Massachusetts

‘Sun's Out, Guns Out': Ski Resort Stays Open Until June

Vermont's Killington Resort celebrated the end of a long season of skiing and riding Thursday with a mountainside party and free lift passes for die-hards.

"I'm trying to get a little tan and ski at the same time," said Robby Kelley of Burlington.

Killington made it to June 1 for skiing and riding this year, even despite warmth and heavy rain throughout May.

The resort reached the milestone in large part because it had made a really deep base of snow on its Superstar trail in order to host the women's World Cup races back in November.

Skier Kodi Smith of Norwalk, Connecticut, was dressed as a "winter warrior" on the slopes Thursday.

"Sun's out, 'guns' out," he laughed, referring to his bare arms. "We're just celebrating an awesome season here!"

Taylor Weatherby of Somerville, Massachusetts, said he grew up near the mountain, so was eager to cross June skiing off his bucket list.

"It's my eighth straight month of skiing, so I’m pumped about that—that's why I wanted to come," Weatherby said.

Killington hasn't offered lift-served skiing and riding in the month of June since 2002. The resort's latest-ever closing day for skiing and riding was June 22, back in 1997.

The golf course and mountain biking operations at the popular destination are currently open, a Killington spokesman said.

The resort added that women's World Cup racing returns to Killington this November, so snowmakers are already planning their snowmaking.

The aim is to start producing snow in four months to prepare for the World Cup races and the start of the 2017-2018 skiing and riding season.

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