Killington: The King Of Spring

The King of Spring does not walk, he saunters. He wears only sunglasses, a tight pair of blue skivvies, and ski boots. His gold chains say “Jersey” and his sly smile screams, “hey now.” His skis are straight.

The King of Spring, a character in Killington Mountain Resort’s web video series, is everything we have to come to love and hate about the state’s largest ski resort: The King is bold, he’s brash, he’s cheesy. But, hey now, he sure is a lot of fun to party with.

Come April, as other resorts are shutting down, Killington embraces its inner cheese like puff pastry around a wheel of Brie. Just off the trails, the Umbrella Bars are in full swing, live music blares from every deck.

But beyond the beer-infused tailgate and grill parties, there’s another side of Killington that shines in April: it’s the fact that some of the most hard-core athletes in the state call this area home.

April kicks off with the infamous Bear Mountain Mogul Challenge, which sent some of the region’s best amateurs (and some not-so-good ones) in a head-to-head bump off. But that wasn’t the end to skiing. Thanks to artillery of snow guns, the snow is likely to hold out into June. Next weekend, on April 27, you can face off against top athletes in the Killington Triathlon, an epic race up one of Vermont’s highest peaks with legs that feature biking, skiing and running.

For mountain bikers, Killington has been upping the ante. Already there’s lift-served terrain with more than 2,000 vertical downhill trails featuring berms, banks and swoopy, flowy switchbacks, and that’s just the beginning: the resort plans to keep expanding this park and trails. And, last year, for the first time, they hosted the Fox US Open of Mountain Biking, which attracted some of the biggest pros in the country.

In addition, the town of Killington has begun the first of a three-phase mountain bike trail build out that could result in more than 100 miles of trails and, eventually, link Killington Resort trails with town trails and the Green Mountain Trails in Pittsfield.

April’s rain and snowmelt may muddy the trails, but once they’ve dried, head to Pittsfield (just 8 miles north of Killington) and plan to ride or hike the Green Mountain Trails. And if it is a Friday or Saturday during ski season, make a dinner reservation at The Backroom, the super-hot restaurant over the Pittsfield General Store. The restaurant is run by Kevin Lasko, an obstacle course racer and former chef at New York’s Park Avenue and his partner Katie Stiles. And since The New York Times reviewed it in February 2018 and called it “a dining experience that feels like New England’s coolest dinner party,” it’s not easy to get a table. Though they’re closed for the 2018-2019 ski season and will start accepting reservations for dinner during the 2019-2020 ski season on Nov. 1, 2019.

The Red Clover Inn in Mendon is another good dinner destination with farm-fresh produce and a seasonal menu and a visit to the Long Trail Inn (just off the Long Trail) is a must if you have never been to this classic.

And if the weather holds up, it’s possible to play four seasons of sports in one day. Get up early and fly-fish with Greg and Kim Newton of Blue Ridge Outfitters (blueridgeoutfitters.com). Make some laps on the snow-covered mountain trails. Go for a road (or, trails permitting) mountain bike ride and then hit a few golf balls. The Green Mountain National golf course is looking at opening in early May this year.

And while the King of Spring may not be there to challenge you, there are plenty of core local athletes who will.

Photo courtesy Killington Resort/Chandler Burgess