[rfx_turner]

Planning to take a trip out there, but only if it is worth it - don't want to drive 5 hours for some disappointing stuff.

Has anyone ridden there and can give some feedback? thanks

 

[ska todd]

(I'll do the standard message board thing here of provide random input w/o actually coming close to answering the question.)

We all raced at Killington for years during the Trail 66 and the old Beauty & the Beast races. The course was fast, wide open, waterbar yumps the whole way down. Finland rally style! It was unlike any other course we'd race all year. I miss that track!

-ska todd

 

[nh dude]

get a map, learn your way around, hook up with locals. the place is awesome, can't wait until it open up again. fast long runs 10 min plus. large variety of riding. its all dh singletrack. makes you pedal to keep your speed. quick gondola.

if you don't learn your way around you will pay for it by riding fire road all day.

 

[younger22]

Definitely true what nh dude said. Unitl he showed us around, we were riding the same trail over and over. Once he showed us "the cable run" it was like a whole different mountain. Killington is very fun.

 

[dw]

(I'll do the standard message board thing here of provide random input w/o actually coming close to answering the question.)

We all raced at Killington for years during the Trail 66 and the old Beauty & the Beast races. The course was fast, wide open, waterbar yumps the whole way down. Finland rally style! It was unlike any other course we'd race all year. I miss that track!

-ska todd

Man I loved that race.

 

[ska todd]

Man I loved that race.

I bet your collarbone doesn't miss it

-ska todd

 

[Zaphoid]

There is so much good stuff there as long as you find sombody to show you where it is. Local help is a must. Last time i was there i got one of the trail crew members to show me around. Nice guys up there

 

[FlyinPolack]

killington is full of high speed fun. There are 38-ish trails, probably 25 0f them are singletrack. Not much for drops, or jumps (the only roof drop I've ever done though) But you can hit 50+mph in a few places.
Stay away from Lower #18 or you'll be hiking for hours... Camping is really close too. I'll be there opening day for sure!

 

[Eastern States Cup]

I bet your collarbone doesn't miss it

-ska todd

waterbars....hell ya!!!

Killington has come a long way in the past couple of years, tons of fast flowy single track.

 

[JRogers]

(I'll do the standard message board thing here of provide random input w/o actually coming close to answering the question.)

We all raced at Killington for years during the Trail 66 and the old Beauty & the Beast races. The course was fast, wide open, waterbar yumps the whole way down. Finland rally style! It was unlike any other course we'd race all year. I miss that track!

-ska todd

Yeah, that was a sweet course. The waterbars were massive in some spots from what I remember. Nothing like ripping down an open grass slope and hitting a 3 foot high speedbump! It was also one of those places where they got a little lazy with the course tape...you could save a second or two by cutting through some waist-high grass instead of staying on the fireroad and turning 90 degrees.

I pretty much agree with what's already been said. Pretty fun place. Not terribly challenging (a freeride bike might be more fun there than a full DH bike; it'd at least allow you to hit some of the flatter trails). It's a pretty big mountain, fast runs. Just pay attention to where you're going and ask around for the best runs.

Also, I think there's a thread on Killington in the Northeast forum on here.

 

[Matchew]

Trails 1 to 7 to 21 to 12 to 14 to 21, try and do it without stopping

Trail 30 is easily my favorite, extremely fast and flowy, would make and amazing race course.

 

[Sandwich]

leave your DH bike at home, take a trailbike with decent brakes. Killington is among the lowest ranked mountains on my list of east coast hills. I did not have very much fun there, and wouldn't recommend it. I'd do whiteface or bromont instead, if you're headed that way. Also, I thought there was another place in vermont that was supposed to have good downhill, starts with a B I think but I can't put my finger on it.

Maybe there are some really good trails that I didn't find, but I rode just about everything on the map, minus a few to the east that were closed. There are select few "downhill" trails and most are relatively flat.

 

[SDH]

I bet your collarbone doesn't miss it

-ska todd

that/those moto speeds always did and still do scare the be-je-bus out of me! At speed water bars have teeth......................

 

[Sandwich]

Trails 1 to 7 to 21 to 12 to 14 to 21, try and do it without stopping

Trail 30 is easily my favorite, extremely fast and flowy, would make and amazing race course.

Really? I can't see how 21 connects to 12, and 14 doesn't connect back with 21, unless you go up on 13 and back down.

Don't get me wrong, I'd probably go back with a guide, but I'd bring a MUCH lighter bike, and my girlfriend.

 

[rfx_turner]

thanks Sandwich guy - you saved me a long trip out there. I think i will stick with Highland Mountain for my long bike road trips

 

[Sandwich]

You're welcome. I was really excited for it too, but it really didn't impress me much. Maybe my bike was too big, or it was because it was a little sloppy, but it really just didn't do it for me, not like highland, pkill, diablo, jiminy, whiteface, and bromont did.

Where are you coming from?

 

[jcook90]

My favorite right now is that absurd chute right at the top of the lift onto trail 30, then 5, onto one of the other 30's (33? It's in the lower group of 32-34 where they built the new bridge over the one section i had yet to clear. big drop up to the left at one point), then just fire roads. You'll love killington though, its almost impossible not to

 

[Runner]

My favorite right now is that absurd chute right at the top of the lift onto trail 30, then 5, onto one of the other 30's (33? It's in the lower group of 32-34 where they built the new bridge over the one section i had yet to clear. big drop up to the left at one point), then just fire roads. You'll love killington though, its almost impossible not to

That run you're talking about is 30-5-34.

34 is the one with that drop hidden up to the left, one of the best trails there. I hadn't cleared the section they put the bridge over, I almost wish they hadn't
IIRC, trail 23 is super fast fun trail, the only smooth trail there. Killington pretty much doesn't do "smooth".
Anything on the rider's left will be a fun run, the difficult trails to the rider's right are also great, and I love how long the runs are.

 

[Horror Business]

I love Killington. They have a great lift, a great quantity of trails, great variety of trails from some tight rooty single track to wide open fire road type runs, and you can really open it up on those runs. 50 mph+ as long as you don't hit a hiker or one of those nuts that rides his bike up.

It is lacking in stunts/drops, but I can find that sort of fun in other places. When I go to Killington, I take the big bike and I am ready to go fast.

 

[Sandwich]

I liked 1-30-30-31-24. Coincidentally, it's one of two steep singletrack runs. Everything else is a fire road or mostly flat. 30 is wide open, but uneventful, 31 is REALLY steep, and at the bottom, maybe it's 24, is a really flowy smooth singletrack in the woods, and one of my favorite trails ever.

 

[JRogers]

You're welcome. I was really excited for it too, but it really didn't impress me much. Maybe my bike was too big, or it was because it was a little sloppy, but it really just didn't do it for me, not like highland, pkill, diablo, jiminy, whiteface, and bromont did.

Where are you coming from?

Have you been there in the past season or so? I mean, I like Platty, Diablo, Jiminy and Whiteface more than Killington, but the place isn't too bad in the end if you're not too far away. The trails have certainly improved.

 

[jcook90]

Yeah that secret drop is legit. I came down the chute right before and lost traction on the muddy right corner after so i stopped and looked up and noticed it. Every time I rode that section I crashed and came back the next time knowing what I had to do, but no. Any word on whether they're building that jump park that was proposed for last year

 

[Runner]

Well they had insurance troubles getting the "skills park" up, and of course new owners, so I'm not expecting much. I e-mailed them a while back and they mentioned a little thing at the base, and possibly a pump track, but unfortunately nothing much. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Sandwich]

Have you been there in the past season or so? I mean, I like Platty, Diablo, Jiminy and Whiteface more than Killington, but the place isn't too bad in the end if you're not too far away. The trails have certainly improved.

last year, mid-late season.

 

[in the trees]

The trails have certainly improved.

Agreed. The new trails numbered in the 30s are fun. It's also a nice place to bring people who have never DHed before - various terrain types to choose from depending on ability.

toby

 

[sayndesyn]

Come to Sunday River if you want a "new" place to ride. It's going to be pretty f'n good.

 

[Matchew]

Really? I can't see how 21 connects to 12, and 14 doesn't connect back with 21, unless you go up on 13 and back down.

That may not be exactly it, I wish they'd just name the trails, i cant always remember the numbers. The run starts off on 7, goes under the gondola and connects with the fire road. You can take the first technical option on 7, which is really rooty and rocky. You then connect to 21 which traverses to riders left and is pretty technical with a couple little flat places but if you carry your speed it's no problem. Then I jump on I think 13 or 14 and keep taking rights until your at the lift. Its at least a 10 minute run without stopping, there are a few other runs like it too. I always bring the full on DH rig and just haul ass all day.

 

[rfx_turner]

Sandwhich guy - I'm coming from NYC (long island). I have cross country friends that do some light dh, and they swear by that place and want me to see all the hype they're talking about. I think I just stick to diablo, platte, and highland. I try to take a trip to snowshoe instead

 

[JamesDaniels]

It's a lovely place up there! I had lots of fun.

 

[dowst]

I'd just stick with Highland. Spent the whole day up there yesterday helping Mark and the guys out with trailbuilding.

You guys are in for a treat.

 

[rfx_turner]

I've been to Highland many times during the past two years - they do have to best stuff up there. It's just too bad the drive for me is 5 hours, otherwise, I'd be up there everyweekend

 

[Sandwich]

I would suggest taking a trip to whiteface if you can make it. It's probably the same distance or closer than either highland or killington, and there are some really massive DH runs up there. Highland is fun for more freeridey stuff, but some of their trails are short/not as good. Stiil, whiteface is what I expected from Killington. Also, the other place I was thinking of is Bolton Valley, but they aren't open every weekend.

 

[rfx_turner]

never heard of bolton valley - where is that? want to try to get to whiteface too after the write up in decline magazine

 

[nh dude]

I don't think Bolton Valley is running the lift this year unfortunately but will in 09. that is why the gave the GES race to Sugarbush.

 

[Sandwich]

that's a shame, I always heard very good things, and wanted to get up there this year.

bolton is in vermont also, a little further south or north than killington

 

[Jim Mac]

Personally, I am going to try to hit Sugarbush before the GES race. Tony (in my class 40+ ex) is one of the trail builders there, and said that they have been working on a lot of stuff. I'd be into checking out a new place.

 

[nh dude]

its further north off 89 exit 10 but it doesn't matter.