I know there have been some questions about Okemos closing date and I wanted to set the record straight that Okemo will be closing for the season on Sunday April 13th. This closing date will give Okemo a 152 day ski and ride season and a fantastic winter season. Okemo wants to thank all of our loyal seasons pass holders for their support this past season and for many, the past years. We also want to thank our dedicated employees for their hard work this past ski season. From opening day on Wednesday November 13th through the end of the season, it has been great to see the support from all every day. I’m sure there are some questions as to our closing date, so I thought I would try to answer some:
How come Okemo is not extending their closing date with all the great snow?
Okemo thought long and hard about possibly extending our closing date, but we felt that sticking to our closing date was the best decision. The weather will undoubtedly change and while Okemo doesn’t seem to run out of snow, we do run out of guests. We wanted to end on a high note and remember this great season, especially the month of March.
Why didn’t Okemo consider opening on Easter weekend?
This was thought thru and decided against for similar reasons such as weather changes and lack of guests. We also want to make it easy for our winter staff to end their job here at Okemo so they can move on to their spring and summer jobs. Okemo has never felt that opening weekends was beneficial as the momentum of operating is lost.
Why don’t you care about your seasons pass holders who want you to stay open?
We very much appreciate our seasons pass holders and all our guests who have skied with us this past winter. There are decisions that need to be made in regards to operations and we feel that the great early season opening right through the strong midwinter and then a killer March has been great for our pass holders and Okemo has remained dedicated to keeping lifts and trails, such as the South Face area, open right to the end of the season where possible.
I bought a Skiesta card and now you are closing for the ski season?
The Skiesta card was available for guests beginning Monday March 17th. Offering 28 days of skiing was actually more than we expected when this program was decided upon last summer. With March being very unpredictable, we were hopeful we could get to this closing date, and Mother Nature obliged.
How does this closing date compare to other years?
The closing date of Sunday April 13 is about average for Okemo in closing for the season. The 152 day season is a little longer than average.
Okemo Valley Golf Course and Tater Hill Golf Course will be opening as soon as the weather permits. More up to date information will be available on Okemo.com as spring begins to take hold. The Okemo Adventure Zone will open for summer operations beginning on Memorial Day weekend with weekend operations and then going into 7 day a week operations at the end of June.
Let me know how we are doing. Email at bschmidt@okemo.com.
Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM
