightspot near the top of Killington Road and features an Australian theme with create your own and specialty pizzas.  Take out and pizza by the slice are also available.

Wobbly Barn Steakhouse:  This restaurant came highly recommended to us as one of  "The Places to Go in Killington" and we weren't disappointed.  The signature meal at the Wobbly Barn is the BEEF.   The decor is BARN with shavings on the floor and stables all around.  It's a fun place to eat and our prime rib dinners fit the bill after a full day of skiing.  All meals come with Wobbly's Soup, Salad and Bread Bar.  Children's meals for under 12 include an option for the Soup, Salad and Bread Bar only - our pick - as dinner portions are generous enough to share.

Apres Ski

There is plenty of off-slope activities in Killington in addition to the Ski Week Activities.  Most lodgings feature hot tubs to soothe tired muscles and some, like ours, have arcade rooms and indoor or outdoor pools.

While not ready during our visit, Killington opened a new Winter Adventure Center on December 24, 2002 that offers tubing, snowshoeing and an arcade room at the Killington Golf Course.

Indoor Rock Climbing is available at the Snowshed Base Lodge and in Rutland provided by Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center.  You can also book guided rock and ice climbing trips with this company.

At the Killington Base Lodge kids can try riding a mini-snowmobile around a track offered by Killington Snowmobile Tours.  This company leads scenic tours by snowmobile for all levels into Vermont's backcountry.

Getting There

Killington is just a half hour from Rutland in central Vermont and an hour from Interstate 89, making it accessible from most major cities in the Northeastern United States and Montreal, Quebec within 3  to 4 hours.   

Fly & Ski packages from most major cities are available through gateway airports.  Rail & Ski are offered with Amtrak from New York City to Rutland.  Packages include round trip fares, shuttle, lodgings and lift tickets.

Our "Visit..." to Killington proved to be a great family ski vacation and the earliest in the season we have ever been able to enjoy.  Maybe next time we will check it out in late April, in fact the lifts are open until Memorial Day weekend and sometimes even into June.  There's plenty of time for families to explore the over 200 trails and fabulous facilities that this premier ski resort offers.

For more information on Killington Ski Resort, including contact information go to Vermont Ski Resorts

www.hotelfun4kids.com"Visits ..." is an unique opportunity that encourages you to ask us questions about the Visit location.  Go to www.hotelfun4kids.com/contactus.htm to submit your question and we will do our best to answer it.

By Maureen Hall

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