Friday, October 24, 2008

All Aboard the SoBe Bus

The snowboarders on the bus jib all around the roof, all around the roof, all around the roof…


That may not be the same old tune you sang back in kindergarten, but this isn’t the same old bus either. Okemo’s park and pipe crew took it up a notch with this one. We gave them an old SoBe school bus, and they turned it into a fun house. This behemoth will park itself at the bottom of the SoBe Superpark (formerly the Nor’Easter terrain park). Not only is it a playground for skiers and snowboarders, but it’s going to be packed with a stereo system that’ll trigger avalanches in Argentina. The park guys are working hard to get it ready for our anticipated opening on November 15 so no one “misses the bus” when it comes time to shred the roof off.

Let’s not forget to give the Okemo Mountain park and pipes crew big props for helping Okemo take top spots in this year’s Transworld Snowboarding East Coast Resort Poll. Okemo placed in the top five in all three categories: overall resorts, top pipes, and top parks.

I wonder what song they’ll play out of the SoBe bus first? How about Kriss Kross’s “I missed the bus?”

Wednesday, October 22, 2008



Hello everyone, and welcome to winter here at Okemo! That's right, it's Wednesday morning and the snow has fallen, covering the top of our mountain with a good 1-2 inches of fresh white powder, and we at Okemo couldn't be more excited!! Like my fellow blogger below, I am one of the new snow reporters for the mountain, and I couldn't be happier spending the winter up in Vermont getting to do what I love! So, even though my apartment's heater is currently still broken (forcing me to wear winter gear inside) and the snowy conditions probably don't help my apartment temperature, it certainly put a smile on my face when I woke up this morning to snowflakes flurrying outside my window. I'm sure back in Massachusetts (I'm from Northampton) it's just cold and rainy, but here, here it is beautiful and white! And I Love it!

This morning I climbed to the top of the mountain with our Okemobile to take some photos of the freshly fallen snow and couldn't believe the amount my boots sunk into it when I stepped out of the truck. This is exciting news folks and even more exciting is the fact that we will be on the mountain before you know it. This can only mean one thing - it's time for me to get my board waxed and tuned up because we will be cruising down the slopes of this wonderful mountain come November 15, our anticipated opening day. So, if you didn't believe it before, believe it now, because winter has arrived and it's going to be an awesome season! Can't wait to see you all out on the slopes!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Checking In




I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Okemo community and as a Philadelphia transplant, make nice with all the Red Sox fans out there. But perhaps not as nice as I would have had to make if the Red Sox made it into the World Series. Don’t get down on yourselves though guys, because we’ll be out on the mountain before we know it and the Red Sox’s shortcomings will be a distant memory. In the meantime, I’ll be watching my Phillies in the World Series. Alright, maybe I got off on the wrong foot.

Originally from the sandy shores of southern New Jersey (I was neither raised at an oil refinery or in a casino, it was a under a boardwalk actually), I’ve come to Okemo for the winter to bring you daily snow reports and answer all your snow conditions curiosities. Having recently done a two-year stint in Philadelphia, I am thrilled to be here in Vermont where I can take refuge from Philadelphia’s notoriously harsh winters. Trust me, they get ugly – as in not nearly as picturesque and outdoor-sport inducing as Vermont’s. In fact, it has always been a goal of mine to spend at least one winter in the mountains and now I’m doing it. So, here’s to a good season and a snowy one. It’s an honor to be a part of the Okemo community and I look forwarded to seeing you all out on the slopes. And in case you’re still mad at me for having a team in the World Series, as penance I’ll be forced to watch Patriots games instead of my beloved Eagles for the remainder of the season.