I love that Van Morrison song!

What? ... oh, I thought you said Tupelo Honey. What's that? You said it's two below, honey?

I glanced at the digital thermometer as I pulled out of the garage this morning and it read 14 degrees. "Hmmmm," I thought, "that's not as cold as I expected." By the time I made it through the village and to the intersection of Rt. 103 (a three minute drive), the digital reading had dropped 10 degrees. At the Mount Holly Flats, the readout showed two below.

The crazy thing is, it's actually warmer at the summit. We're experiencing a bit of an inversion today and by simply dressing appropriately, skiers and riders are going to have a great day on the snow. The bright sunshine and blue skies are going to help with the psychological factor and an occasional cup of hot cocoa will keep them warm from within.

On the bright side (isn't there always a bright side with me?) the snow is going to stay nice all day and The Ice House at Jackson Gore opens for ice skating today! (another excuse to drink hot cocoa - what's ice skating without cocoa?)

Shooting Stars?

It's another early morning for me here at Okemo and it's nice to see a clear, stary sky on my way into the office. The darkness is deceptive, though, and what looked like a super-bright star low on the horizon, started moving across the sky. It didn't take long to recognize it as the groomer that it actually was - up at the top of the mountain.

We've been singing the praises of snowmakers during the last couple of weeks and they deserve every bit of credit we can give them. But let's not forget what superstars our groomers are too. The first few weeks of the ski and ride season offer a number of challenges as a base is established and natural snowfall mixes with the manufactured white stuff. It's all good in the end thanks to the guys who churn it all up and lay down some sweet swaths of corduroy all over the mountain.

Thanks, guys. It appears I wasn't mistaken at all - thinking I saw a star in the night sky.