Greetings,
As most who are reading this all know, the month of June
brought with it some exciting news for Okemo, Triple Peaks and the Mueller family.
I am so happy for Tim, Diane, Ethan and Erica, that they can go out on top and
that the sale of Triple Peaks will allow Tim and Diane to retire and enjoy some
quality time away from running the ski area. I am also excited about the new
ownership of Triple Peaks – Vail Resorts.
I was working for Okemo when Tim and Diane became the owners
of the ski area. There was a lot of apprehension, unknowns and anxiety amongst
the staff, the community, and skiers and riders of the resort. Much of this
anxiety and uncertainty was quieted down because Tim and Diane and the
leadership team were up front and communicated with the town and employees
about what their vision was. Fast
forward from 1982 to 2018 and we have a similar situation. No doubt the stakes
are higher, the resort is larger and there are more employees, but the venue,
Ludlow Mountain, is the same.
Okemo is going to be purchased by a strong player in the ski
industry and one which has a proven track record of working to provide the best
possible ski and ride experience and to thoughtfully engage and contribute to
the surrounding communities in which it operates. Vail Resorts’ mission says it
all: Experience of a lifetime… This goes
for guests of the resort as well as employees.
Let’s address the elephant in the room. There will be
changes. And I am hopeful that our loyal guests and supporters will trust that
these changes will have this in mind: providing the experience of a lifetime! I
understand that not all changes will be embraced positively, but if all of us –
staff, loyal Okemo supporters and townspeople – allow some of these changes to
play out, I truly feel that you will be positively impressed with what these
changes do for the resort experience and for our community.
Right now there are questions on the season passes and some
of these questions most likely won’t be answered until after the closing. Vail
understands the need to work through the challenges and all of us at Okemo are
working to answer and solve some of these more complex topics.
Vail is also committing several million dollars to Okemo and
the other resorts for capital improvements. More information will come on this
later, and it is exciting to think of the possibilities.
Moving along, I will work to do my best to keep loyal
guests, supporters and staff, up to date on how things are progressing and what
is happening. Okemo is open for the summer season, two golf courses are open, The
Adventure Zone is open and, of course, Coleman Brook Tavern and Willie Dunn’s
Grill are open for lunch and dinner and Coleman Brook Tavern for breakfast and
weekend brunch.
So I hope you’ll be patient and optimistic. Let’s embrace
the change and congratulate Tim and Diane for a great run and wish them nothing
but the best in retirement.
Bruce Schmidt
Vice-President & General Manager
Okemo Mountain Resort
Okemo Mountain Resort