Taking a walk down Rolling Thunder

Here's a little treat for all you Okemo blog readers ... you are the first to learn the names of Okemo's two new trails (most resort staff members don't even know yet) AND here's a sneak peek with photos taken today, Aug. 1.

Here's the first little drop at the start of Rolling Thunder. The trail starts just below the first pitch on Limelight, where the trail takes a sharp turn to the right.

The photos really flatten things out. Believe me, this is a nice little whoop-de-doo. This is the same view as the first - just a few steps down the trail to give you an idea of how deceptive it can be from first glance.

The black fencing you see is silt fencing made from landscape fabric. It's in place to help prevent erosion until the grass seed planted takes hold (which it clearly has). With July being as wet as it has been, we've left it in place a little longer than we needed to. VP of Operations Barry Tucker tells me it'll be coming out soon. In the meantime, it makes a nice reference point as we make this pictorial tour down the trail. Our next stop is at the top of the next pitch, where the landscape fabric crosses the trail ...

OOOh, this is a nice drop! Note that rock outcropping on skier's left, just beyond that silt fencing ...

Here's a look back up the trail from that rock outcropping

Now, I'm turning 180 degrees ...

Take note of that tall tree in the foreground, just right of center ...

We've just gone up and over the rock outcropping ... Rolling Thunder continues straight ahead (to the right of that tall tree) - note that first line of silt fencing - that's our next stop after taking a quick look down White Lightning, the trail dropping off to the left ... watch out for that double fall line!

We're going to continue down Rolling Thunder ...

Here we are at the fence I last mentioned ....

Here comes another 180 degree turn ...

Here we are looking back up the trail. There's that rock outcropping in the center of the photo.

A couple hundred yards down the trail and Jackson Gore Village comes into view.

That's where our little tour ends ... for now.

Cheers!