Rumors swirled: will Killington even open this winter? They did one better by opening on October 29 for the season, becoming one of just a handful of resorts open for daily turns in the U.S.

"We need to let people know, Vermont is up and running," said Killington's Marketing Director Chris Danforth. "So we said, 'let's get out there, make some snow, and it will be a strong message: Vermont and Killington are open for business.'"

They saw a couple thousand skiers that first weekend. "The community was excited, and so were our loyal skiers and riders," said Danforth. "We got a lot of support from the industry. Sure, we're competitors, but even our fellow ski areas were rooting for us."

A giant deck will replace the Superstar Pub by Thanksgiving, flush with two outside umbrella bars. Killington sees it as an improvement, and an opportunity to "turn lemons into lemonade."

Justin CashThe First Stop Board Barn was hit hard, but recovered in style.

Local shops were hit hard as well, but have also recovered in true grit, Vermont style. The First Stop Board Barn (Est. 1979) is located on the corner of Route 4 and Route 100, just a mile east of Killington's Skyeship. Randy Elles, whose family owns the shop, said they are still rebuilding but open for business.

"It's funny, if you were to visit our shop a month ago you'd think a bomb was dropped on our corner," said Elles. "We thought about canceling all of our orders or relocating to a new location. But lately people traveling Route 4 on their way to Killlington, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Woodstock and Ludlow have stopped in to tell us 'Wow, you were really lucky the flood missed you!' We smile, laugh, and say 'You have no idea.'"

After the waters receded, the storm brought unforeseen challenges for shops like the Board Barn. "Once the roads reopened thousands of people came to see the devastation first-hand," said Elles. "But with all of the devastation it seemed tourists felt awful spending a dime on some of the luxury items you would typically find in our ski and snowboard shop."

On the upside, said Elles, "We've been really fortunate to have so many loyal customers donate their time, machinery, and efforts to help us repair and rebuild the mom and pop ski, bike, and snowboard shop their parents first brought them to more than 30 years ago. And thanks to my brother's college fund (sorry Max) we have been able to hire all local contractors to make it happen as quickly as possible."

Though many of the roads, shops and some slopes in Vermont are now open, many residents are heading into the toughest winter of their lives. Donations for the recovery efforts can be made through vtfloodresponse.org.