MLK Weekend Update

Greetings,

Okemo has just surpassed Day #50 for the ski season and we are in full mid-winter mode.  The ski season has been going along well and we are looking forward to a strong Martin Luther King 3-day weekend.

The weather has been challenging off and on this winter and that is true this week.  There has been some wet weather, some sunny weather and some cold weather. The great news is that this weekend we are looking at the sunny and cold.  The January temperatures are welcome and will make for a great ski weekend.  There is no doubt that the skiing surface will be variable…we can’t prevent that. But I can tell you that Okemo groomers will be diligently working the snow with mountain tilling, blading and power tilling the best we can.  We will also have the winch cat out on the steeper terrain each night pulling snow up from the bottom and moving things around.  Also helping out will be the snowmaking team.  Snowmakers will be doing their part with an aggressive push on existing terrain.  This will mostly focus on the main line trails in the center of the mountain and head out towards Jackson Gore and Glades peak into South Face.  While we won’t be able to tackle every trail, the plan will be to run and gun, lay out some manmade snow and then move. We are hoping to cover a large percentage of the trails over the weekend both during the day and night.

Work on the Amp Energy Superpipe has begun and between the snowmaking and grooming we are coming along well.  If you haven’t seen the photos, check out the picture above or on our Facebook page.  Lots of snow has been made and now we will push the snow down the superpipe and onto the walls. After that comes more snowmaking and then more shaping. It is a long process but worth it in the end.  I can assure you that the work on the Amp Energy Superpipe is not impacting the snowmaking effort and grooming we are doing on the mountain at all.  We always work on the ski terrain and then go to the Superpipe.

There are times when our business levels are strong on the slopes and around the resorts and I know that there is no doubt some frustration with lines, crowded buildings, full parking lots and lots of skiers and riders. I want to assure you that all of us here at Okemo are committed each day to do our best to keep lines moving, lodges cleaned up, cars moving and doing what is possible to have a great day on the slopes.  I know that we won’t always reach the mark, but the Okemo Team will try and provide the Okemo Difference every day.  Thanks in advance for your support and patience.

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM