Mountain Meditation
Marguerite Jill Dye is an artist and writer to divides her time between Killington and Florida. Her family built an early “Killington Dream Lodge” on two acres of land near the beginning of Roaring Brook Road off Killington access Road. Jill Dye recounts that adventure.
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Stories
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Writers
Marriage, travels and a warm Vermont welcome
July 24, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge, part 22 Bright Vermont moonlight flooded the great room as we entered the upstairs of the Killington dream lodge. Flickering firelight from Dad’s new wood stove danced across ceiling, walls, and floor. The aroma of gingerbread filled our nostrils. Mom placed it on the counter to cool and cried out…
Steps, a 60-foot window and sleeping in sheets
July 17, 2024
Building our Killington Dream Lodge, part 22 Vermont was the best healing balm for Dad’s cancer and my Argentine trauma. Our spirits were truly at home in our Dream Lodge where my parents had just moved upstairs! I ran up the real steps (the slanted ladder was long gone) and let out a cheer when…
A life-changing experience abroad and for my dad, plus the addition of a second floor
July 10, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge, part 21 Important steps were being taken in building our Killington dream lodge. Dad bought an oil tank and furnace. A septic field was laid out. They were all costly and progress was dictated by a limited budget and work just on weekends. When I completed my Kleiningersheim internship, Dr.…
Hospitality near and far
July 3, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge, part 20 On frequent weekends and vacation, Dad added sheathing to the outside walls, second hand windows in the bedrooms, and new Portland Glass picture windows across the front of our Killington dream lodge. Sturdy repurposed wooden doors from N.J. offices graced our house. (I helped when here, but sometimes…
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Western adventures, Vermont home
June 26, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge, part 19 By Margeurite Jill Dye I loved spending time in Killington without schedule or deadline after my college graduation. Our friend Ann took us to the Strawberry Festival and Vermont State Fair. My favorites were farm animals, 4-H entries, the petting zoo, and maple creemees. Being in Vermont reconnected…
Graduation: Milestones and outlooks
June 19, 2024
Building our Killington Dream lodge, Part 18 Mom and Dad were digging in deep to tie us to the state of Vermont and all it stood for like self-reliance, hard work, and the courage to create an authentic life. These qualities to me represented Vermonters and what Dad was striving to accomplish. Mom supported him…
Lessons abroad, Vermont recharge
June 12, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge, part 17 What a difference a year can make. I was really excited about the changes taking place in our Killington ski lodge while I was away attending Schiller College Paris my sophomore year and Graz Center for the second summer. Meanwhile, in Vermont once the roof was done, Dad…
International travel lessons amidst progress on the home front
June 5, 2024
Building our Killington Dream Lodge: Part 16 The second floor framing on our Killington Ski Lodge was growing a little week by week. One of the slowdowns was only two beams could be transported at the time atop our station wagon each week (to avoid caving in the roof). As Dad progressed, I stayed in…
Mountain Meditation: Our magical mountain retreat in an upside down world
May 29, 2024
Building our Killington Dream Lodge, Part 15 Dad, a mechanical engineer, understood the principles of levers, pulleys and gears. He used them to lift heavy beams to the second floor and on top of the frame. It had to be done methodically, piece by piece with planning and forethought. He bought the materials as his…
Boys, brothers, dad, Vermont
May 22, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge: part 14 By Marguerite Jill Dye Dad made progress and forged ahead on our Killington ski lodge while Mom, Billie, and I toured Europe. Our extensive European whirlwind trip was the very beginning of my awakening to understand the world and how I fit in. I had no idea what…
Europe or bust but it didn’t seem just
May 15, 2024
Building a Killington dream lodge: Part 13 Dad was focused and totally devoted to building his Killington dream lodge each weekend. It became his life purpose and passion to build his heart-felt legacy for our family. His dedication was inspiring to behold. Mom was committed (they were still married) but she had other interests, as…
Mountain Meditation: My first driving adventure with a Vermont learner’s permit
May 8, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge: Part 12 While building our ski lodge in Killington, we worked very hard but there were perks, too. One thing I loved most about Vermont was what I discovered when I was 13. Since we owned property, I’d qualify to apply for a learner’s permit when I turned 14. (In…
Watching the Killington community grow
May 1, 2024
Building our Killington Dream dream lodge, Part 11 We began to build our ski lodge in 1958, the same year the Killington Access Road was built and the mountain opened for its first ski season. Preston Smith who began it all lived at the end of Roaring Brook Road, about a mile past the land…
Riding over the mountains: an expedition to a rodeo wedding
April 24, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge, Part 10 As the ski house we were building in Killington grew, I did, too, from age 7 on up. I entered adolescence and continued helping with various tasks. My latest assignment was pretty exciting compared to repairing our tar paper roof. I climbed a ladder to the top of…
Crêpe breakfast tradition at sport hill
April 17, 2024
Building a Killington Dream Lodge: Part 9 Dad was on a mission to build our ski lodge so wasn’t thrilled by invitations to escape our Killington work camp. But Mom and I were elated and ready to get off “the reservation” whenever we could. When our friend Ann relayed an invitation from Walter and Emile…
Our friend Ann Wallen, ‘Only in Vermont!’
April 10, 2024
My brother Billie met Ann Wallen when he attended Colton ski camp. Ann was helping out in the kitchen and knew we’d become friends, too. That was the week Dad bought our land under 6 feet of snow from Oren Bates. It was 1958 when Killington was just beginning. When we arrived to begin our…
Mountain Meditation: My double life and nearly opposite parents
April 3, 2024
Building our Killington Dream dream lodge, Part 7 I felt I was living a double life since everything happened Friday through Sunday. Returning to “normalcy” in New Jersey resembled acting in a surreal play. We knew once we crossed the New York State line and entered Vermont, the magic would start. Our weekends were filled…
Challenges and Critters Building our Killington Dream Lodge, Part 6
March 27, 2024
We were making progress on Dad’s Killington dream lodge, but it was slow going with lots of delays, often due to frequent weather changes. Whenever it rained, water leaked onto the floor. When it was bitter cold, ice carpeted the back room. With electricity in our basement at last, extension cords snaked around the room.…
Mountain Meditation: The grand unveiling, midnight surprise and floor show
March 20, 2024
Building our Killington dream lodge, part 6 When the power company man climbed a tree to connect wires to our basement ski lodge, Mom planned a party to celebrate the grand occasion for which we’d been waiting. Mom selected a rectangular table with two benches she’d stashed in our house in Montclair, New Jersey. We…
