Season’s Greetings,
They say things run in cycles, so if that is true, then this is the 5 year cycle for a slow beginning of the ski season. December of 2006 saw a slow start but Okemo did what we are known for. Made and groomed the snow!! On 12/21/2006, Okemo had 34 trails and 8 lifts. Fast forward to 2011 and we have 37 trails and 9 lifts. Now that is progress!!
Here is where things stand today and looking into the "Crystal Ball" as the holiday week approaches.
--Snowmaking will return today and be getting into full swing by around noon. Our 24-36 hour plan will be to head towards Sidewinder, Wardance, Sachem & Quantum Leap. We are also planning on finishing Sapphire and some other base area slopes. We will be working on beginner teaching areas and trying to spread out the skiers.
--The expectation is that we will have 45 - 50 plus trails during the Christmas holiday week and expect to be operating around 16 lifts.
--The tubing lanes will not be open by Christmas. We are hopeful to have them open sometime after Christmas.
--The Timber Ripper is now open on its winter schedule.
--The Ice House ice rink is freezing well and we are planning to open the day after Christmas.
--The Superpipe will not be opening before the first of the year.
--The Nor’easter Terrain Park will not be opening before the first of the year.
--While it does look like the forecasted snowstorm for Christmas Eve is now going south of us, it is important to remember that the long range weather forecast as we head into the Christmas holidays is for seasonable temperatures and partly to mostly sunny skies most of the days. That is good weather for skiing and riding!
--Our lift ticket pricing will remain the same through Friday. We will be reviewing pricing for the weekend and for the upcoming holiday week. Please call ahead if you have questions on what our day ticket pricing will be.
Okemo is well known for our snowmaking and grooming and I want to assure you that we are doing all we can to cover our ski trails with snow to make for an enjoyable holiday week for you and your families.
The question that I get the most is when will my "slope side trail be covered with snow"? I am here to assure you that we are working towards getting those trails open for skiing and riding as soon as we can. There is no one set of trails more important than the other. We have discussed how we can best utilize our snowmaking system, length of trails, air capacity and time of getting snow on the trails as we make decisions on all trails, but especially the ski in/ski out trails.
Thank you very much for your support and patience during this challenging season. The good news is that the staff here at Okemo is optimistic about a great ski season. There are still some "rooms at the Inn or condos", but they are filling up quick.
Happy Holidays and see you on the slopes!
Yours in Skiing,
Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM
