Editor’s Note: DCSki Columnist Connie Lawn just returned from a ski trip to Vermont’s Killington Resort. During the visit, she attended an annual meeting for members of the Eastern Ski Writers Association, a professional group comprised of snowsports journalists. She describes the trip and meeting in the two firsthand reports below.

It was the best of worlds, and the worst of worlds, for Killington. The good news was powder! After the Northeast blizzard, you were in powder heaven! By Sunday, we were skiing through powder that would make a Western skier drool. It was still snowing, but most visibility had returned. Monday must have been bliss - sun and powder. Unfortunately, we were gone by then.
On the road to Killington. Photo provided by Connie Lawn.
Saturday skiing was acute pain, as it must have been in many areas. The icy snow bit into your face. The temperature at the peak was zero degrees. At times, wind gusts were up to thirty miles an hour. You do the math on the wind chill! Visibility was near zero. A few hundred hardy skiers and riders persevered for several hours, but eventually gave up. The fun race for the Eastern Ski Writers group did not actually materialize - perhaps next month at the January meeting in Stratton.

Killington is a wonderful ski area. It is celebrating its 45th anniversary, and I was proud to have started my ski passion there during the opening year. The weekend we were there, there were 60 trails open, with 14 lifts running. It was 16 degrees, with at least 45 inches of snow. Prices for a day were $59 for an adult, $49 for a young adult (13 to 18), $39 for a junior (6 to 12) and $39 for a senior - 55 years old and up. The tickets are valid from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. There is no night skiing at Killington.

When fully opened, Killington has 200 trails and 31 lifts. They list 1,182 skiable acres and a vertical drop of 3,050 feet, according to their latest press release.

The area is really built up and a bit gaudy. The cities and towns leading up to Killington look like any suburb in the Washington or New York area. I guess that is progress. But, the Killington mountain itself is still rustic and wonderful.

One of the nicest features is Killington’s system of Ski Ambassadors. They are available to help, and give great tips on ski technique. They also assist in emergencies, until the ski patrol can arrive to help. In that intense cold, however, it is best to stay intact and not get hurt!

Special thanks to all the ski ambassadors who helped our group - especially Orlando Rodriguez, the terrific Cuban skier! Many ski areas have this system of ski guides or ambassadors - it is a must for a skier or snowboarder new to an area. But Killington seems to have one of the best systems I have seen - others can learn from them.

Now, the major question of distance. There is no denying that New England skiing can be terrific. It can also be very cold and icy. And, it is far. When you have great conditions in our local areas (Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia), there appears to be little reason to go to New England. Perhaps it is best to put off a trip until pre- or post-season here.

Even under great conditions, a typical drive to New England from this region is about 10 hours. It took us 12 in the snow, and there were dangers to the drive. Best to investigate package deals that will include train, bus, or plane fare with the lodging and lifts. In addition, have an escape clause so you can cancel if another blizzard moves in. Of course, we had a ski writer’s convention to go to, so no one wanted to cancel.

In short, it was a great weekend at Killington, and is an area I highly recommend. But patronize our local areas first - they really are wonderful, and deserve our support!

The Eastern Ski Writers Association Meeting and Killington

Anyone who attended the meeting in Killington should get a special award for endurance - but it was fabulous! The best news is, no one got killed, or even injured in the drive up during the Noreaster. Everyone registered appeared to have arrived intact, although the usual 5-hour drives took longer. Our commute from the Washington, D.C. area took a mere 12 hours - thank God my husband Charles is a superb driver!

The other good news from the meeting is that Killington coordinator and communications manager Kim Jackson did not have her baby. She was very pregnant at the time, and having a blessed event in the middle of a major convention and blizzard would have been a challenge. What a trooper - she managed to hold off and make it through the meeting. Good luck Kim!

The 2-day meeting, from December 5 to 7, was a resounding success. About 230 people attended, and all of the sessions were packed, despite (or maybe because of) the mounds of snow outside. The meetings are a great chance for serious, committed, passionate snow sports writers and broadcasters to get together and compare notes and ideas. All contributions by members spread around the good word about the snow sports industry. The convention produced a number of superb publications, including a book called “From Liftline to Byline” - it was developed and coordinated by ESWA official Janet E. Franz, with help from the other dedicated officers and members.

The current President of ESWA, Mitch Kaplan, wrote about the benefits of membership in the organization. He says his membership “resulted in a lot of assignments over the years.” He also writes on “the professional benefits of membership.”

The convention was packed with activities, meetings, and lectures. They included several meals, a banquet, and cocktails and a party at “The Wobbly Barn” - one of the most popular apres ski spots in New England. For the younger set, there was also a special kids pizza party at the Grand Resort Hotel - site of the Meeting.

Some of the outside events, such as the fun race, were cancelled, because the blizzard and below zero cold made it too miserable. That was Saturday - by Sunday, the 3 feet of new snow and powder transformed Killington into a dream world of powder skiing. It equaled anything the West could offer. Monday was a dream of sun and snow - perfect for those who phoned home and said, it was just too dangerous to travel back on Sunday!

Snow sports is a big business and is growing bigger. All of the members in attendance love the sports, and put up with great expense and hardship, at times, to experience those few minutes of ecstasy achieved by hurtling down the mountains in the snow. But the professional friendship is important too, and that is achieved by meetings, trips with ski clubs, and membership in the growing number of ski organizations.