Killington Turns 50
Thursday, September 4th, 2008
Killington, the largest ski area in Eastern North America, will celebrates its 50th birthday in December. The resort opened on December 13th 1958 with just two drag lifts and seven ski runs.
Today it is one of North America’s biggest ski resorts stretching across seven peaks with more than 30 lifts – most of them chair lifts and gondolas.
Over the years the resort, now fully green-electricity-powered, has built up a reputation as one of the world’s leading snowmakers so it is fitting that a chunk of this year’s $8.4 million spend on ski area improvements includes efficiency upgrades to what the resort claims to be the world’s most extensive snowmaking systems.
Over recent years Killington has been progressively upgrading its massive snowmaking arsenal to have fewer, but much more efficient guns, producing more snow with much lower energy consumption.
Other improvements for the coming winter include a new high speed lift, the Skye Peak Express, new beginner and expert runs, a new “all natural” terrain park and a 2160m long beginners conveyor-type ‘Magic Carpet’ lift at the Snowshed beginners area.
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