Official Blog of Okemo Mountain Resort

De-Icing the Lifts and Full Steam Ahead

2012-01-27T14:11:00.004-05:00

Greetings,

As I write this, many of our staff are still working on the hill getting lifts and trails open. It was an interesting night of mixed weather. This year has been challenging to say the least, but the hardest issue to deal with is when the lifts are frozen. This requires an all hands on deck response to get things up and going. It is an amazing production of re-grooming trails, cleaning lifts and trying to keep guests and staff informed as to what is going on.

Depending on how much ice there might be, each lift tower might have to be climbed and each chair grip hit with a rubber mallet to loosen the ice. When cleaning the lift towers, each employee wears a safety harness and is hitched in. Radios are used to notify others when to try to move the lift and each man on their tower needs to be sure that the sheaves (wheels) are moving. The biggest challenge is keeping the chairs moving through the top and bottom terminals of the detachable chairlifts. As the chairs go through the terminal, rubber tires move the chair along by pushing the chair grip along on a track. Similar to a car, if there is ice, the tires get to spinning and the chair gets stuck. The secret is to realizing that the chairs are not moving and having enough staff on hand to physically drag the chairs through the terminal and out the other side. The record for chairs stacked up in the terminal is around 6. That guy had to buy drinks for the rest of the crew!

When choosing which lifts to clean first, the mountain manager looks at the options. Most likely, the fixed grip chairlifts are cleaned first and then the detachable. We also take into account what the day is looking like in regards to skiers & riders as well what the weather might be during the day. It is easier to get the lifts going and keep them going even if they won’t be used during the day.

I also wanted to update you on the status of the Okemo Half pipe. Okemo has begun construction on our half pipe. While this year’s pipe won’t be a Super pipe, we are anticipating that the half pipe will be 14 feet tall and over 350 feet long. Snow has been made at the top of the pipe and while there is some more snow that needs to be made, we are well on our way to having a half pipe. Anticipated opening is the middle of next week.

The entire Okemo staff has been working hard to deal with the challenges this year and try to outsmart Mother Nature. Hopefully you, our guests have realized this effort and have not been impacted too much. Snowmaking continues as we are heading into February. Thanks for your support.

As always thanks for skiing and riding with us. If you want to follow what is going on from my desk, follow me on twitter @okemogm

See you on the slopes,

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

A day in the Life of Okemo behind the scenes....

2012-01-21T14:08:00.003-05:00

Greetings,

Guests come to Okemo for skiing and riding and we work hard to provide the best experience possible. The sun comes up, the lifts get turned on, the snow is groomed and presto, guests are skiing. While it is great if it all works that way, there are many moving parts before any one takes “First Chair” and can head out to the slopes. In an effort to give you an understanding of what happens, here is an example of an overview of 24 hours.

6:00pm
Grooming has been going on for 2 hours. There are normally 5-6 snowcats on the slopes who are mountain tilling and power tilling. On a normal day, the grooming will begin in Solitude and get Jackson Gore done and then head towards the middle of the mountain. Late shift Lift maintenance is taking care of lift issues from the day or doing mid-winter annual checks.

8:30pm
Night Manager Brian Boudro has arrived and is having his nightly phone call with Mountain Manager Eb Kinney. Discussion centers on what is happening around the mountain and anything special that needs to be done during the night. Brian, as the Night Manager, will coordinate the grooming & snowmaking and handle snow removal, lost people, fire alarms and just about anything else. If it snows and the parking lot is plowed when you get to Okemo, it is probably because of Brian.

9:45pm
Snowmaking Manager Ray Kennedy is probably calling his night foreman “Junior” to check on what is going on before Ray goes to bed. Many Okemo managers will check in on their operations during their off time to make sure things are going OK. It is a real team mentality to make the guest experience the best possible on the mountain.

11:40pm
Overnight groomers and snowmakers arrive and punch in. They will meet with the 2nd shift or “3pm” groomers and take over where they left off. If the night is normal, then the overnight team will groom from Nor’easter to South Face. Many nights are not normal and the grooming routine will be different. Snowmakers will do the same thing and get the game plan. There may be some gun moving, as well as shutting down and moving to a new trail during the night.

2:00am
Water operations Supervisor Rod Miller arrives. He will begin testing of the Okemo potable water systems, perform routine maintenance as well as check all the Okemo water well stations around the resort.

4:00-6:00am
The day shift staff and managers begin to arrive. This includes lift operations supervisors, mountain managers, snowmaking management, ski patrol, lift maintenance, lift electricians, terrain park, facilities operation, shuttle operations, road maintenance, vehicle mechancis and others. Snowmobiles are started, trucks get moving and the day operation begins to wake up.

7:06am
Night Manager Brian Boudro heads home after putting in his day.

8:31am
Overnight groomers are back at the maintenance shop, have refueled snowcats, and have had their daily conversation with the snowcat mechanics on any issues they had last night.

8:58am
Ski patrol has looked at all the trails, lift maintenance is riding their lifts (every chairlift is ridden every day), and skiing and riding is happening.

10:01am
Water operations supervisor heads home.

11:40am
Noon snowmakers shift have arrived and are debriefing the midnight shift. Gun locations are discussed, trails for night snowmaking are talked about and any issues are put on the board.

3:31pm
Afternoon grooming shift arrives and heads out on the slopes. Night facilities maintenance arrives and reviews issues with the day crew. The night facilities guys will be responsible for maintenance at the Jackson Gore Inn, Okemo facilities and many condo units.

4:03pm
Ski patrol begins sweep of the trails. Toboggans are put away, ropes coiled and bamboo markers put to the side of the trail.

4:35pm
The night cleaning staff begins working in the base lodges as well as begin to unload the food and beverage product and prepare it for transport by snowcat to the summit lodge and sugar house.

4:00-6:00pm
The day comes to an end for lift operations supervisors, mountain managers, snowmaking management, ski patrol, lift maintenance, lift electricians, terrain park, facilities operation, shuttle operations, road maintenance, vehicle mechanics and others. Snowmobiles are put away, trucks parked and the day operation wraps up for the day.

So there you have it, a quick overview of what goes on during a 24 hour period at Okemo. It is because of the above mentioned staff as well as so many others that the skiing and grooming is top notch, the lifts operate and are maintained, the trails are patrolled and the facilities operate.

The entire Okemo staff have been working hard to deal with the challenges this year and try to outsmart mother nature. Hopefully you, our guests have realized this effort and have not been impacted too much. Snowmaking continues as we are heading into February. Thanks for your support.

As always thanks for skiing and riding with us. If you want to follow what is going on from my desk, follow me on twitter @okemogm

See you on the slopes.

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Staying the Course...

2012-01-15T15:50:00.003-05:00

Greetings,

Mother nature finally came through with some snow. 5-6 inches was forecasted for Thursday and then it kept snowing. There was a lull on Friday and then more snow Friday night and then into Saturday morning. 10 – 12 inches of new snow is always welcome.

We have compiled some data on snowfall and temperatures for the months of November and December:

Season-to-date snowfall – For the months of Nov. and Dec. Okemo received less than a third of normal accumulations (21.2” this season vs. 68.4” avg. of last 4 years a
decrease of 31%).

Season-to-date temperatures – Nov. & Dec. were 5.1° & 5.7° above normal respectively while the first 13 days of January were 8.2 ° above normal.

As you can tell things have been different this year. Of course to add on top of this the snow we got melted 4 times so the net impact has been 0”natural snowpack! As for the temperatures, when hovering at 32°, this is literally the difference between making snow and not chance of making snow!

So what have we been doing about it? Here are some stats:

--Hours of snowmaking are about 75% of last year. We will be continuing to make while temperatures permit

--We have pumped about half the amount of water we normally would have at this time. Obviously due to less hours and the temperatures being above normal.

--And we have had about half of our normal acre foot production. Due to the information above.

The entire Okemo staff have been working hard to deal with the challenges this year and try to outsmart mother nature. Hopefully you, our guests have realized this effort and have not been impacted too much. We appreciate your allegiance and hanging with us.

You may see a few operational changes around the resort, but for the most part, our plan is to stay the course and continue to provide the best possible skiing and riding experience possible and we will continue to make snow. As always thanks for skiing and riding with us. If you want to follow what is going on from my desk, follow me on twitter @okemogm

See you on the slopes

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Looking into the Crystal Ball.....

2012-01-07T17:05:00.001-05:00

Greetings,

I’ve stopped complaining about
the weather. I was told when I was young
to only worry about things you can control.
No doubt the weather is out of our control. Okemo is continuing to make snow when we can.
We are well on our way to the 400 million gallon number that we normally use
for snowmaking each year. Snowmaking
will continue to be aggressive as temperatures permit. Okemo snowmaking has been working on
completing the snowmaking trails and we now are headed to the Morningstar
trails, Upper and Lower Nor’easter as well as finish up some of the smaller cut
thru’s. 25.7 miles are now open for
skiing and riding.

With the sporadic snowmaking
temperatures we have faced during the season, the Grooming staff has been
bringing the trails back to life each night.
We are doing a trail or two a night with the winch cat. When this
process is done, the winch cat either hitches off another cat at the top of a
steep trail or hitches into a cable which is drilled into the ledge during the
summer. The winch cat then brings the
snow up from the bottom to help spread the snow out. Midday grooming is also happening on most
weekends to freshen up the snow and enhance the skiing and riding experience.

Looking at the long range
weather, my crystal ball is showing a change.
I anticipate a change beginning after Martin Luther King weekend and
looking colder and stormier. We are
hoping to begin making snow in the Superpipe during the next cold snap. Everyone should also be on the lookout for the
Amp Air Bag. This unique feature will allow skiers and riders to ski down a
ramp and do your favorite trick and land in an airbag similar to what Hollywood
stunt men use. Should be fun to do and
watch.

As always thanks for skiing and
riding with us. If you want to follow what is going on from my desk, follow me
on twitter @okemogm

Happy Holidays and see you on
the slopes……….

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Spreading a little post-holiday cheer

2012-01-03T13:20:00.004-05:00

No doubt the last week has been challenging. I am super proud of the Okemo team for making it through the week. So many employees went above and beyond to make the Okemo experience the best it could be. Here are a few nice notes I received...

I was not sure who best to send this to, so I will ask you to forward on to the right person. I just wanted to send a great big thank you and job well done to Mountain Operations and the grooming team. I am a Ski Instructor based at Jackson Gore. I was so impressed with the conditions this past week, when you consider the challenge Mother Nature gave us. We may have had limited terrain and yet what we had was safe and skiable. I was able to find fun and teachable terrain for my clients and we had a great week. That would not have happened without the tremendous effort put forth by the grooming and ski patrol teams. So again please pass on my personal note of thanks.

Barbara Newton
Ski Instructor – Jackson Gore

Hello Shannon-
I would like to thank you again for working with me to re-book the lift tickets and lessons for our 5 kids this morning. I know how difficult days like today can be with bad weather on holiday weekends and having customers like me who "didn't know" can only compound the problem. I also saw and heard you dealing with a particularly offensive man before me and you are to be commended for your handling of that situation as well. (I'm not sure I would have been as polite as you were after he
started swearing at you...)

Anyway, thank you again for accommodating us with a smile and we look forward to coming back here many more times.

Very sincerely,
Erik Liebegott

I teach snowboarding at the Jackson Gore base. Late this morning I happened to be along the Coleman Brook trail with private lesson clients as the mid-day groomers traveled up the trail, leaving behind a terrific new snow surface. The four grooming machine cast an impressive image in their own right, but the accompanying team of snowmobiles, ski patrollers, safety patrollers, and mountain ambassadors is truly awe inspiring. I can’t imagine how much choreography is required to move that team around the mountain so efficiently, but golly-gosh it is an impressive show.

I know our guests appreciate the freshly groomed snow at lunchtime, but even more than that, witnessing the massive Okemo Snow-tilla gives them a firsthand look at the skill and professionalism of our mountain operations team, and helps them understand how important this often hidden work-group is to their Okemo experience.

Please share my appreciation, and please pass along the wonderment of my Ski and Ride School clients. Everybody involved in the mid-day grooming operation deserves a big pat on the back!

Tom Buchanan

12/30,

Mom called at 4 pm to book a snow star lesson for 12/31. She hadn't intended to book for tomorrow when...little Owen....stated "I have to go back!" He had such a good time and didn't want to miss tomorrow.

His instructor today was Phil Peterson in Snow Stars. Just thought you'd like to hear a nice report from a parent!!!!

Fredda in the Call Center

Finally this one is a bit small, but I thought it was worthy of sharing.

Good job everyone,
Bruce

Makin' it Happen

2011-12-29T16:17:00.003-05:00

Greetings,

These past few days have seen some different types of skiing no doubt. The old adage of we can’t catch a break is having some true meaning this year. Snowmaking has been continuing aggressively when the temperatures permit. The Okemo snowmakers have been on almost every trail that was opened during the wet weather and resurfaced it with new snow. The skiing was better no doubt on Thursday than it was on Wednesday.

Grooming has been working non-stop to keep up with the snowmaking that is being done. The cats were working on Stump Jumper during the day (Thursday) to get the trail opened in the afternoon. The guys have also been putting in some extra time doing the mid-day groom. There have been positive comments on the mid-day grooming. This is a real commitment from Okemo Mountain to our guests to try and keep the conditions a little better during the ski day.

There have been some questions on the completion of the lodging trails. These ski in/ski out trails are important and we realize that it has been a challenge for some homeowners and guests with not having this direct access. Our plan continues to be to put snow on these trails as soon as possible. Some of the guns we have been using in the South Face area will be moved into some of these lodging trails.

The snowmaking plan for the next few days will be to make snow on Upper and Lower Chief, Sachem, Heaven’s Gate, Exhibition, Boomerang, Moon Shadow, and then head towards Quantum Leap and Vortex next week. The long range forecast is for good snowmaking temperatures during the first week of 2012

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and thank you for skiing and riding with us during this holiday week and the ski season. Remember Okemo has the "MOST" skiing in Vermont and we’ve got the most snow.

Happy Holidays and see you on the slopes...

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

MOST Snow

2011-12-26T15:20:00.000-05:00

Greetings,

I wrote an apology letter to Old
Man winter. I expressed my sincere apologies for all the bad things I have said
about him through my life. The letter
came back as undeliverable! Now that is
concerning…. So back to reality. Okemo has the MOST snow around and we are
proud of it. Heck, even the Abominable
snowman has taken residence at Okemo because we have the snow!

Snowmaking is continuing to be
aggressive. We have been able to open 46
trails which is over 17 miles of ski and ride able terrain. 16 lifts are operating on several mountain
areas. Our plan will be to make snow on
terrain such as Stump Jumper, Vortex, Quantum Leap, Kettle Brook, Chute, and
Lower Chief as well as on existing terrain.
We are well aware of the need to resurface on some of the more popular
trails with snowmaking to keep the skiing and riding up to par. Although there may be some time of no
snowmaking during the next 24 hours or so, once snowmaking resumes on
Wednesday, we are optimistic of having open 50 – 52 trails by the New Year’s
weekend.

Our experiment with mid-day
grooming has been working out well. In
case you don’t know, Okemo has been taking the groomers out around noon and
grooming a few trails to enhance the surface.
This is an effort to make the experience of skiing at Okemo better
during this holiday week.

Work will continue as quickly as
possible on the ski in/ski out trails. 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 trail; air capacity and time
of getting snow on the trails as we make decisions on were to make snow.

As the New Year approaches, I wanted to wish everyone a
Happy New Year and thank you for skiing and riding with us during this holiday
week and the ski season. Remember Okemo
has the “MOST” skiing in Vermont and we’ve got the most snow

Happy Holidays and see you on
the slopes……….

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Twas' the Days before Christmas

2011-12-22T08:44:00.003-05:00

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

Outlook on the Holiday Week

2011-12-17T09:27:00.000-05:00

I can hear the noise………..soundslike the snow guns are blasting away. The snowmakers got some time off this week and now it looks like somecold weather is on the way. It isprobably easier for me to list out what we are planning:

Snowmaking Friday night isgoing to concentrate on some resurfacing of existing terrain, and also headtowards some new terrain. Depending on the temperatures, this may includeSunburst, Escape, Mountain Road, Coleman Brook, Rimrock, and the rest of Count Down,Sprint, Moments rest and perhaps others. We will plan to run as many guns as we can and have water for.
GalaxyBowl in the Clock Tower base will be worked on this weekend as well as widening the beginner areas in the base.
JacksonGore continues to be a goal of ours for the middle of next week. We remainconfident we can get there.
Thisweekend the plan is to have 5 lifts and 15 trails.
Lookingout towards Christmas, the estimate for trails is that we anticipate expandingour terrain to between 25 – 30 trails for around Christmas and we are hopefulthat this number increases up to 40 during Christmas week. Obviously there is a lot that has to cometogether for this to happen, but we are optimistic.
Rightnow we have open 6.3 miles of terrain or 88 acres.
Manypeople are inquiring about the ski in/ski out trails. They are a priority forus and we understand their importance. We will be heading towards many of themas we can prior to Christmas.
TheSugar house lodge will be opening on Saturday with the cafeteria opening. Smokey Joe’s and Carvers will be open duringthe mid-week.
Snowmakingwill be on-going during the day and it is quite likely that there will be someskiing under the snow guns.

They say patience is a virtueand we all need that right now. The goodnews is that the staff here at Okemo is optimistic about a great ski season andready to provide the Okemo Difference for all our skiers and riders. There arestill some “rooms at the Inn or condos”, but they are filling up quick. Also, check out the new Sno-Cat excursionsthat are happening as well as 4 limited seating dates during the season for theSno-Cat dinners.

Happy Holidays and see you onthe slopes……….

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Winter Shall Prevail - guaranteed!

2011-12-15T10:19:00.003-05:00

Rumor #1. There will be no winter. FALSE: Winter will arrive at some point. Guaranteed. It is just a little late.

Rumor #2. Christmas is being moved to January 25th to account for Winter being late. FALSE.

So there you have it. Winter will arrive and so will Christmas, although Winter may be a little off schedule!!!

I gathered my team this morning. Using the combined wisdom of Ray (Snowmaking Manager), Barry (VP of Mountain Operations), Eb (Mountain Manager) and myself-- here is the very latest:

Jackson Gore will not open this weekend. The earliest prediction is middle of next week. Sunburst, Escape and Mountain Road all have a good start on them (with snow). Snowmaking on Jackson Gore trails will commence tonight.

And when that cold air settles in… things will go very quickly.

Solitude lift and trails, including epic restaurant will not open this weekend. Earliest prediction is towards the end of next week.

The Sugar House will open this weekend.

The Superpipe will not be open for the Christmas Holidays.

We will get as many of the slope side lodging trails open as quickly as we can. We all understand and realize their importance, especially to those who have homes located in these areas.

The galaxy bowl will be worked on beginning Friday – guns are already locked and loaded in that area.

Wardance is important for racing and all of us would like to have them on their own trail. That will be one of our mid-mountain objectives beginning next week.

There is a desire to get one of the larger trails off of the summit open. It will most likely be Upper Chief.

It is highly unlikely that we will have the Nor’easter Terrain Park open. Our plan will be to have some features, rails and other items on different trails if the park is not open. There will be gated entrances to these areas.

Snowmaking will continue around the free learning carpets in both base areas as we head into the Christmas week.

The weather has surely been chasing us up to higher elevations for snowmaking. The bottom line is that we just make snow where it is the coldest… and we can achieve the best production.

Christmas week is just 10 days away, and the excitement is building. Despite the weather not being great, reports from our guests on the hill are very positive. Hope you have plans to join us! (And if you don’t, lodging tells me there are still a few openings here and there, but not many.)

Bruce Schmidt

Vice-President & General Manager

Okemo Mountain Resort

Snowmaking, Choices and Thanks

2011-12-11T10:59:00.006-05:00

Cold weather returned last night. The snowguns were blasting on the upper mountain as well as some terrain on the lower mountain. Choices had to be made last night, so it was decided that we would concentrate on the upper terrain, Lower World Cup and a few guns in the base area to make sure that we kept the conditions on the existing terrain the best. We also wanted to be sure to be able to give some other skiing and riding options off of the summit. While it is not ideal to access the mountain off of the F-10 carpet and Sachem, at least we are not running shuttle buses.

We realize that Saturday was a busy day. There is so much pent up demand to get skiing. In hindsight, we should have made sure that the entire length of Upper World Cup was open and not sent skiers and riders over to Drop Off. There were a few things that forced this to happen, but we learned to do all we can to not have that happen again.

Okemo also was not giving any reduced rates for ski racing teams. It became evident that ski teams were purchasing full rate tickets in order to get on the slopes. I want to thank our ski patrol, safety ambassadors and other staff for working hard to stay on top of any issues and also thanks to our guests for their patience as Okemo adds more terrain and works hard to get the ski and ride season going.

Bruce Schmidt
General Manager

Top-to-bottom Skiing & Riding!

2011-12-10T08:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning,

Interesting night of snowmaking for Friday night 12/11 into Saturday. Temperatures did not get as cold as was forecasted, so snowmaking was concentrated on the upper mountain trails. Wet Bulb at 3am at Mid Mountain was only 27. That was on the high end of the forecasted temperatures. The good news is that we are going to be able to open up trails so we have skiing top to bottom. Today we are going to open Link, Lower World Cup and Fairway. Guests will ride the F-10 carpet to the Sachem quad and then either take the Glades Peak to the summit or ski down to the base of the Northstar Express. There will be no downloading and no shuttle buses. Guest can ski right back to the base lodge. Due to the warmer than forecasted temperatures, we will plan to open on Sunday the base quads and lower mountain road, Green Ridge Triple lift and Jolly Green Giant and Double Dipper. The F-10 carpet will remain open, but not the Sachem quad, on Sunday.

Saturday nights temperatures look colder which will be a good start as we head into the final two weeks before Christmas. More terrain will be added as we head into next week. Temps look good into next week. Our goal is to head into Jackson Gore as quickly as possible as well as head towards other priorities such as Wardance and the lodging trails. We will keep everyone informed as things change.

Happy Holidays

Bruce Schmidt
Vice-President & General Manager
Okemo Mountain Resort

Another great night of snowmaking!

2011-12-04T07:39:00.002-05:00

The crew made snow on several trails including the lower half of Upper World Cup, Lower World Cup, Drop off and Link. It was also the beginning of snowmaking on Timberline and Jolly Green.

The thermometer was moving around all night with some real fluctuations. With the sky as clear as it was last night, we were hoping for a little colder temperatures. In talking with our weather forecaster, Tony, it looks like this unseasonable weather pattern should be ending this week. He thinks this unseasonable pattern we are stuck in should break by Wednesday and we should begin to see some more normal winter weather. Let’s hope he is correct.

Sunny skies today with temps in the 40’s. Snowmaking will end up shutting down today and the guys will get a couple warm days off. We anticipate being able to make snow again beginning Tuesday night. We are as aggressive as we can with the temperatures that we have. Our goal is to get top to bottom skiing and get out of the shuttling business as soon as possible. At the same time we will be heading towards Jackson Gore and Solitude to begin to spread out the traffic.

Enjoy the sun today!

Bruce
General Manager

Planning for the Holidays

2011-12-01T10:39:00.001-05:00

This way to great snow!

As December1st arrives, one thing that seems to be on everyone’s mind is the weather. I think we are all amazed at how unseasonablywarm it has been. No doubt our entirestaff has done a great job in getting Okemo open for skiing and riding, even ifthe terrain has been limited. It takesall of us to provide the Okemo experience and for that effort we are allthankful.

I get asked a lot, are we goingto stay open? What happens as we head into Christmas for slopes andtrails?. My normal answer is we will tryto stay open at all costs and we’ll make decisions as we get closer toChristmas on trails etc. There is noreal science into planning for our busy holiday season and where we make snow. Our goal is to have as much as much terrainas possible open for the holiday’s as temperatures permit. No doubt there will be some challenges aseach day we don’t have the good snowmaking temperatures is one less day we canprepare. No doubt tougher decisions needto be made as Christmas looms and the weather stays mild.

One thing can be assured andthat is that we will be as aggressive as we can be to get trails open and wewill use all our resources available. Staff will work the hours that they need to and machines will be run. Our goal will be to have several differentpods of the mountain open for skiing and riding, although there may be lesstrails in that pod open. It is importantto get spread out and use our lift system in the best possible way. Of course we have other demands from slopeside trails and racing, to our ski and ride programs that need terraintoo. There are many requests and we willwork hard to satisfy as much as we can.

It is safe to say that when itgets cold, it won’t take long for our snowmaking and grooming team to get the trailsopen and looking good. Our snowmakingcapacity and staff are second to none when it comes to making it happen withthe right conditions.

Bruce Schmidt

General Manager

Thankful to be Open

2011-11-25T08:48:00.001-05:00

Opening day has arrived. I wasn’t as optimistic as to whether we wouldbe open on Thanksgiving last Saturday,but with some good temperatures, hard work, a little luck and a foot of snow,ta da, we are open. It is quite abusiness we are in, one day we are planning to open our Mini Golf and adventurezone because we don’t have any snow, and then we are skiing and riding withsome great conditions.

The snowmaking forecast will be a challenge this coming weekno doubt. It does look like we are in aquick warm spell through this weekend and into early next week. As we getthrough the week, the temperatures begin dropping with what looks like somemuch colder weather arriving the first week in December.

So where do we go from here? When we can make snow, the crew will begin branching out on some of theupper mountain trails where the temperatures are colder as well as those thatget us some movement off the summit. Defiance will be worked on as it is closeto Upper World Cup and takes some pressure off of World Cup, Sapphire andSunburst will be made on as Sunburst gets us towards Escape and into Jackson Goreand Sapphire is a good trail to work on as we head towards the Green Ridge andRoute 103, Upper Arrow down to Lower Arrow. Sapphire also gets us to Solitude and Heaven’s Gate. It is importantduring the early season to get spread out with skiing and riding so we can makethe experience better for everyone and get terrain open as we head to theholidays.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. All of us can find somethingto be thankful for. Keep your eye on theweb site and you will find the latest news and updates…….

Think snow and some cold weather…….

Bruce Schmidt

VP & GM

Snowmaking Update

2011-11-22T11:14:00.005-05:00

It was an interesting night of snowmaking. You can always tell when there is mixed precipitation on the way do to a temperature inversion. It was colder at the base most of the night than it was on the summit!

The good news is that the crew had a good night of snowmaking on World Cup down towards the base of the Glades peak chair. There was very limited snowmaking on the summit. There is still a need for more snow on Buckhorn as well as sections of Upper World Cup and Drop off. We also ran some guns in the base area near A&B quad to take advantage of the colder base area temps.

As today progresses, there will be an evaluation of what the trails look like and what is left to do. We will also send a groomer up to push around and get a feel for what we have so far.

Stay close because we are also looking at the weather as tonight’s storm has taken some interesting twists and turns...

Bruce Schmidt
GM

Groceries in Ludlow

2011-11-18T11:15:00.003-05:00

Everyone familiar with Okemo knows the devastation Hurricane Irene dropped on us at the end of August. The transformation from Sunday morning August 28th to today is nothing short of amazing. At last count only two or three sections of road in the whole state were still closed for repair. Locally all of our roads are now open and accessible. If you followed Facebook or You Tube during the aftermath you might have seen a tent in the Shaw's Supermarket parking lot. After the store was totally wiped out, Shaw’s set up their first ever, tent market to accommodate the basic needs of residents. Believe me everyone has been extremely grateful.

However, the devastation has required a total renovation of the store. While the crews have put in long hours every day, they are now far enough along to know that they will not be in the building until probably mid January. The tent will stay until that day but we wanted to let everyone know ahead of their vacationing at Okemo, that it will not be shopping as normal at Shaw’s Supermarket. The basics will still be there, but the space is small. We have all survived and you will as well with a little extra planning and knowledge of some of our local secret gems.

In nearby Proctorsville, Singleton's Store stocks a wonderful meat counter with hand cut selections, including their famous smoked bacon as well as groceries and wonderful specialty items. Right around the corner Crow's Bakery is stocked with bread, pies, cookies and more. If you access Okemo via 103, you have been passing Lisai's market in Chester, right next to the train station. Lisai's also has a well stocked meat counter as well as a full service grocery.. Besides these gems, there is a large full service Shaws market in Springfield complete with a fresh produce and a fresh fish counter. Perhaps plan to stay on the highway one more exit and you will go right by the store on your way to Ludlow.

So never fear. Life does go on. All us local folk have eaten quite well for the past three months, but it does require a little extra planning. Now that you know, make your own plan. Perhaps call ahead if you have special requests. Pack a bag of some basics for that first night. Hit the local gas station markets for milk on our way into town. It will be fine.

We're looking forward to winter and having all our loyal fans back home and on the slopes. See you soon and THINK SNOW!!!!!

Snowmaking is Underway!

2011-11-17T14:46:00.003-05:00

I have been asked more times than I can shake a stick at about when Okemo is going to open. Well it won’t be Saturday the 19th, but we are planning on opening as soon as we can after Saturday. In fact, snowmaking began last night! Check out the pictures and video we posted at okemo.com

I wanted to give you a feel for what is going on since we don’t have the snow yet. I took some time and asked Okemo staff, "What are you doing since we don’t have any snow"?

Shannon Diehl – Resort Service Manager.
Finishing up the brand new "Learn To" Ski and Ride program. Working on finalizing the P.S.P. (Park Safety Program) so we can begin having our guests sign up for their pass this year. New this year we are offering Sno-Cat Excursions and I am waiting for final approval from the General Manager!!!!

Tim Morton – Sign Shop Manager.
Working on all of the Culinary signs for Crested Butte, Okemo & Mt Sunapee. Normally we are getting Okemo done first, but since Crested Butte will be opening on 11/23, we need to get them done first.

Rick Doyle – Sitting Bull Manager.
Cleaning the Sitting bull. Moving equipment. Organizing spreadsheets. Talking to vendors. Hiring staff. Securing bands and playing some golf.

Jay Beardsley – Facilities Operations Director.
Finishing painting the Base Lodge bathrooms (check them out, they are looking sharp), repairing the stairs around the base area, installing signs in different departments. Finishing the Welcome center that was damaged by Irene, replacing the fire pump for the Sugar House that was damaged by Irene. Installing new lights above the Spring House Pool and for walking area in the Jackson Gore parking lot. Finally, installing a new dishwasher in the summit lodge.

Eb Kinney – Mountain Manager.
All the lifts are being inspected for the winter by the state of Vermont. Removed two trees near the Mountain Lodge at Okemo. Cleaning up from summer projects. Getting the Mountain Coaster ready to roll. Installed insulation and heat in the Mountain Coaster building. Finalizing the course location for the anticipated Canopy Tour Zip line to be installed next year. Re-installing the bungee trampolines to be used over Thanksgiving weekend for our guests.

Think snow and more cold weather- and stay close for updates.

Bruce Schmidt
VP & GM

2011-11-04T08:12:00.002-04:00

As many of you are still digging out from the Snowtoberstorm, up here at Okemo we are looking at the long range forecast and wonderingwhen we can begin making snow. Let’shope that the electricity gets back on in Southern New England. It is amazing the photos of the destructionof trees and power poles. I would thinkthat in 2011 we would have systems in place to get the electricity back onquicker. Here’s to some good luck forall our Okemo fans without power.

This time of the year is an interesting one in Vermont. Wecall it stick season here at Okemo. Kind of that time between when the leavesare gone and we are anticipating snow. It is so true about the change of the season. You can feel it in the airas the days get shorter and the air feels different. A lot of time is spent preparing the slopesfor some snow. The Snow guns are put out, some of the guys are working on railsfor the terrain park, and the groomers are being prepared to do theirwork. Here’s something you probablydidn’t know, we always use the groomers with the most hours first as they willbe coming off lease at the end of this season. We also try to get them to theslopes before we begin making snow so we can move on softer terrain before theground freezes as the frozen ground is a lot harder on the machines.

Each morning, I and the Barry, The VP of Mountain Operationstalk on the phone about what we see for weather. We use Northwinds Weather as our weatherservice. Tony is our guy and while we chide him for some of his forecasts, hedoes a very good job and is pretty accurate. Barry and I discuss what the long range looks like and what mighthappen. Our philosophy is to be smartwith snowmaking. The temperature needsto be below 26 degrees wet bulb, you remember science class that is thetemperature and humidity combined, and it is important to have that temperaturestay that way for an extended period of time. I frequent the “Café at Delight” for early coffee and I get asked a lot“how come you didn’t make snow last night, I had 23 degrees when I workup”. That is probably true, but thattemperature may have only been for an hour or so. Remember this; it is “always coldest beforethe dawn”. That is also when it is thedarkest. So don’t always believe that itwas the same temperature when you got up as it was earlier in the night.

The weather always gets cold and this year will be nodifferent. Once the snowmaking season begins, things happen quickly. Lots of water is moved in a short period oftime and lifts and trails open sometimes daily. The snowmakers are a dedicated group of guys. The early season they spend a lot of timewalking the trails. Many times vehicles cannot be used. Okemo has a shuttle system we use were anemployee, usually a groomer who we are looking to keep busy, works the nightshift and drives a truck up Mountain Road with snowmakers and then makes hisway to the bottom of whatever trail they are working on to pick them up. It is always heartening to be able to see thepickup lights at the base of the trail as the snowmakers know they are near thebottom and done their run. Early season istough on everyone, but as trails open up, snowmobiles can begin to be run andit becomes easier.

Well that gives you a little insight into what is goingthrough our minds as we prepare for the season. The first cold snap is always an exciting time for everyone no matterhow long you have worked in the ski business.

So thanks again for being an Okemo supporter. We all appreciate our skiing and ridingguests and hope to have some early season slopes and trails opened by November19^th.

Think snow and some cold weather…….

Bruce Schmidt

VP & GM

In response to Take 60 introduction

2011-10-25T16:10:00.000-04:00

Greetings,

It is good to see such lively discussion in response to my recent introduction of “Take 60” on this blog.

I’d like to address a few questions and hopefully clear up some confusion.

As with any resort, we are constantly evaluating our business practices and trying to find ways to improve our guests’ experience while improving our business enterprise. “Take 60” is not an alternative to “Try Before You Buy.” It is replacing “Try Before You Buy.” There will be no free hour of skiing and riding during the first hour of operations, as there has been in the past. Although Okemo’s “Try Before You Buy” has been popular with many skiers and riders who enjoy skiing for free, our intent was to invite trial use as an incentive to provide purchase confidence.

This transference is not something that happened overnight. We realized it a few years ago and made a decision, in 2003, to cancel “Try Before You Buy” outright. We learned from that experience, and we are looking at this transition away from “Try Before You Buy” differently; Thus the introduction of “Take 60” as a more complete solution for our skiing and riding guests.

We are confident in the snow quality and surface conditions that Okemo offers skiers and riders. We work hard to provide you with the best possible on-snow experience every day of the winter season, and we empathize with you when Mother Nature interferes with our best efforts. “Take 60” is a more flexible program that appeals to a broader group of our guests – not just those who can coordinate their arrival with the start of lift service each day. It also allows us to better maintain the program’s intent: giving our guests the ability to return another time if they are not fulfilled with their experience on a given day. While we are taking something away, we are providing a more equitable solution for those who accept there is a cost associated with skiing and riding at Okemo.

Our intent was never to inconvenience any of our guests, but we do realize that although change is never easy, it is often necessary. Several people have expressed a concern about lines. We do have lines at our ticket windows and at Resort Services on some busy days. We do our best to maintain appropriate staffing levels to minimize the wait time and we do offer a number of direct-to-lift season pass products for those who find waiting in line to purchase a lift ticket objectionable. In fact, we offer a variety of options to make the overall experience more convenient and economical for frequent skiers.

Thanks for speaking up. We value your input and we do our best to serve you while sustaining a business to be enjoyed by generations to come.

Think Snow

Bruce Schmidt
Vice-President and General Manager
Okemo Mountain Resort

2011-10-21T15:43:00.000-04:00

Greetings,

We all have heard the old adage, "time changes everything." Well, that is also true at Okemo this coming season. Okemo has decided to change our “First Hour Free” program to “Take 60.” We have been hearing from our guests that they are unable to use the First Hour Free due to many different reasons. Getting to the slopes early just doesn’t work for everyone. We wanted to continue providing great guest service to our skier and riders, so we have changed the program to fit the needs of all.

We are so confident in our ability to offer consistent surface conditions, that we are providing skiers and riders with a flexible alternative to our Try-Before-You-Buy, First Hour Free program, with Take 60. Rather than limiting you to sampling our conditions during the first hour of lift operations, we intend to accommodate your schedule by inviting you to take the entire first hour after you purchase your lift ticket – no matter what time you start your ski day – to decide if you are completely satisfied with your on-mountain experience. There is a time stamp on every lift ticket, so the clock starts ticking when you purchase your ticket. If you choose not to continue your day with us, just stop by the Resort Services Desk for a return-visit coupon. It is as simple as that. Now, as always, there is some fine print:

· Guests must return within one hour of time stamped on their ticket to be eligible for a return visit

· Coupons will be issued for a comparable product.

· Coupons will be for the designated guest’s use only and will require ID for redemption.

· Coupons will be non-transferrable and carry no cash value.

· No rollovers please! Coupons will not be issued against tickets originally generated by this program.

As always, guests can stop by our Resort Services Desk with any questions. We remain committed to making this easy for you, as a guest, to ski and ride and enjoy Okemo.

As you know, Okemo typically receives nearly 200 inches of natural snow annually. We have spent over 30 years building our reputation for snow and surface conditions through our grooming and snowmaking.

So the bottom line is that the new program is better for those who purchase a ticket, and for some reason, just don’t like the skiing. We want you to be able to enjoy the intended flexibility by taking 60 minutes, on your schedule, and not be rushed to check out the conditions during our first hour to make your determination of value.

Please continue to check out the blog site for future postings. Next week we will be talking about what we did on our summer vacation.

Think Snow!

Bruce Schmidt

Vice-President and General Manager

Changing Leaves and Changing Trails

2011-10-03T16:05:00.000-04:00

This winter season Okemo Mountain Resort is introducing some changes on the hill. The biggest change is the addition of a park on Black Out. This new park will take the place of the Race Arena and be accessible via The Pull. So get ready to show off on the rails underneath the Black Ridge Triple for the 2011-2012 season.

The Race arena will be moving to Bull Run, and will still be home to NASTAR. Head out to the course and give it your best, then head to the Sitting Bull in the main base lodge and watch as others compete.

And thanks to the addition of the new park on Black Out we are happy to announce that Timberline is being restored to the trail once touted as “one of the best the East has to offer” by the Boston Herald. The Progression Park that has been on Timberline is being discontinued, so cruisers rejoice, the trail is sure to be a favorite for those in search of corduroy as far as the eye can see.

As the leaves continue to change colors and the temperatures continue to drop, preparations for the upcoming winter season are in full swing at Okemo. Check out our website for last minute deals on Season Passes, and our new Super 7 Savings Card, early season pricing on Season Passes ends on Oct. 10th.

Don't forget that this weekend is the 5th Annual Parrothead Party at Jackson Gore. Come on up and join in the fun with food and drinks starting at noon on Saturday and live music from Changes in Latitudes, also free hay rides through the afternoon! Sunday brings more festivities at Jackson Gore, so join us for the long weekend and take in the foliage and the festivities!

Okemo is "Vermont Strong"; Winter is On Schedule!

2011-09-09T09:14:00.010-04:00

Dear friends,

It's been a difficult couple of weeks since Hurricane Irene passed through Vermont, leaving many friends and neighbors with personal challenges of their own. Communities have rallied in support of those in need and the newly created motto, "I am Vermont Strong," has taken on the status of a battle cry.

Okemo Mountain Resort did not escape Irene’s fury unscathed, but most of the damage has already been repaired. Okemo's Mountain Operations and Facilities Operations staff worked their usual magic and got the job done. Okemo’s Clock Tower Base Area suffered most of the damage. Flooding washed out Mountain Road below the snowmaking pump house. Water and mud washed through the base area, depositing several feet of silt and sand in the Snow Stars learning area, also known as Galaxy Bowl. There was some wash-out along the sides of Okemo Ridge Road, near the Morning Star lift and the road to Okemo Valley Golf Club was washed out temporarily.

On the positive side...

The Jackson Gore Inn never even lost power during the storm and the Jackson Gore Base Area suffered no damage at all.

Okemo Valley Golf Club was accessible and open for play on 18 holes starting at noon on Tuesday – just two days after the storm. Tater Hill also reopened with 18 holes of play that same day.

Mountain Road was repaired and autumn leaf peepers will be able to wind their way to the summit of Okemo Mountain for colorful vistas this foliage season.

Recovery is underway and we are aggressively tackling clean up and repair around the Resort and throughout the community. Ludlow has gone from being one of the hardest-hit Vermont villages to one of the quickest to recover. We spent the first few days in the aftermath of Irene cut off from the world due to washouts and road closures. Most roads have been repaired and access to Okemo Valley and Okemo Mountain Resort has been restored.

We’ve received an outpouring of support from Okemo guests and homeowners, and we’re grateful for their concern and contributions to our neighbors in need.

We are using social media, Facebook and Twitter, to chronicle the recovery status of Okemo and the surrounding communities. We’ll be out and about, speaking with locals and snapping photos of the progress, so fans and followers can see that Okemo Valley is ready to welcome visitors.

We’re looking forward to a spectacular fall foliage season and the start of another brilliant ski season soon afterward.

Bruce Schmidt,
GM

More Ways to Help Ludlow, a message from Diane Mueller

2011-09-06T10:02:00.003-04:00

Although a lot of hard work is bringing Ludlow back from a devastating storm, there are many people whose lives have been impacted in a way that is hard to totally comprehend. Okemo employees and residents are literally shoveling out and throwing out their worldly possessions. People have lost everything from their homes to clothes to furniture.

Not all the destruction is visible, but filling garbage bags in a basement filled with mud and rotting food made it clear to me that people have immediate needs and longer term needs as they put their lives back together.

Vermonters are resilient and industrious, as was evidenced at Okemo where we have repaired much of the damage and are open for business. Now we are focusing all our efforts on helping people rebuild their homes and their lives. If you are looking for a way to help, please join us in buying gift cards at local and other businesses and sending them to this address. Alternatively, for those wishing to help that are not not in the area, please consider sending a donation.

Okemo Mountain Resort
Attn: Flood Relief Aid
77 Okemo Ridge Road
Ludlow, VT 05149

These will be distributed to Okemo employees and local residents who are victims of Irene. We suggest buying gift cards in increments of $50 or less. Thank you for helping us get back on their feet before the snow flies.

Local businesses selling gift cards:

Aubuchon’s Hardware
LaValley’s Building Supply
Singleton’s Market

Other businesses close by might also have gift cards where people can buy clothing, food and building supplies.

Diane Mueller
Executive Vice President
Okemo Mountain Resort

Ticket Plaza Makeover Begins!

2011-06-07T14:45:00.003-04:00

Greetings,

If you have been around the Clock Tower base area, you have seen the work being done on the plaza area. Some real effort has been going into rehabbing some of the old concrete and walk areas, and extending the greenspace.

Much of the plaza area concrete was laid down back in 1984-85, as the base area work was completed and the start of the resurrection of Okemo Mountain Resort was in full swing. As you can imagine, there have been a lot of ski & snowboard boots that have walked on this concrete as well as thousands of yards of snow have been pushed over it. The time had come to do some replacement. Several of the most worn sections will be replaced by upwards of 40 yards of concrete. There will also be drainage and gravel placed underneath to hopefully help keep the frost heaves to a minimum.

We are also removing the stairs between the Marketing doors and the entrance to Snow Stars, and renovating a set of stairs near the back door of the lodging offices. This is the area that we will be removing the existing concrete and extending the green space with additional planters and grass. Once this is done, we will then move to the concrete in front of the upper ticket booth, the Demo tent and the corner of the base lodge.

The next phase will be focused on the iconic Okemo Clocktower. New siding will be installed, and painting done on several areas. To complete the makeover, the entire 2-minute circle area will be repaved.

Much of this work is being done by the capable Okemo Mountain Operations staff as well as our Facilities Operations employees. I'll be sure to keep you up to speed on what we are doing on our summer vacation here at Okemo Mountain Resort.

We've also created a photo album which you can view at okemo.com! Enjoy.

Bruce Schmidt
General Manager

Weather, Mountain Improvements and Summer Fun

2011-05-20T09:32:00.006-04:00

Greetings,

The weather does many things, but probably the biggest thing it does (other than affect our daily lives) is to give us something to talk about and keep stats on. Did you know that during December – March (meteorological winter), we had the least amount of rain for the past several years and the most snow? Then comes March and from March – May, we have had over 15 inches of rain which has been a record in modern time for the state of Vermont! Mother nature always adjusts herself in her own way.

Spring has slowly been returning to Okemo and we have begun working on projects and will be going even stronger as real summer begins. Here are a few projects we are working on:

Repair, replacement and fixing up of the Clocktower base area. Some of the old concrete will be removed and repaired. New walls put in, stairs removed as well as the re-siding of the Clocktower.

Painting of the Ranta Farm house, a historical building located on the Jackson Gore property.

Installation and construction of an 18 hole miniature golf course as well as a 4 stations bungee jumping station.

Adventure Park concept with culinary option near the miniature golf and timber ripper. Pricing will be one ticket with unlimited usage.

Refurbish and upgrade pumps and motors for Black River and Mid-Mountain snowmaking pump stations.

Repave 2-minute circle area in the clock tower base area.

Replace carpet & awning at Okemo Valley Golf course.

Purchase a stage for the special events including Jackson Gore Music series and other events.

Many other building specific or department specific projects and improvements.

Over $1 million is being spent on capital improvements at Okemo this summer to enhance and improve both the summer and winter guest experience.

There are also many weekend events happening that guests can be part of as a participant or to enjoy as a spectator.

Okemo Hill climb (organized by the Ludlow Rotary) – June 25th
The Okemo Bike climb is a challenging 5.8 mile uphill race on Route 103 and Okemo Mountain Road. The event is staged and started from Okemo’s Jackson Gore Village. This is the fourth year for this event and is the second event of the season in the Bike Up Mountain Point Series (BUMPS), a series of nine uphill races held throughout New England. This race benefits the charities of the Ludlow Rotary Club.

Okemo Challenge – July 30th:
The featured 10 mile race starts at the base of Okemo Mountain and features 2 climbs to the mountain’s summit before returning to the base of the mountain. There is nearly 9,000 feet elevation change in the 10 mile run. The companion 5K race starts at the mountain’s base and ends the summit. 5K participants can take the ski lift down to the base of the mountain after they finish. The majority of both races will be run on grass and trails. The Okemo Mountain Challenge brings the spirit of adventure back on the Mountain this summer!

Post-race party and entertainment- Runners will enjoy a band playing at the summit and another band playing at the post race party at the base of the mountain. After the race all runners (free) and their families (nominal cost) are invited to a post race cookout and with live music. Information - (203) 481-5933 or www.jbsports.com

Hops in the Hills Brew Festival – August 6th
Okemo Mountain Resort will host Hops in the Hills, a beer festival, from 1-6 p.m., on Saturday, Aug. 6. Jackson Gore will be the setting for enjoying the great outdoors while sampling a variety of beers from local and regional brewers and some of the best chicken wings the valley has to offer in the Chicken Wing Challenge. Chris Kleeman and The Sly Geralds Band will provide live musical accompaniment to the beer tasting and Coleman Brook Tavern will fire up the grill for some burgers, barbecue and all the summertime fixin's.

100 on 100 Relay – August 13th
The 100 on100 Relay is a 100-mile team running relay race through the Heart of Vermont and ending at Okemo’s Jackson Gore. Runners from across the country converge on the Green Mountain state each August for this long distance relay along scenic Route 100. Running races in New England are bounding in popularity and Vermont running races put on by Heart of Vermont Productions are looking to lead the way.

We are hopeful that you will come up and experience what Okemo has to offer in the summer and let us treat you to the Okemo Difference year round.

Bruce Schmidt
Vice-President & General Manager
Okemo Mountain Resort

Long Live the Snow!

2011-04-14T13:33:00.002-04:00

As the final week of the ski season is upon us, there have been many comments about this ski season..."Best ever", "We will have snow until July", or my favorite, "Global Warming????"

Whatever you want to call it, we no doubt can say that this was a good year on the slopes. Okemo was open 146 days this year. While this won’t go down in the record books (at least with record books we keep), there may be records broken by some. I have had people tell me that they have skied the most days ever this year and two who told me they have skied every trail at least twice this year. True records for them...

There are probably a couple records that were broken that we don’t keep track of. Let me see if I can rattle off a few:

**Most days of having at least one natural trail open. Probably happened as we had natural trails open beginning in mid-December.

**Most consecutive winter days without it raining. I was thinking we didn’t have any rain in December, January and almost till the end of February! (Kudos Mother Nature!)

**Almost the earliest opening of the slopeside trails. This was the first year in a while I didn’t spend most of December explaining by email, phone or in person how we want to get all the condo/homeowner trails open, but we do need to prioritize.

**And the last record - probably the most miles in a season on our grooming machines. Having full coverage allowed us to be running our groomers a lot this winter - and they sure as heck did a great job.

So in closing, I want to thank you for another record - most readers of our blog. Now some glass half empty philosophers will say "but this was your first year", and that is true, but I’m looking at the glass half full and saying we set a record. In all honesty and sincerity, thank you for being a part of the Okemo family, for spending time with us on the slopes and for asking questions and commenting on what we do. Thanks for a great season and I am hopeful that you come to visit Okemo during the summer. The Mountain Coaster will be operating, we'll be adding a mini-golf course, and our other summer amenities will be open for your enjoyment.

Opening Day Next Season? November 19, 2011

Take care,
Bruce

More Spring Operations

2011-04-07T16:37:00.004-04:00

Greetings,

Warm weather is in the forecast which can only mean some better spring skiing, or perhaps I shouldn’t say better, how about warmer? Can the spring skiing get any better? It is almost mid-winter like. No doubt after some 50-60 degree days, there will be some bare spots opening up, but there is still a ton of snow on the slopes. We are running a few lifts on the weekend and less midweek.

Our last week will consist of skiing and riding off of the Northstar, Quad A, Coleman Brook express and Jackson Gore Express. Don’t be surprised to see some of the Department managers out there bumping chairs. Whatever it takes is the motto.

Here is an update on operations, pricing and general information for the resort as the season winds down. Our closing date is Sunday April 17th. This year due to the amount of skiing and riding that is available, we will not be closing the Jackson Gore base area earlier than the rest of the mountain. The plan is to maintain the operation of the Jackson Gore Quads as well as the Round House and ticket windows. There will be another Lift ticket pricing adjustment made on Monday April 11th.

Tickets:
Ticket windows are closed at the Clocktower and Jackson Gore for the season. Guests are directed to Resort Services to purchase daily tickets.

Ticket Pricing thru the weekend 4/9-10
 Adults $65 ½ day $49
 YA/Seniors $55 ½ Day $41
 Jr/Sup Sen. $42 ½ Day $32

Lifts:
7 lifts scheduled to operate for the weekend
 Quad A F-10
 Northstar Solitude
 Jackson Gore Coleman Brook
 Stargazer
LIFTS MAY BE ADJUSTED AS WEATHER AND BUSINESS DICTATE.

Lessons
Privates will be available for $80 one person, one hour. An additional person in the lesson at $45. Multiple hours will be multiples of this price models. Any request lessons will be at the regular rate. Lessons will be available at the both the Clock Tower and at Jackson Gore, based on available staff.

Day Care:
Jackson Gore Day Care will be open for the remainder of the season. Clock Tower Daycare closed for the season.

Culinary Still Open:
Base 68: Open daily 8:00-2:00. Saturday-Sunday 7:00-4:00
Sitting Bull: Open daily 11:00-6:00
Summit Cafe: Open daily 9:30-3:00. Saturday-Sunday 8:30-3:00
Round House: Open daily Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00 until Sunday the 17th.

CLOSED EARLY AT 2:00 on Saturday April 9th for a wedding.

CBT: Closed for Lunch. Dinner daily at 5:00 until 4/17, then closed for Dinner Mondays and Tuesdays.
Waffle House: Open Weekends

Lodges:
Base Lodge: Open daily.
Summit: Open daily.
Solitude: Restrooms ONLY
Round House: Open daily.

Lodging & Welcome Center:
Phone Lines (800-786-5366) Open daily from 8:00-6:30. Front Desk: Open Sunday-Thursday from 7:30-6:30. Friday & Saturday 7:30-6:30. Next day ticket sales Sunday-Thursday from 3:30-6:30, Friday & Saturday 3:30-6:30.

Rental/Repair:
Main Base: Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30, Saturday & Sunday 7:30-5:00.
Jackson Gore: Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30, Saturday & Sunday 7:30-5:00.

Resort Services:
CLOCK TOWER Base Area: Resort Services is currently open in the base lodge for Season Pass, purchases, all ticket sales, lessons, Monday-Friday, 8:30-4:30, Saturdays & Sundays, and holidays 7:30-5:00.

Jackson Gore: Resort Services is currently open at Jackson Gore for Season Pass pickup, purchases, ticket sales, lessons. Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 7:30-5:00

Retail Shops:
Base Shop: Open Monday-Thursday 8:45-4:30, Friday til 5, Saturday/Sunday from 7:45-4:45.

Jackson Gore Snow Sports: Open Monday-Thursday 8:45-4:30, Friday til 5, Saturday/Sunday from 7:45-5:00.

JG Corner Store: Open Monday-Thursday from 8:30-4:30, Friday til 5, Saturdays from 7:30-8:00, and Sundays 8:45-5:00.

Ski & Snowboard Demo Center
Performance ski and snowboard equipment demos. Last Day Sunday 4/10

SPRING HOUSE
Gym open daily from 7:00am-10:00pm. Lap swimming 8:00am-10:00am. Pool opens from 10:00am-10:00pm

TIMBER RIPPER:
• Fridays . 8th & 15th 12:00-5:30
• Saturdays - 9th and 16th Open 12:00-7:00
• Sundays – 10th and 17th Open 12:00-4:00
• Mondays – Open 12:00-4:00
• Closed the balance of the Month.

These services are closed for the season:
Tubing, Nastar, the Ice House, Nordic Center & Shuttle Services.

Thank you for sharing this past winter with us here at Okemo.
Thinking Spring.

Bruce Schmidt
Vice-President and General Manager
Okemo Mountain Resort

Spring Operations, continued

2011-04-01T15:46:00.005-04:00

Another update on operations at Okemo as we head into the final weeks of this season. The good news to share is that due to the amount of skiing and riding that is available, we will not be closing the Jackson Gore base area earlier than the rest of the mountain! (cheer) Our planned Closing Date is April 17th.

Tickets
Please buy tickets from the Resort Services desk inside the base loge at the Clock Tower base area. Jackson Gore Ticket Windows will remain open until the end of the season.

Pricing
This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 2nd and 3rd we will be at midweek pricing. (Adults $74; Adult half-day $54). Remember Flex Card Holders ski free, just secure a lift ticket to board the lifts.

Starting Monday, April 4th, an adult ticket will be $65, with half day at $49. Stay tuned to the daily snow report for any changes in pricing.

Lifts
16 lifts are scheduled to open for this weekend. Starting Monday, April 4th, 7 lifts will operate including Quad A, F-10, Northstar, Solitude, Jackson Gore, Coleman Brook, and Stargazer. Lifts may be adjusted as weather and business dictates.

Lessons
Ski & Ride School is open for regular business this Saturday and Sunday. April 3rd is the last day for regular lessons schedules. Starting on Monday April 4th we will offer private lessons only ($80) on a walk up basis. No advance reservations are required. Lessons will be available at the both the Clock Tower and Jackson Gore base areas.

Daycare
Open Saturday and Sunday as usual, both base areas. Starting Monday April 4th, only Jackson Gore Day Care will be open for the remainder of the season.

Culinary
These are the culinary venues still open: Base 68, Sitting Bull, Summit Cafe, Sky Bar (until April 2), Sugar House and Smokey Jo's (until April 3rd), Roundhouse (note closing early on April 9th for a wedding), Coleman Brook Tavern (closing for lunch service after April 2nd), and the Waffle House.

NASTAR
Will operate this Saturday and Sunday from 10-2 pm. Closing for the season after Sunday.

The Nordic Center remains open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing until Sunday, April 3rd.

The Ice House and Snow Tubing are closed for the season.

Rental and Repair Shops remain open, as do the retail shops inside the Clock Tower base lodge and at Jackson Gore.

I hope this is helpful. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call Resort Services at (802) 228-1600. They are open daily from 8:30-4:30, with Saturdays & Sunday hours from 7:30-4:30 until April 17th.

Bruce

Spring? Not so fast.

2011-03-30T15:25:00.003-04:00

So just a day after I posted our Spring Operations update, we have news of impending snow event for Friday. Snowfall totals below compliments of accuweather. Mountain forecasts (higher elevations) are currently pointing upwards of 16". To say this has been an amazing snow season is truly an understatement. I don't know as I recall an April on record where we have still been this close to 100% open (just two trails shy today!)

Also, don't forget that Friday is our annual April Fools Cares & Shares food drive day. Bring three non-perishable food items to donate to our local food bank, and ski and ride all day (in the powder!) for just $10. We've also put together some great lodging rates for Friday night, should you choose to make a night of it.

Bruce

Spring Operations Update

2011-03-29T09:52:00.003-04:00

MOUNTAIN UPDATE as of Monday 3/28/11

I wanted to bring you up to speed on what is going on as we head into the final couple of weeks of the season.

TICKET PRICING
During this week we will maintain our normal mid-week ticket pricing. Beginning on Saturday 4/2, our pricing will remain at our mid-week rates. Stay close to the snow report for adjusted ticket pricing from that point on.

ON MOUNTAIN
The skiing is almost like mid winter. Spring skiing will be here sometime, but right now we are enjoying some great snow. As we head into April we will be making some changes on the mountain. The forecast is for sunny skies through Thursday with clouds developing and some precipitation forecasted towards the end of the week.

LIFTS
This coming week beginning on Monday 3/28, the following lifts will be closed:

Morning Star    Black Ridge      Quad B           Sachem
Basin          Skywalker Carpet     Orion’s Belt    The Pull

TRAILS
The plan will be to keep trails open that can be accessed. The snow is holding up well.

CULINARY
Siena – Closed
Epic - Closed
Sugar House Cafeteria- Closing 4/3
Smokey Jo's- Closing 4/3
Vermont Pizza Company - Closed
Carvers Deli Closing after Friday April 1st
Coleman Brook Tavern Closing for lunch after 4/3
Round House – Revised schedule for private function on Saturday 4/9

SHUTTLES
Resort Shuttles – Closed as of 3/12
In-Town Shuttles – Closed as of 3/24

SKI AND RIDE/SNOWSTARS/DAYCARE
Snowstars and Daycare are combined mid-week in the Jackson Gore base area. Weekends both sides are open

Ski and Ride School continues to be open.

RACING
The Competitions department is closed and all events done. Nastar is planning on being open this coming weekend.

LODGING
Lodging & Welcome Center:

Phone Lines (800-786-5366) Open daily from 8:00-7:30pm

Front Desk: Open Sunday-Thursday from 7:30-7:30pm. Friday & Saturday 7:30-10pm. Next day ticket sales Sunday-Thursday from 3:30-7:30, Friday & Saturday 3:30-10pm.

OTHER ACTIVITES
Ice House – closed
Snow Tubing – Closed
Timber Ripper – Open every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Hours: Thu, Fri, Sun & Mon 12pm – 5:30pm, Sat. 11am – 7pm

Nordic Center – Open
Spring House - Open

Special Events Coming Up:
Cares and Shares Food Drive – Friday 4/1 – Both Base areas – Reduced rate lift ticket for $10 with donation of 3 non-perishable food items

14th Annual Slush Cup – Saturday 4/2 – Jackson Gore Begins at 11am

Tug of War – Saturday 4/2 – Jackson Gore Begins at 1pm

Anticipated Closing date – Sunday April 17th

Bruce Schmidt
VP & GM
Okemo Mountain Resort

Spring in VT? Just wait a day...

2011-03-21T15:39:00.003-04:00

We just came off a great weekend of sun and temps in the 30’s! But in the blink of an eye, the weather changed and it has been snowing all day. Go figure. The sun was great over the weekend and although the temperature was slightly below the average for this time of the year, with the sun at its spring angle it felt warmer than it would be for similar temps earlier in the winter.

So what does it look like for this coming week? Below is a quick snapshot. Now always remember, a forecast is only a forecast...

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36.
Wednesday:. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37.
Thursday: Cloudy, with a high near 38.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 34.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41
Some sun, some clouds and temperatures beginning to get more spring like.

Snowmaking has finished for the season. Okemo used about the same amount of water as most years and operated about the same number of hours. Energy costs were higher, but due to efficiencies in gun placement and gun usage, we were able to handle the increases better.

Grooming continues every night. There have been some curveballs thrown with the temperature getting real cold (12 degrees on the summit last Sunday morning). This has caused some heart burn on what the skiing was going to be like in the early morning. Some days the trails have been regroomed, other times we have tried to wait out the sun in hopes the trails would soften up. It can be a real quandary, if we groom, we run the risk if chunks. If we don’t, it can be too firm and result in a "hard to edge" surface. We are hopeful that we are right more than wrong.

Now is also the time when we look at all the lifts which are operating and try to consolidate when and where possible. We are cognizant of better skiing on the summit area, so will be taking that into account with the Green Ridge Triple and Glades Peak lifts operating at times. Mogul trails will remain open as long as possible and with the racing season slowing down, Wardance will be open more often. (Cheer!)

Believe it or not, we still have about 25 or so days left of the season. The good news is that the forecast looks favorable, our base depths are healthy, and there are not any bare spots! So come on up and take a few runs - it's worth it!

Bruce

Skiing is Sugar Sweet this Spring!

2011-03-17T08:36:00.004-04:00

The sight of steam billowing from local sugarhouses marks the start of spring skiing season. And what a sweet season it is ~ especially with the amount of snow we've had this season! The mixture of warm days and cool nights helps fill sap buckets hanging from maple trees and creates the snow surface conditions that skiers and riders savor through the final days of winter. In fact, here is the forecast for the next few days...and it looks pretty sweet!

Friday - cloudy, some precip, with summit temps 45-49
Saturday - partly sunny with summit temps 22-26
Sunday - mostly sunny with summit temps 17-23
Headin' into next week - Monday's temps moderate a bit, followed by Tues and Wednesday a bit cooler and probably dry

Closing Date? Not so fast. Okemo Mountain Resort is planning to offer skiing and snowboarding through mid-April, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy the spring snow, sunny skies and numerous on-snow events like Okemo’s Joey Jam, Slush Cup pond-skimming competition and, new this year, a wet and wild Tug o’ War.

On March 26, some lucky Joey is going home with a 1987 Kawasaki JS 550 stand-up jet ski!

Okemo is pulling out all the stops for the third annual celebration of all things "Joey." Known as Gapers, Front Rangers or by other regional monikers, in the Northeast it's the Joey who provides us with endless hours of entertainment on the slopes with his bravado and ubiquitous sense of style. Joeys will be required to ski or ride on (or near) several easy terrain park elements. Big points will be awarded for costume and attitude. Participants may register for $20, from 8-10 a.m., in the Main Base Lodge on Sat., March 26, or online at active.com; limited to the first 50 adults to register. The competition gets started at 10 a.m. for under-18 and 11 a.m. for adults.

It’s no joke – on April Fool’s Day, April 1, when skiers and riders donate at least three nonperishable food items they can purchase a full-day lift ticket for $10. All donations will go to a local food bank.

It's a chilly spring dip for costumed skiers and riders who don’t make it across an 80-foot long slush pond at Okemo’s annual Slush Cup pond skimming competition on April 2. This popular competition is open to the first 125 participants. The entry fee is $20. Fabulous prizes will be awarded in several categories: best costume, driest competitor, best wipeout, and more. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and the pond skimming starts at 11 a.m.

New this year, a wet and wild Tug o’ War will determine the strongest (and driest) team in the Okemo Valley. This single-elimination battle will land one team in the slush pond during every round. The victorious team of eight will win $250. Registration is free and limited to the first 16 teams.

With a little planning, skiers and riders can combine some sweet spring snow sliding with a visit to a Vermont sugarhouse and a chance to win Vermont lift tickets. In partnership with Ski Vermont, select maple producers across the state will give away free lift tickets during the Tenth Annual Maple Open House Weekend, Sat., March 19 and Sun., March 20. A lift ticket will be awarded to the first sugarhouse guest who knows how many gallons of sap it takes to produce one gallon of Vermont Pure Maple Syrup. Visit skivermont.com for more information and a list of participating sugarhouses.

Under the "hood"

2011-02-22T11:15:00.006-05:00

I know many of our skiers and riders have seen our snow grooming equipment in action either at night or during the day. You see the gleaming machines headed in from a night out on the slopes as an early morning skier or you may see the lights of the mammoth machines making their trips up and down the mountain. Have you ever wondered where these machines hide during the day while everyone is skiing and riding?

The headquarters for grooming and mountain operations is located at the bottom of the Village Run trail. If you come down Village Run or if you come down The Plunge, you will see the Okemo Maintenance shop. This 9,000 square foot maintenance shop is headquarters for the Grooming fleet.

Every day each grooming cat is brought in behind the closed doors and given the once over. The machines are washed down with a power washer and the tracks looked at, the power tiller looked at, the lights, horn and alarms are all checked. Once the outside is looked over, the cab is flipped up and a look under the hood begins. Hoses are checked, belts checked, filters looked at. The entire process takes about 2-3 hours per machine. At any one time there will be 3-4 machines being serviced and checked out. On certain days, the machines will be put on the vehicle lift and fluids changed, track bolts tightened and the rig is given an even more thorough once over.

All is this is accomplished by the top-notch Vehicle Maintenance crew. Led by Bill Johnson and Bill Palmer, the staff of mechanics are certified by the Grooming Company "Prinoth" to work on their machines. They have years of experience at Okemo as well as work as a mechanic. The newer machines have more computer processing which the guys have had to learn. Oh yea, and these same mechanics also work on the 30-40 vehicles and 15 shuttle buses that Okemo has. To say those guys are busy is an understatement. They are on a flat out run!

So the next time you are out skiing and think, hey these groomers did a great job today, also keep in mind that if it wasn’t for the Vehicle Maintenance departments and the dedicated souls "in the shop", Okemo wouldn’t be known for the grooming like we are.

March will soon be here, lets hope for some great spring skiing.

Bruce Schmidt
Vice-President & General Manager

The 411 on Okemo Grooming

2011-02-14T15:03:00.002-05:00

For this week’s post we reached into our mail bag. The topic? Grooming. We get questions about our grooming often, so we turned to Eb Kinney, our mountain manager of 21 years to fill us in on Okemo’s grooming philosophy. Here is what he had to say:

After last season we took a hard look at our grooming and snowmaking techniques. Making changes in the way you have done something for years is never easy, but we knew it had to be done. To give you a little background, we run two shifts of 7 snowcats from 3:45 pm – 9 am and we groom roughly 500+ acres a night, most of which is groomed twice. We have changed 3 major components in our grooming and snowmaking philosophy. What we have learned is that timing is everything, when dealing with snow.

The first thing we changed in grooming is our mountain tilling program. A mountain tiller is a drag behind cultivator or as we like to call it an aerator. It breaks up the hard surface into chunks and will cultivate to 4-6” in depth. The reason for doing this is to keep the surface from getting hard and eventually icy. Even with as much natural snow as we’ve been getting, without doing this, the surface would get hard as a rock. The next step is to run a power tiller over this, grinding up the snow and leaving the corduroy finish. The timing of this is very important. In the past we did the entire mountain tilling on first shift, from 3:45- midnight. What we found was that this allowed the mountain tilling to set up hard, not allowing the power tillers to grind it up. This also seemed to leave the small ice balls that all skiers dislike. So, this season we never let our mountain tillers get more than 2-3 hours ahead of the power tillers. This seems to have made a noticeable difference to the surface and our guests.

The second change we made was in the timing of opening the snowmaking trails. Whenever possible we let our heavy snowmaking trails leach out for 24 hours before pushing them out and opening them to the public. What I mean by leach out is let the excess water drain out from the snowmaking piles. By doing this the snow is less dense, drier and makes for a better product on the first day we re-open the trail. The first runs will be a little rough, but will typically ski in very quickly. This in turn makes for a great surface the second day after we’ve mountain tilled and power tilled. This again has been well received by our guests.

The last thing we’ve changed in snowmaking is our re-surfacing program. Our snowmaking manager has been experimenting with different nozzles in our snow guns. When re-surfacing we install smaller nozzles making a finer crystal and a nice light surface that our skiers can enjoy right away. This also allows us to move faster across the mountain. This also has been well received. Although you don’t feel our grooming has improved, we have gotten many compliments on the noticeable changes. By no means do I think we can’t become better. You have my word that we will continue to make improvements and push hard to re gain our guest’s confidence.

I hope that helps explain our grooming strategies at Okemo. As always I look forward to and appreciate all comments - both good and bad – so keep them coming!

Best regards,

Eb Kinney
Mountain Manager
Okemo Mountain Resort

Everything but the kitchen sink...

2011-02-06T14:58:00.004-05:00

The past 24 hours have been interesting here at Okemo. At Noon on Saturday Feb 5, the weather forecast was for 6 – 12 inches of snow. At 5pm the forecast was changed to 3 – 5 inches of snow with some possible icing, at 8pm the forecast was for sleet, 1-2 inches of snow and a potential thunderstorm.

Well the weatherman got the snow accumulation and the thunderstorm correct. Snow thunder is an anomaly and not something that happens very often. I’ve only seen it once in my life and I’ve never seen the type of thunderstorm that was experienced during last evening. So what did that mean for the morning opening?? Well it was interesting to say the least.

What began as dealing with some snow, soon turned into an ice problem. The Mountain Ops staff got the Base Quad, Sachem and Glades peak lifts open so we had access to the summit. The Black Ridge & Morning star as well as the carpet lifts were all good to go. The guys then went to Northstar lift and ran into some ice, some hard ice..

The decision was made to try and get the Coleman Brook Express and Jackson Gore Express up and going before the Northstar. Keep in mind, it takes anywhere from 7-11 guys to get these lifts going. The towers have to be checked to make sure the wheels (sheaves) are turning. (When they aren’t, you climb the tower with your climbing harness and beat the ice off the sheave). After the line is cleared, the chairs need to be put on the lift. This takes pushing them on with a couple guys and then getting them "spaced" for the day. As you can see it takes some time.

While some of the guys are getting the lifts going, there are several others who are going around the mountain looking at trails to make sure they are groomed and skiable. When it is decided they are not, a groomer is called over to take his machine either down or up the trail. Of course throw in that the crust that was evident on the snow was not skiable and thus the mogul trails needed to be groomed. So a groomer goes down slowly over each mogul to break things up and make it skiable. If this wasn’t done, then the rope would have to be pulled.

Now we throw in the Timber Ripper Mountain Coaster. The Ripper had some ice problems on the rails. Another group of guys was working on de-icing the Timber Ripper. Hitting the rail and removing the ice. We are learning on the Ripper and we learned that it takes time, more time than we thought...

So I’m here to thank you for your patience. I know we could do a better job communicating with our guests on what is happening. We apologize if one of your favorite trails wasn’t opened, we apologize that we had to groom the moguls, and we apologize if the skiing wasn’t the Okemo experience. I do know that things will get better and today was one of those weather days. We will work hard to improve and learn from every one of these, but safety is paramount in our decision making and there are times when things just take time.

Thanks for your support and for skiing and riding here at Okemo Mountain Resort

Bruce Schmidt
Vice-President and General Manager

More Snowmaking? You bet!

2011-01-30T14:42:00.000-05:00

The end of January is upon us and that means we are heading into the exciting months of February and March. February, while the shortest month in number of days, has some of the most exciting times with normally more snow, some great weather, excellent skiing and good business. March has the weather, more sun and some excellent spring skiing.

Snowmaking is continuing here at Okemo. No doubt it is on an as-needed basis, but we have made snow every week through January and plan to continue making. Normally, snowmaking temperatures end in early March, but we have made snow in March before……

The decisions on where to make snow is made collectively with input from mountain operations, ski patrol and myself. There may be a need to make snow to freshen up the moguls, high traffic areas, or to just make the skiing better. The intent is to pick specific areas and work on them and not get spread out so much on the mountain. With the fresh powder, the need for snowmaking becomes somewhat diminished, but we are ready to make when needed.

Grooming this season has continued with an aggressive schedule. The groomers have kept some of our trails ungroomed, but the others are being done each night. Eb Kinney, Okemo's mountain manager, changes the routine of grooming during the month so the groomers don’t always begin in the same area. This helps change things up and allows different trails to set up in different ways. The mogul trails have been groomed and snow made as needed to try and keep them in top shape.

The latest addition to the groomers' responsibility is the Superpipe. This is groomed several times a week and done with the winch cat and with the laser guided Zaugg pipe cutter. From what I hear, the pipe is in great shape.

Here's hoping for some fresh powder and great weather as February is upon us ...

Bruce Schmidt

VP & GM

What a ski operator lives for

2011-01-20T09:01:00.006-05:00

This season has been playing out to be one of our better ones in terms of number of snow storms, amount of snowfall, and overall winter weather. At the risk of sounding greedy, here are a few things I live for:

Ideal snowmaking temperatures between 0 – 15 degrees. Above 15 is OK, but not as efficient. Below 0, while we do make snow, there is a much higher alert for frozen pipes, staff frostbite and overall problems.

Snowstorms on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays. Other days can affect travel for guests, perception of travel problems and clean up issues. We like to clean up midweek when it is not as busy.

Snowstorms in Southern New England. SIMB...(Snow in my backyard) is great. It gets people thinking about skiing. And, they know Okemo will have great skiing. It also helps when the Weather Channel plays up every storm like it is the "storm of the year". We like when snow is on everyone’s mind!

Dry Powder Snow. Snow that is sticky can be tricky. Snow with a crust can be trickier. Trails that can be groomed aren’t the issue, trails that are gladed can’t be groomed and therein lies a problem. Sometimes it is a waiting game, other times we send in staff to break up the snow, sometimes we try to sneak a groomer on some of the trail. (Note to self: The Narrows is named that because it is narrow... too narrow for a groomer. And believe me we have tried!)

Sunny skies on Weekends. Self explanatory.

The most recent storm was an example of nice dry snow with a thin mix of sleet at the end. Thus, we got some crust. It has really affected the glades and moguls. The Mountain Operations staff had to "run over" the moguls so they became "beginner" moguls. The plan is to re-seed and make snow on Black Out and Sel’s Choice before the weekend so we can get them back up to snuff.

So while I'd prefer my perfect world as outlined above, there are also realities about what happens in a Mountain environment. The best thing we can do is try to communicate what we know at the time to our guests and work our hardest to try and provide the best skiing and riding possible.

In other news - the Bigloo is being built today in the courtyard at Jackson Gore. Check it out on the live web cam.

It looks like an amazing day today, hope you can get out skiing. It is Day 59 of operations. How many times have you been on the slopes???

Bruce Schmidt
VP & GM

So you want to build a superpipe?

2011-01-13T15:00:00.004-05:00

Okemo's Superpipe is slated to open this Saturday, January 15th. This will be great news for skiers and riders and the completion of a big project by Mountain Operations. Believe it or not, this project got underway about 21 days ago!

A lot of people don't realize that the pipe gets it basic shape from the ground below. The earth is actually dug out to form the basic template of a half pipe. Snow is then used to build up the walls and create the bottom of the pipe.

Once the snow is made up to the sides of the earthen pipe, the guns are shut down and work begins on phase one to "push in the pipe". The walls begin to take shape and snow is moved from top to bottom and bottom to top, as the basic structure comes together. Barry Tucker (VP Mountain Operations) and Eb Kinney (Mountain Manager) then take some readings with a laser level to determine the line and get a feel for where the walls will eventually be. After this first session of pushing and measuring, then it is back to snowmaking. Okemo works to maintain 18 foot walls with a 17 degree pitch on our Superpipe, and that takes a lot of snow!

After another round of pushing and shaping with groomers, the "cutting of the wall" begins. This work begins with an excavator for basic shape and is finished with the precision of a Zaugg pipe cutter. The Zaugg is kept in line with a laser level and a winch cat to help the machine travel up the pipe. Normally it takes a couple of passes to get it "race ready".

At this point it becomes all about letting riders take their turns so we can dial in the fine tuning of the walls. The grooming team gets on a schedule of cutting the pipe and touching up the walls a few times during the week. It is important to not cut the pipe too much - as every time it is cut we are a few inches closer to the earthen walls. As the season progresses, this can also cause the transition to become too far between the walls.

Many thanks to everyone who has helped get the pipe up and running this year. It has taken a little longer than we had expected, but we feel the final product will be well worth the wait...

Ride on,
Bruce
V.P. & G.M.

Snowmaker to the Rescue

2011-01-06T11:21:00.004-05:00

Okemo Mountain Resort operates on a 24/7 schedule 365 days a year. Sure, during the winter months we open a ski area during the daylight hours, but there is so much more that happens throughout the night. In fact, most times our guests are not even aware - but there is always something going on.

On the day of the big snow storm last week (Dec 26-27th) a guest who was staying at Trailside had her two beagles escape from their unit. Of course the wind was howling and the snow blowing, making it nearly impossible to find them. She called Okemo and the word went out to the night staff to be on the look out for these two dogs. Unfortunately those little characters weren’t seen at all that night... they must have had their nose to the ground looking for rabbits!

Well on the evening of January 2nd Jason Burton (who was the snowmaker on the noon to midnight shift) spotted them on the Buckhorn trail. He immediately called Brian Boudrou, our Night Operations Manager and he came and picked the dogs up and took them down into his office for the night. He laid some jackets on the floor and turned the heat up. Except for a few porcupine quills from an encounter in the woods, they weren’t too worse for the wear - just two very tired pups.

Brian called the owner the next morning, who was ecstatic to learn they had been found. He then arranged them to be transported to the local animal clinic where they could be looked over while awaiting their "people".

Many thanks to Brian, Jason and the entire Night Operations crew - you went above and beyond in making this happy ending.

Bruce

Weather, Wind and What's Ahead

2011-01-03T09:44:00.005-05:00

The year 2011 began with our first January thaw. I guess we should have expected such a "gift" since the weather has been ever changing for the past 6 weeks. One major snow storm, some mixed precipitation and a very cold December. Typical weather in Vermont. But a quick turnaround is the name of the game here, and snowmaking was back on as of last night. Our focus will be on both re-surfacing and patching existing terrain and working on new terrain.

Trails that have been open the longest will get first priority. These include Upper and Lower World Cup, Sapphire, Defiance as well as Upper and Lower Arrow and the base area. Some trails will get the full treatment and others will receive attention in certain sections, depending upon need. The weekend's warm weather opened up some thin spots on heavy traffic areas, so it will be obvious as to were we need to make snow.

New terrain to focus on will include the Pipe, Dream Weaver and the lift line trails. We will also revisit our slopeside lodging trails and do what we can to keep them open.

Now to wind. It goes without saying that our thoughts are with those who were injured in the Sugarloaf ski lift accident. Since that accident many of our guests have asked us what the wind procedures are at Okemo.

First, our Lift Maintenance department is staffed with top notch, experienced lift mechanics. Our Head Mechanic has been with Okemo for 20 years. His longevity is a strength not to be underestimated. He and his staff ride each lift everyday and focus on preventative maintenance all year long. Okemo's commitment to safety is both well-documented and respected in the industry.

Ski lifts are affected both by direction and speed of wind. Whenever there is a potential for a lift to be shutdown due to wind, our lift mechanics and mountain operations staff team up to constantly monitor the situation. Mechanics are vigilant to watch changing weather, operations staff ride the lift line on snowmobile to constantly assess conditions, and our ski patrol (riding the lifts) maintain a direct line of communication with mechanics. At any point any member of the team feels that wind is causing dangerous conditions they have full support to cease lift operations. Constant vigilance is not only very important, it is a priority.

This past week was very busy and hopefully you were able to enjoy some great skiing and riding. Receiving a snowstorm around Christmas is always a blessing and helped enhance the holiday week. The Okemo staff will now be working on making things better as we head into January. Thanks for your support and feel free to drop a note on how we are doing.

Bruce

Okemo Groomer Featured in Popular Mechanics

2010-12-30T11:39:00.003-05:00

"After suffering through a day's worth of skiers, a resort's slopes can be in disarray, full of uneven trails and clumps. To get them back to prime skiing condition, resorts employ snow groomers—big, hulking plow-like machines that use massive engines to push snow back up steep inclines. On a recent visit to Vermont's Okemo Mountain Resort, we got to ride in the passenger seat of one of the biggest and baddest ones on the market—the Prinoth BR500, or simply "The Beast," as Okemo's employees call it."

Read the full article.

Holiday Update from the Hill

2010-12-24T14:50:00.002-05:00

This time of the year around a ski resort is busy. New staff to be trained, weather to contend with and at the same time, we all have our own busy lives preparing for Christmas. It is an exciting time.

As we head into the holiday week after Christmas, we anticipate skiing and riding on 80 trails and operating 18 lifts. The snowmakers are receiving a well-deserved day off around Christmas, it has been 14 days straight for them working! We will be firing the snowguns back up beginning on Monday.

From all reports, the skiing has been good. I have been out a couple times this week and found some good surface, a couple trails a little firm in the middle, but all in all from the edge of one side to the edge of the other, the skiing was mid-winter conditions. The snowmaking effort has been non-stop and our plan during the holiday week is to begin resurfacing some of the terrain. The idea is to make snow for a window of time and then let it be skied. Also in our plan will be to begin making snow on Dream Weaver & Easy Rider (since Upper Mountain Road from Easy Rider on down is skiable).

Some other tidbits...
--Moguls will be seeded on Sel’s choice and Big Bang over the weekend
--The Pipe will continue to get snow, with opening targeted for early January
--The Nor’easter Park will open Saturday with plenty of jumps, rails & features
--Snowmaking will also begin on Black Out & Ledges within the near future.

The Timber Ripper Alpine Mountain Coaster has opened and everyone is very excited. A big round of applause for all the hard work and extra effort that all the Okemo Staff put into this as well as the staff of Wiegand Coasters and Alpine Recreation Ventures. We could not have done this project with out their support or the support of our guests.

All of us here at Okemo want to wish all our faithful skiers and riders a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season.

Bruce Schmidt
VP and GM
Okemo Mountain Resort

Got a nice present...

2010-12-20T14:22:00.005-05:00

I've taken a lot of heat the past few weeks on getting the real estate trails open, so when I got this message yesterday it made my day. Thought I would share it:

Dave from Kettle Brook here.

First much thanks for getting KB trail open!

Second, your mountain ops team deserves high praise for the outstanding conditions. I was lucky enough to be the first skier over at South Face this AM, and the conditions were absolutely spectacular. Not what I expected for the first day of skiing on those trails.

Right now you have some of the best conditions I've seen for this time of year in a number of years which is saying a lot considering the lack of significant natural snow to date... Granted we've had a good spell of cold weather but so has your regional competition and right now you are providing a far superior product. It's not
always about the number of open trails, but the quality of what's on those trails.. and right now your guys have nailed it.

Merry Christmas to you
and your team!

Dave & Cathy
Kettle Brook

For tonight, snowmaking will continue on Big Bang, Eclipse, Tuckered Out and Southern Crossing. (Our snowmakers should have an awesome view of the eclipse!)
We anticipate opening the Morning Star lift and trails by Friday. For the holiday week look for Dreamweaver and snow tubing to come online. And last but not least... look for the Timber Ripper to open before Christmas. As soon as I have the day, I will pass it along.

Take care,
Bruce

Grooming - the unsung hero

2010-12-16T08:51:00.003-05:00

I’ve had several guests mention to me that the skiing and riding conditions have been better than what they expected after the weather conditions the past 10 days or so. That is great to hear. To say that this early season has been a difficult one in terms of weather is an understatement. Our first measurable snowfall was actually the second week of December!

Following an early season weather event we have the luxury of being able to go back and make snow on the small number of trails that are open. When we have 50 or more trails open, it is just not possible, especially if we are also trying to open new skiable terrain. Enter grooming.

The groomers have several ways to work their magic in this circumstance. The first option is blading the trail. This entails bringing snow in from the side of the trail and working it back into the middle. This brings fresher crystal and better snow back into skiable areas. Another option is to run the blade deeper than normal while mountain tilling. This brings more snow up to the surface to be worked over. Another trick used on steeper trails is called "winching" the trail. This is a little more complicated.

The winch cat is a groomer with a large spool of cable on a drum on the middle of the machine. This cable is attached to another grooming machine, a tree, or in some cases a cable inserted into the ground (during summer months). By regulating the winch cat's speed while maintaining tension on the cable, the cat operator can pull himself up the trail with minimal spinning and a full blade of snow. This tactic allows the groomers to bring snow which is at the bottom of a trail, back up to the upper half of the terrain.

Okemo groomers are second to none. Essentially they are the caretakers of our snow. The two work in tandem, each relying on the other to make our snow surface the very best it can be.

Back to snowmaking. We are now blowing snow in the South Face area and anticipate opening up that area this coming weekend. Snowmaking has also begun on (drumroll please......) Sachem and the Superpipe! I am also hopeful that the other slopeside trails will be open by the weekend. Our next step will be making snow on Tuckered Out and heading down towards the Morning Star lift - with the goal of having that area open for skiing and riding around Christmas.

I continue to thank you for all your support and comments. We realize we are only as good as our last run, and continue to work hard to meet your expectations.

Happy Holidays.

Bruce Schmidt
VP and GM
Okemo Mountain Resort

When are we opening Sachem, and other snowmaking objectives

2010-12-09T15:23:00.005-05:00

People ask me if I get out skiing at all. The answer is somewhat. I try to get out on the slopes 2-3 times a week, but unfortunately it doesn’t always happen. Tim and Diane [Mueller] encourage managers to get out and experience the snow so we can better answer guest’s questions and concerns. Barry Tucker and Eb Kinney, our VP of Mountain Ops and Mountain Manager also try to get out the same each week so they know what is going on. I haven’t gotten out this year yet, but plan to this weekend.

Besides "when will Sachem open", the most frequently asked question I get right now is what is the snowmaking plan?. Our goal right now is to get as many different types of terrain open as we can before December 26th. That means beginner, intermediate and expert trails. How we make that happen is essentially based on the weather forecast.

The forecast for the next 48-72 hours is usually the most accurate forecast, and the one we look to constantly. If the forecast is showing winter temperatures in the teens or below, the tendency is to go after the larger trails with more acreage that require more snow. If the temps are not as cold, we may look towards the shorter trails. At any one time, we have trail objectives for the lower mountain, mid-mountain and upper mountain so when the temperature is right, we are ready to move.

By this weekend we are hopeful to have Upper and Lower Chief open as well as Sidewinder. Nor’easter will be very close behind (BTW don't forget to get your P.S.P Pass, now required for entry into Nor'easter). Being 16 days from Christmas, we are also making sure that some of our snowmaking fire power is directed toward maintenance of trails that have already opened. Maintaining the surface on those trails, while at times challenging, is very important.

Another important objective is to make sure we get snow made on the trails with slopeside homes. Sachem will definitely be the one we head to as our mid mountain objective with the Kettle Brook and Ledgwood areas being our lower mountain objective. We complete the loop by heading over to the trails in the Morningstar/Solitude area.

Bottom line is that every single trail is important to us as well as you. We do our best to prioritize and balance what we feel will make the best skiing and riding experience possible. Please continue to let us know about your skiing and riding experiences and Happy Holiday’s.

Bruce Schmidt
VP and GM
Okemo Mountain Resort

8,000-9,000 gallons per minute!

2010-12-05T14:53:00.003-05:00

Okemo uses a weather service, called Northwinds Weather. This weather service is used by many resorts in New England and does a really good job of forecasting hourly temperatures as well as elevation weather. Tony, the meteorologist, even visits Okemo to get to know the terrain so he can predict with more precision. Of course that means we blame him when we don’t have good, cold weather! His forecast for the next week? "Partly Cloudy with Flurries" and temps good for snowmaking.

At our morning snowmaking meeting, Barry Tucker VP of Mountain Ops, Eb Kinney, Mountain Manager, and Ray Kennedy, Snowmaking Manager, were all talking about how good things looked out on the mountain. Ray spoke of the fact that he has been able to max the system. That means we are pumping any where between 8000 – 9000 gallons a minute!

Eb spoke of how good the snowmaking was on Upper and Lower World Cup, but he was not happy with how firm things were on Saturday. Barry went out on a limb and said Solitude lifts and trails will be open by this coming midweek, with Jackson Gore by the weekend. Somewhat different than last week and for that matter last year. (If you don't recall, we opened for the season on this day, Dec 5th of 2009.)

Our plan continues to head towards Jackson Gore and add new terrain. We fired up guns on Lower Chief, and Heaven’s Gate and Screamin Demon are almost done so Solitude can open. Over in Jackson Gore, snow has been made to the base of the Jackson Gore Express and we are now headed down towards Fast Track and Inn Bound. Our plan is to work on Quantum Leap and Vortex and open them right along with the Jackson Gore lift and trail pod -- it is just so much efficient to make snow under a lift when its not operating.

These temperatures will also allow us to work in the Clock Tower base area. We expect to have the Basin Carpet and teaching area ready for the weekend as well as expand terrain around the bottom of the lifts, Open Slope and Bull Run. That will go a long way into making this place look more like a ski resort! Work will also began on the mid-mountain trails such as Wardance & Sel’s choice.

At the same time, we are going to keep some guns on existing terrain to make sure surfaces stay in top shape. Lifts operating this week will include Quad B, The Northstar, F-10 Carpet and the Glades Peak. On the weekend, we will add the lifts in Jackson Gore, Solitude and Green Ridge. For those wondering about the slopeside trails, we will be heading to them as we get closer to Christmas... we never forget them. :)

Grooming continues every night. In fact, it's time to take some of the guys off the Mountain Coaster project and get them started on their "winter" job of grooming. Lets all hope Winter is here to stay.

Bruce Schmidt
VP & GM
Okemo Mountain Resort

'Bridging' the gap

2010-12-05T14:45:00.003-05:00

Another major step towards finishing the Mountain Coaster was completed today. This morning at 8:30, the Mountain Ops team craned the bridge to the Jackson Gore base into position. Your loyal Okemo Mountain snow reporters got to witness this spectacle first-hand and let me say, the evidence of careful planning and solid teamwork was clear. The bridge was positioned on the concrete blocks in only 30 minutes!

The bridge contains two levels of track. The lower will connect to the 1600' uphill climb, and the top will carry you back across the river on the way down to the Jackson Gore base at up to 25 mph! This is going to be such a great ride, we can't wait to see it completed!

Stay tuned and think snow!

Where we go from here

2010-12-02T15:54:00.004-05:00

So we survived the "Noricane" of December 1st in pretty good shape... the trails held up pretty well, the skiing surface was firm, and on the plus side the snowmaking pond is now full!

The wet weather began to subside around 10pm on Wednesday night and the groomers went out around 3am - which is about the same time that snowmaking operations resumed. I am confident that the skiing, while firm on Thursday, will become better with each day of grooming.

The guns will continue to blow snow on existing terrain, but we are moving towards some new trails as well. Our #1 priority is to finish Lower Arrow so we can have two ways down from the summit. We know it has been tiresome to only have Upper and Lower World Cup to get back to the base.

Other priorities will be heading towards Jackson Gore and Solitude. We began this today by making snow on Sunburst. We will then head down Coleman Brook and Escape and onto Mountain Road and Limelight - eventually reaching the base of Jackson Gore. Both of these areas should be open by Saturday 12/11, weather permitting.

At the same time, when the temperatures allow, we will be heading down the Rimrock trail, heading towards the mid-mountain trails of Sel’s Choice and Wardance. The plan is to get spread out and some snow laid down as we head towards the Christmas Holidays.

By the way, do you know our sister resort Crested Butte has had almost 75 inches of snow this year already?

Have a good night, and thanks for choosing to ski and ride at Okemo Mountain Resort

Bruce
GM

Two Trails Diverged in a wood

2010-11-30T13:10:00.003-05:00

If you’ve been following our blog you probably already read about how we tweaked our trail opening process on Defiance this past Saturday. In fact, we heard from a lot of guests about how nice that skiing surface was when we opened it. (Keep the comments coming!)

We took a different approach on Jolly Green Giant – and the result was very different. Guests encountered a much firmer surface.

The difference? On Defiance we made enough snow to cover the trail and let it sit for one full day so that the water could leach out, then groomed it out and opened it. On Jolly Green we made snow, immediately groomed it out and opened it the next day.

As I said, guests loved the opening surface on Defiance. It was essentially what you’d find a day after a nice snowstorm! However, because a hard-packed base had not been developed we found that ruts were forming on the trail by mid-afternoon. On Jolly Green, the immediate grooming and skiing of the snow had packed the base; so while it was not as smooth a ride on opening day, the base of that trail is now ready for a season of skiing and riding (and more snowmaking of course!).

The task at hand is to find a good balance. Here’s the current plan: make snow to cover a trail, groom it out and ski it. This sets the base. Then, take a second pass at snowmaking but this time let it sit overnight to leach (this means closing the trail for one day), then groom and ski it.

So… which trail did you take?

A message from our GM

2010-11-26T17:02:00.004-05:00

The 2010 ski season is beginning with a bang... 4th day of operation and the Mountain Op’s guys had to bang off ice to get the Northstar lift running. As we all woke up this morning to the freezing rain, the thought was "what is the mountain going to be like"? The good news was that the freezing rain had not set real hard on the summit and thus, the banging of the sheaves and grips, while needed, wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Saturday we plan to add Defiance, the upper half of Sapphire, Upper Arrow and Double Dipper along with the Glades Peak and the Green Ridge Triple. Check out Defiance and let us know how it was on Saturday. We let the trail sit another day after snowmaking to hopefully improve the skiing and riding. By letting more water leach out, we feel the snow will lay out better. Kind of like the theory of rush to eat at Thanksgiving and get too full, or take your time to savour the meal and the experience... something like that! Oh and by the way, once we open up Sapphire, the rails will be moved over to that trail from World Cup.

While each season has it’s quirks, this one is proving to be an interesting one. When the snowmakers can’t make snow, they go and work on the Timber Ripper. When the groomers, electricians and lift mechanics have a free moment, they go and work on the Timber Ripper. When Barry and Eb have got the mountain open for the day, they go and work on the Timber Ripper. You get the idea.

Without their dedication and extra effort we wouldn’t be riding the Timber Ripper as soon as we are. We hope to have a better feel for the opening of the Timber Ripper within the next 10 days or so. I’m telling everyone right now that it will be before Christmas.

In the meantime, let us know how we are doing and thanks for skiing and riding with us.

Bruce Schmidt
General Manager, Okemo

200 Snow Guns - wow!

2010-11-24T14:51:00.003-05:00

From Barry, VP of Okemo Mountain Operations:

Our core philosophy of always being ready paid off last Saturday night. The temps that were predicted were nothing great, however they did drop considerably more throughout the night. We were able to light approximately 200 snow guns and reached a maximum pumping rate of 8,000 GPM. The majority of the snow that we opened with yesterday was made in a 12 hour period!

Ray Kennedy (Snowmaking Manager) and his crew never missed a minute of opportunity.

We had snowmaking temps on the upper 25% of the mountain starting around 2 AM this morning. They are predicted to hold during the day with a potential inversion throughout the evening. If that happens we are going to push very hard to reach the base area tonight. In fact, Ray and his men are reconfiguring the snow gun placements to take maximum advantage of the brief time frame that we are going to be working with.

It all comes down to using the proper snow gun for the temps and time frame that we are dealing with in this "early season game".

On the grooming side of the house...

On the fly grooming has been the status quo for our first few days. On opening day we regroomed due to "shrinkage" during the night. Some of the warm weather had left pock marks and we felt another grooming would improve things dramatically. This morning we again chose to regroom just before opening, but this time for the opposite reason. Temperatures had dropped considerably and we didn't want the surface too firm. At this point, we'll see what tomorrow brings!

Snowmaking resumes!

2010-11-19T08:40:00.006-05:00

The temps we have been waiting for finally arrived last night! Our snowmaking team fired up the guns on some lower sections of the mountain around 10:00pm Thursday night and continued this morning firing up the guns on World Cup around 2:00am.

Your loyal snow reporters, Sarah and Pete, along with our new videographer Chuck, took a morning trek up to the summit to see the action and watch a breathtaking sunrise over the Village of Ludlow. The forecast looking into the weekend should make for more 'making, so keep your fingers crossed that the temps stay low, do your snow dance, whatever! Just think snow, snow, SNOW!

Good temps to come

2010-11-17T10:23:00.007-05:00

At last it seems that Mother Nature wants to play ball! The weather outlook, while wet and warm the last few days, is starting to look up, or cold to be more precise. Barry and the boys of Mountain Ops have checked, double checked, and readied all the equipment to turn out a fabulous season; starting tonight it is looking like they can begin doing exactly that!

Over the next few nights we are expecting to get temperatures that will allow for aggressive snowmaking and bring us one step closer to getting on the slopes ASAP! "It would seem that our next chance to open will probably be around the middle of next week," says Vice-President and General Manager, Bruce Schmidt. "If we can get open before Thanksgiving we no doubt will be trying!"

Stay tuned to the snow report for weather updates, and this blog for snowmaking progress as we head into the weekend.

Think cold and think snow!

Profile: The Beast!

2010-11-11T11:37:00.005-05:00

We are proud to introduce a major player of our grooming team!

Hometown: Sterzing, Italy
Engine: 6 Cylinder Turbo Diesel
Height: 10' 3 7/8"
Weight: 25,460 lb
Siblings: BR350
Claim to fame: 40% wider and more powerful than little brother
Special Skills: Laying down smooth courderoy
Favorite Food: Diesel!
Hobbies: Playing in the snow, nighttime strolls up the mountain, and knitting.

The Beast is super excited for the upcoming season and urges everyone to "think snow"!

News from the frontline

2010-11-09T11:20:00.007-05:00

Barry Tucker, VP of Mountain Ops shares his thoughts on the state of the mountain...

Q: Any snowmaking in the forecast?

A: The overall trends in the weather for the next few days do not look any better than the last week. However, Ray and crew have had a great opportunity to fine tune the system and stage for a real aggressive program when the temps happen.

Q: What is the crew up to in the meantime?

A: We have been putting a lot of effort into finishing our mountain coaster - The Timber Ripper. It's a much larger project than we originally planned, but that's OK! We have one of Wiegand's top installers on the job to guide us and help coordinate our efforts. If there is anything our Mountain Ops team likes, it is a real challenge and this is one of them. The finished product will be worth the effort. It is going to be one of the premier coaster rides in the country, if not #1 and the natural topography the coaster is located on is very unique, providing quite a ride!

An update from the hill

2010-11-03T11:21:00.004-04:00

Today's Update from Barry Tucker, VP of Mountain Operations:

The current forecast does not show much for good snowmaking in the near future. (Last night's temperature inversion stopped us around 10 pm.) However our philosophy here at Okemo is not to put too much faith into any forecast, the key is just to "be ready" - because if the forecasters are wrong and the temps drop, we need to be ready to move.

One advantage of running into some of the more marginal temperatures early season is that you have an opportunity to test your equipment, as well as train your new staff. So when the temps come in we are ready to run at maximum potential which is 9200 Gallons, Per, Minute -- and then everyone is running!

It’s all about taking maximum advantage of the brief periods of cold temperatures that we have early season in Vermont.

Think cold, and think snow!

Snowmaking On!

2010-11-02T11:05:00.006-04:00

Okemo fired up the snowguns last night around 7:45pm and continued to blow snow all night long.

According to Bruce Schmidt, Okemo's General Manager..."Okemo had a very good night of snowmaking. Snow was made in the summit area, on Countdown and about halfway down Upper World Cup. The plan is to continue to make snow aggressively as temperatures permit."

And, with temperatures projected in the teens tonight we'll resume on Countdown and the summit, and continue onto Buckhorn, Sapphire, and potentially Jolly Green Giant. "If you can envision a line across the center of the mountain where temperatures are cold enough," he shares, "we'll move from the summit down each trail just about as close as we can get to that line."

Looking ahead to the next few nights, Wednesday and Thursday night offer a chance of 1-2" of natural snow, followed by slightly moderating temperatures toward the end of the week, but colder again into weekend. We are moving water, trying to cool it down as much as we can, checking the pumps and compressors and working out any bugs... things looked good for night #1 and we are working towards opening day.

more photos and video available on facebook

Preparations are Underway!

2010-10-27T13:21:00.005-04:00

See what our snowmaking team is up to this week.. and what is wet bulb anyway?

More good stuff to know: Okemo's anticipated opening day is Saturday November 20, 2010. Obviously this date is contingent upon the weather and whatever Mother Nature throws at us.

Our snowmaking plan? To cover trails as follows: Buckhorn, Count Down, Upper World Cup, Drop Off, Link and Lower World Cup. Typically we get the upper Mountain open and work our way down from there.

THINK SNOW!

Leader of the Pack

2010-10-08T09:39:00.003-04:00

Barry Tucker’s Okemo roots are planted way back in the first year the mountain was open, when he skied in the junior racing program, eventually becoming a coach for about seven years. When Tim and Diane Mueller purchased the mountain in 1982 Barry was in the construction business, a summer-only occupation. So, when he saw they were looking for a year-round mountain manager, he decided to apply.

Fast forward 28 years and meet Barry Tucker, VP of Mountain Operations at Okemo. Barry leads the snowmaking, grooming, and lift operations teams that have earned the mountain many awards and accolades over the years. Among his many responsibilities, Barry focuses on the making, moving and grooming of snow. He is passionate about his work, but quick to point out that it is the strength of his team and their cohesive direction that puts Okemo on top of the charts for snow quality.

With advancing technology and modern equipment, you would think the snowmaking equation is simple (more on that later). Enter Mother Nature in New England.

"The key with snowmaking, from a capital and efficiency point of view, hinges on the ability to respond quickly to brief periods of cold weather," Tucker says. "You need large storage and pumping ability and an efficient distribution system. We clearly understand the hardships Mother Nature throws at us. We do not look at the negative perspective. We look at the hardships as an opportunity to show what we can do in relation to the whole industry."

And that is exactly what sets Okemo apart in the industry. In fact, finding ways to make snow more efficiently and at temperatures closer to freezing is one of his top priorities. His tools? A skilled and loyal staff that go way above and beyond just doing a job, but take personal pride in what they can accomplish.

Meet the team leaders, who combined have over 200 years of history with Okemo – now that is amazing!

Eb Kinney, Mountain Manager - with Okemo for 20 years
Brian Boudro, Night Operations Manager – with Okemo for 17 years
George Griggs, Office Manager, Shuttle Services Manager – with Okemo 27 years
Greg Carter – Lift Maintenance, with Okemo 27 years
Ray Kennedy, Snowmaking Manager, with Okemo 16 years
Norm Koch, Manager of Skier Services, with Okemo 20 years
Dennis Brady, Manager of Parks & Pipes, with Okemo 17 years
Dave Thompson, with Okemo 9 years
Bill Johnson, Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance, 17 years
Dan Boyer, Electrical Manager, with Okemo 26 years
Jim Seiberling, First Aid, with Okemo 10 years

Okemo's Blog Takes on New Purpose

2010-09-28T11:18:00.005-04:00

Have you ever wondered what happens on the mountain after the lifts stop turning, how we decide when to make snow, or how our grooming philosophy consistently wins us top rankings in the industry?

Make our new grooming and snowmaking blog part of your morning routine. Hear directly from our head of snowmaking and grooming and his staff as they come off the night shift – learn what the team encountered overnight and what to expect on the hill the coming day. We may even toss in some local lore and a good joke here and there – you just never know.

We’ll post as appropriate as snowmaking gets underway in early November – and then count on us at least twice a week from opening day until the last lift spins on closing day. Up next? Meet our Snowmaking and Grooming Teams. Look for introductions in early October!

Questions or comments? Go for it – we’d love to hear what you have to say.

Ikea on steroids

2010-09-27T10:36:00.000-04:00

The first of six (or more) containers of mountain coaster parts has arrived from Germany. It looks to me like an Ikea purchase on steroids. The container includes parts and pieces, and boxes of widgets and thingamajigs ... all labeled in German. I hope the assembly instuctions have pictures as good as Ikea's. ;-)

Stay tuned for construction updates.

Learn more about Okemo's new Mountain Coaster.

the new carpet lift is here ... the new carpet lift is here!

2010-09-10T09:39:00.000-04:00

There's a chill in the air and signs of the changing seasons are all around us. One of those signs was delivered today on the back of a flat-bed truck. The shiny, silver metal sections of Okemo's newest lift arrived this morning.

In the heyday of surface lifts, Okemo was renowned for its network of Pomalifts. Okemo even boasted the longest Pomalift in North America. The Upper Lift, later renamed the Red Poma, measured 6,207 feet in length. Pomalifts consist of a round rubber disc at the end of a long pole connected to an overhead cable. This winter, Okemo’s final vestige of that era will be dismantled and mothballed to make room for a newer, more user-friendly surface lift for young children learning how to ski. The Snow Star Poma, located in the Galaxy Bowl Learning Area at Okemo’s Clock Tower Base Area, is being replaced with a180-foot, magic-carpet-style surface lift.

“The new carpet lift will help shorten the learning curve for beginning Snow Stars participants,” said Okemo Ski + Ride School Director Dan Bergeron. “When ready, children will transition from the smaller Skywalker Carpet lift without having to learn how to ride a new style of lift. As a result, children will be able to move up to the larger Galaxy Bowl slope sooner than before. The new carpet lift will also have greater capacity, meaning more ski time for Okemo’s youngest new skiers!”

US Air Force Band of Liberty

2010-09-01T13:49:00.006-04:00

One never knows what kind of music will be at our Friday Night Concert Series at Jackson Gore. You know its going to be great music, but what kind? This summer we ran a full slate of fine musical entertainment. We kicked off the summer with the smooth sounds of Dr. Burma and then threw ya right in to the Jam band world with Twiddle.
We covered all different types of music from funk to reggae to blues to rock. The power of music can be measured in many ways. Music can take you on a journey. It can heal,relax, party, worship and energize. We hope this weeks Band will excite! The US Air Force Band of Liberty's sounds will inspire Air Force members and the great nation they serve, producing innovative musical programs and products, and communicating Air Force excellence throughout New England and around the globe.
The weather is looking good, so pack up your chairs and head on over to Jackson Gore this Friday for some inspirational tunes! Show time is @ 6:30pm with the festivities ending around 8pm. This is a FREE concert open to everyone - rain or shine!

these are a few of my favorite wings

2010-08-02T14:46:00.000-04:00

What goes better with beer at a brew fest than wings? This year, Okemo is making a good thing better by introducing a Chicken Wing Championship to it's lineup of fabulous festivities on Aug. 7. The Hops in the Hills Brew Fest will feature a dozen local and regional breweries offering samples of their finest. And this year, for the first time ever, several local restaurants will be vying for the highly coveted title of Okemo Valley Chicken Wing Champion.

The fun begins at 1 p.m. and runs until 6 p.m. Bluesman Chris Kleeman will get the music rolling and warm up the crowd for bluegrass sensation Possum Haw. $20 includes a pint glass and 4 beer tickets. Additional beer tickets can be purchased at 4 tickets for $5. Wing tickets are 6 for $5 or a voting package includes 12 tickets and a vote for $10.

This is a rain-or-shine event. The location is the Paleo Indian site at Jackson Gore. In case of rain, the event will move under cover at the Jackson Gore Ice House.

He's not a lawyer, but he plays one on TV

2010-07-19T14:05:00.003-04:00

You may know him as the skeezy lawyer on Scrubs, but at Friday night's Jackson Gore Outdoor Music Series performance, Sam Lloyd showed a crowd of Beatles fans what he can do with a bass guitar. Sam and his friends from Syracuse University, aka The Butties, rocked the house with one Beatles tune after another. Most were well known, but the band showed that they really know their Fab Four history with a few obscure tunes as well.

The performance was peppered with appearances from friends doing vocals, playing drums, french horn, and a special appearance by Sam's dad, Sam Lloyd, Sr., as "The Admiral" for a heartwarming rendition of Yellow Submarine.

And if you think Sam, Sr., looks a little like Jim from Taxi or Doc Brown, from Back to the Future, just chalk it up to a family resemblance. Sam is the brother of Christopher Lloyd.

Join us this Friday night in the Jackson Gore courtyard for The Pete Kilpatrick Band. The concert is free and the music starts around 6 p.m.

OVGC in the News

2010-06-29T13:18:00.001-04:00

Links Magazine named Okemo Valley Golf Club one of New England's Top 25 Golf Courses You can view the entire collection of their favorite places to play online.

And speaking of links, it's shaping up to be a fantastic weekend to get out on the links here at Okemo. The course is in superb shape and the patio at Willie Dunn's Grille is a wonderful place to enjoy lunch or an after-play beverage.

Tater Hill is a short and scenic drive from the resort. The cottage-style flower gardens are near peak bloom and the views of the surrounding hillsides will make play this weekend simply spectacular.

Spring House Open House

2010-06-10T09:36:00.002-04:00

Saturday June 26th 7:00 AM-7:00 PM

Why wait until 3:00 PM- Okemo's Flip Flop Festival to kick off the summer?

Instead, kick off your flip flops and go for a swim in the pool, or ride the slide into the cool water. Maybe bring the youngsters for a splash in the fountains of our 18" splash pool, or get a good workout on the treadmill.

All for FREE.

The Spring House, Okemo's pool and fitness center will be free for the public from 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM. including group fitness classes like Zumba, Hatha Yoga and Power Yoga. If you've been wondering if you should try to get fit or try out a class, Saturday 6/26 is the day! Of course, if you like it, we'd love to have you back and will be happy to tell you about membership rates and day pass prices to fit all budgets. Sorry...can't resist.

See you Saturday June 26th, tell a friend!

Musicians and fans pay tribute to a Ludlow artist

2010-05-20T10:17:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, Sandra Wright, a blues singer and resident of Ludlow, VT passed away this winter at the age of 61. Her music and generosity have filled the Okemo Valley for over 15 years. On June 12th we pay tribute to one of Ludlow's great musicians with a remembrance concert for the Friends of Sandra Wright. Artists including Chris Kleeman, Rick Reddington, Gypsy Reel, The Pleasents, and members from three of Sandra's previous bands will play during an all day concert event. Music starts at 1pm at Okemo's Jackson Gore and will run until 8pm, ending with Sandra's Memphis Band, Soul Kitchen.

Advance tickets are on sale at the following locations:

Chittenden Bank, Ludlow, VT
BE Music - Rutland, VT
Blue Mountain Guitar - Hanover, NH
The Northshire Bookstore - Manchester, VT
The Belmont General Store - Belmont, VT

Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door

Okemo's Outdoor Music Series is BACK!

2010-05-18T12:46:00.001-04:00

I don't remember who came up with this idea, but it was a good one! The Jackson Gore Outdoor Music Series has become a Friday-night ritual for lots of local folk (myself included). It's such a great vibe with people socializing, listening to the music, kids running around, burgers on the grill and a cold beer in hand ... what could be better? It's a great way to start the weekend from June 18 through September 3.

On Friday nights throughout the summer season, the lawn in the courtyard at Okemo's Jackson Gore Inn is transformed into an outdoor concert venue featuring popular local and regional entertainers. Admission to the Jackson Gore Outdoor Music Series is free and the grounds open at 5 p.m. Concerts are slated to run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Families are welcome and all attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets. In case of rain, the concerts will move indoors. Dining options include fresh-from-the-grill burgers, hot dogs, chicken and ribs, or full-service dining with an al fresco seating option at Jackson Gore's Coleman Brook Tavern.

Here's the lineup:

Kicking off this year's concert series, on June 18, is Dr. Burma. Dr. Burma has been playing for enthusiastic audiences all over New England for more than 20 years. Dynamic vocals, stellar musicianship, and an irresistible groove have built Dr. Burma's reputation as one of the area's premier rhythm and blues dance bands, playing clubs, concerts, festivals and parties throughout northern New England and New York.

Following Dr. Burma, the summer lineup for the Jackson Gore Outdoor Music Series includes: Twiddle, June 25; Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys, July 2; Crunchy Western Boys, July 9; The Butties, July 16; The Pete Kilpatrick Band, July 23; The Alchemystics, July 30; Sly Geralds, August 6; The Chris Kleeman Band, Aug. 13; The Slim Redmond Band, August 20; Bud and Budd the Kind Buds, Aug. 27; The U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty, September 3.

Saturday BONUS:
In addition to the Jackson Gore Outdoor Music Series, Okemo will host three special Saturday events. The Flip Flop Festival, slated for June 26, features musical guests J-San & the Analogue Sons opening for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. Okemo's second annual Hops in the Hills Beer Festival and Chicken Wing Championship will include the folk and bluegrass sounds of PossumHaw on August 7. The final festival of the season is scheduled for October 9. Okemo's fourth annual Parrothead Party celebrates the music of Jimmy Buffett with tribute band Changes in Latitudes.

Go online for more event info or call 802-228-1600. For dinner reservations at Coleman Brook Tavern, call 802-228-1435.

Tater Hill Opens with 18 Holes of Play

2010-04-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

Tater Hill Golf Club, in Windham, Vt., opened for the season on Friday, April 23.

“The course is in good shape,” said Club Manager and Head Golf Professional John Pawlak. “This is about the best I’ve seen it this early in the season.”

Tater Hill opened with all 18 holes of play. Tee times are required and can be scheduled starting at 8 a.m. daily. Early-season greens fees, including cart, run through May 20: $39 midweek and $49 weekends. The clubhouse restaurant is slated to open May 6.

Nestled in a pastoral setting of rolling hills with stone walls, split-rail fences and birch-lined fairways, Tater Hill is a par-71, 18-hole championship course measuring 6,400 yards. With plenty of challenge for low handicaps, golfers of all ability levels can enjoy a layout that offers undulating fairways, spectacular views, cottage-style flower gardens and the casual ambience of a former Vermont hill farm. Tater Hill is located on Popple Dungeon Road (off Rt. 11), 22 miles southwest of Ludlow, in Windham, Vt.

Tee times may be arranged by calling (802) 875-2517. More information about Tater Hill Golf Club is available online.

Congrats to NASTAR Team Okemo!

2010-04-21T14:29:00.000-04:00

Six skiers and snowboarders from Okemo Mountain Resort competed in the 2010 Nature Valley NASTAR National Championships March 25-28 at Winter Park Resort. Four returned home with medals.

“We are so proud of the six Okemo racers who competed at the Nationals,” said Okemo Mountain Resort Vice-President and General Manager Bruce Schmidt. “These men and women work so hard and are an inspiration to us all.”

Doug Gould, age 48, of Rochester, Vt., attended his first Nationals and took the bronze in the men’s 45-49 snowboard division.

Christine Jenne, age 57, of Huntington, N.Y., was hoping to repeat her performance last year - a bronze medal in the women’s 55-59 gold division.

Sue Kramer, age 44, of Peru, Vt., took first place in the women’s 40-44 platinum division. She won the same title last year at the Nationals in Steamboat.

Herb Maierle, age 74, of Middle Village, N.Y., placed second in the men’s 70-74 gold division. He took gold at the 2008 event.

Patrick Moore, age 63, of Newington, Conn., has been Okemo’s NASTAR Coordinator and Pacesetter for the past four years. He holds the title of 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010 Age Group National Snowboarding Champion and in 2008 became the first racer to concurrently become the National Age Group Champion in both skiing and snowboarding.

Bob Zawacki, age 70, of Farmington, Conn., competed in his first National Championship, finishing in sixth place in the hotly contested men’s 70-74 gold division.

NASTAR, the world’s largest recreational ski and snowboard race program, is owned and operated by Bonnier Mountain Group, publisher of Skiing magazine, SKI magazine and Warren Miller Entertainment.

Since the program’s inception four decades ago, more than six million racer days have been recorded by NASTAR. Last season, more than 220,885 NASTAR racer days and a record 553,808 starts were logged. Racers qualify for the National Championships by earning a top-three ranking in their age division at any of the 120-plus Nature Valley NASTAR ski resorts throughout North America.

Congratulations!

farewell to winter - hello golf season!

2010-04-08T10:51:00.000-04:00

The time has come to put the boards away and dust off the clubs. Okemo Mountain Resort will end lift service operations for the season, earlier than anticipated, at the end of the day on Friday, April 9. On the next day, Saturday, April 10, Okemo Valley Golf Club is slated to open, also earlier than anticipated, with 18 holes of golf at reduced, early-season rates.

“No matter how hard the mountain operations staff works and the ski patrol marks the trails, the skiing and riding experience just isn’t what we would like,” said Okemo VP and General Manager Bruce Schmidt. “So the time has come. Many thanks to all our staff for their hard work as well as to our guests who have supported us all season long.”

Okemo was originally targeting April 18 as closing day and then moved that date up to April 11. Unfortunately, for skiers and riders, spring came to Vermont a little earlier than anticipated. Okemo also got a late start to the season due to warmer winter temperatures in November. In spite of Mother Nature’s lack of support at the beginning and end of the 2009/2010 ski and snowboard season, Okemo is reporting its third best season on record. Approximately 603,000 skier visits were recorded for the season. A skier visit is defined as one person participating in the sport of snow sliding for all or part of a day. Every type of lift ticket sale is factored into a resort’s total skier visits for the season.

Okemo Valley Golf Club will open on Saturday, April 10 with discounted, early-season greens fees through May 7. A full, 18-hole round of golf will be offered at $40 for adults and $25 for juniors. A 9-hole round will be priced at $22 for adults and $15 for juniors. Carts will be available at regular season rates and carts will be allowed on cart paths only until further notice.

Tee times may be scheduled by calling (802) 228-1396. FORE!

The Lift Ride experience has changed!

2010-03-30T10:45:00.002-04:00

First off - let me say there is nothing wrong with our lifts - they are quick, always working and the lift crew has been great this year. I have noticed that the ride to the summit has changed. In years past, you would load and then greet others on the lift with you. This would always lead to a nice conversation on the way to the top. Lift rides are a great way to chat with other skiers and riders. As an employee, I like to see how folks are doing, if they are enjoying the mountain and usually ask where they hail from. Nowadays it is a completely different experience. People ski or ride with music, which is usually too loud for someone to hold a conversation. Those not jamming out are on the phone or texting on the lift. I am not against technology, but it has defintely changed society. Next time you are on the lift, put the phone away, turn down the tunes and go old school! Strike up a conversation with your lift mates. You know the lift goes to the top, who knows where the conversation will go.
Ride on and Ride Safely - GravityHound

Okemo Rider Benji Farrow Wins USSA Rev Tour Final

2010-03-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Revolution Tour wrapped up its final day of halfpipe competition of the season Wednesday, March 17. Benjamin Farrow, of Mount Holly, Vt., took home the win in Men's Halfpipe .

Farrow landed the top spot of the podium after falling during his first run. He stepped up to the plate and laid down a solid second run to take the win. Jd Dennis (Bend, OR) and Cody Tyler Weselis (Park City, UT) trailed Farrow to take second and third.

“I actually had to take my second run, go back and calm down a little,” said Farrow. “I had to give it something I could really land.”

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Revolution Tour
Mt. Hood, OR
March 17, 2010
Halfpipe

Men
1. Benjamin Farrow, Mt. Holly, VT
2. Jd Dennis, Bend, OR
3. Cody Tyler Weselis, Park City, UT

Women
1. Allyson Carroll, Truckee, CA
2. Rainey Pogue, Jackson, WY
3. Jenna Dramise, Henderson, NV

Okemo, All Come Home ... the second edition

2010-03-12T11:07:00.000-05:00

Award-winning author Karen D. Lorentz has recently completed the second edition of Okemo, All Come Home, a comprehensive history of the popular year-round resort. Okemo will host a book signing from 3-5 p.m. on Sat., March 13, in the Jackson Gore Real Estate Showroom. In addition to the author, Okemo Mountain Resort's own Tim and Diane Mueller will be on hand to autograph books. It was their vision and hard work that turned the resort into the success that it is today.
The limited second edition of Okemo, All Come Home, by Karen D. Lorentz, traces the story of Okemo Mountain Resort from inception to present day and it is destined to become another collector's item with Okemo skiers and riders, as well as those interested in ski history. The highly coveted first edition, published in 1996, is out of print and has been unavailable for several years. The updated book features 40 pages of color photography and more than 200 black-and-white images of the area's history and people. This is the authoritative story of Okemo written by a local, award-winning author. Lorentz's in-depth research features interviews with many of the resort's original founders, board members and general managers, as well as present-day management, for a firsthand account of the Okemo story.
Karen D. Lorentz has been writing about skiing since 1979. In 2006, she became the first woman to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in ski writing by the International Skiing History Association. In 2007, the North American Snowsports Journalists Association awarded Honorable Mention to her book The Great Vermont Ski Chase in the Harold Hirsch ski book competition. More information about Lorentz is available at http://www.karenlorentz.com/.

Okemo, All Come Home is available for purchase at Okemo's Snowsports Shops; at The Book Nook, Chapter XIV and Totem Pole Sports Shop, in Ludlow, Vt.; Annie's Book Shop, in Rutland, Vt.; and by mail at Mountain Publishing, Inc., 1300 CCC Road, Shrewsbury, VT 05738.

Bright Lights, Big Tricks!

2010-03-01T15:36:00.000-05:00

Okemo hosted its first-ever Light The Night Rail Jam on Saturday, Feb. 27. Seventy competitors and hundreds of spectators turned out for a jam format event that featured three park features: a gap-to-flat-down box, a cannon drop and a down rail.

Illumination of the course was provided by the Ludlow Fire Department and $670 in proceeds from the event went to the LFD for their shining contribution.

Prizes were awarded in several categories. In the Under 16 Men’s Snowboard division, first place went to Peter Cerulo, 15, of West Windsor, Vt. Alex Von Braun, 15, of Greenwich, Conn., claimed second place and third went to Jack Valentine, 11, of Sparta, N.J. The 16 and Older Men’s Snowboard division champion, and winner of a $460 cash prize, was Matt Schaffer, 20, of Brownsville, Vt. Second place went to Benji Farrow, 17, of Mount Holly, Vt. Rounding out the podium with third, was Sean Kaulbach, 20, of Andover, N.H. The Under 16 Skier receiving top honors was Matt Hauser, 13, of Ludlow, Vt. Sam Pawlak, 14, of Windham, Vt., took second place and Jared Coletti, 10, of Kintnersville, Pa., claimed third. Men Skiers 16 and Older taking the podium were Dan Jones, 20, of North Sutton, N.H., in first place; Christian Franchino, 15, of Manchester Center, Vt., in second; and Paddy Dayton, 19, of Bradford, N.H., in third.

Women Snowboarders taking top honors in the Under 16 division were Grace Vosburgh, 12, of Plymouth, Vt., and Leah Jennings, 14, of Darien, Conn. Brynn Paraschos, 20, of Bangor, Pa., claimed the top spot in the 16 and Older Women’s division. Maggie Seiple, 21, of Ludlow, Vt., took second, and third place went to Lily Calabrese, 16, of Proctorsville, Vt. Megan Ellmaker, 13, of Erwinna, Pa., claimed top honors in the Under 16 Women Skiers division.

First, second and third place winners received skis, snowboards, gear bags and outerwear for prizes. The top skier and top snowboarder each claimed a cash prize of $460.

GO TEAM USA!

2010-02-21T10:44:00.000-05:00

Okemo's creative ops team showed their Olympic spirit with this colorful carving etched into the back of the Jackson Gore "Bigloo," located in the courtyard.

Glades Peak Sneak

2010-02-18T11:22:00.007-05:00

Something dawned on me this morning while going through my normal snow reporting routine -- I've never been down Triplesec! Well, I shouldn't say never. I've been riding at Okemo for nearly 15 years, so chances are I flew down it at some point. But, to my recollection I had no memory of it. So, today I set out on a mission to ride Triplesec -- the trail I often hear about from the General Manager every morning because it is typically on the "ungroomed" list.

Here we are, dead-center in the middle of the February vacation week, and as I hobble around in my snowboard boots at the top of Triplesec not a single passerby comes through. The Glades Peak area is one of the less traveled sections of the mountain. Perhaps because it isn't accessed by a high-speed lift, just a trusty quad chair. As I found out, sometimes it's nice to take it slow.

There are a few things I like about the Glades Peak area. First, as previously mentioned, it's borderline desolate. Second, the area is loaded with pines. On a warm day the smell is invigorating and the aesthetics are quintessential Green Mountain. Third, it catches a lot of sun almost any time of day -- perfect for goggle-tan hunters.

Although not the longest trail on the map, the black-diamond Triplesec proved to be a hidden gem. The photo above was taken today (2/18) at the top of the trail. That's the day after a 6'' powder day in the middle of a holiday week, and there's still untouched snow! After a gradual pitch at the beginning, the slope drops off nicely as it hooks a right towards the Glades Peak Chair. The next time you're daily routine is feeling a little stale, try sneaking over to the Glades Peak area for some peace, quiet, and powder. See you on the slopes!

Yo! Da Smokey Jo's cheesesteak is the bomb!

2010-02-16T09:20:00.009-05:00

Yo - I was born in Philadelphia moved to Chicago and then back to Philly for 16 years. I went to college at Drexel University and have worked for the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, Phantoms and Kixx (major indoor soccer). With that said, I know the city well and consider myself an expert in cheesesteakology. I have my favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night spots to score great cheesesteaks. If your ever in Philly my favorites are Jim's on South Street and Delessandro's in Manyunk. Don't be fooled by Pat's or Geno's they are tourist traps!

My new rule is - Anyone who comes up from Philly to visit must bring a cheeseteak to gain entry into my home.

Now you may say - "Ok where is he going with this?" A few years ago, I moved to Vermont and have been on a search for a killer cheesesteak.
It took a few years, but I finally found it. This cheesesteak resides in the SugarHouse at Okemo Mountain Resort. Smokey Jo's BBQ, out on the SugarHouse deck, has it dialed in.
This is a cheesesteak Rocky would be proud of!
Yous guys should definitely swing thru and try one!

Okemo's Dale Talkington goes big in the big west

2010-02-15T07:55:00.004-05:00

Okemo's own Dale Talkington, an Okemo Mountain School student and Okemo sponsored athlete, put together this little clip for all the world to see. Dale is currently in Utah filming with the 4bi9 film company for their upcoming movie.

Keep up the good work Dale!

dale t sample from Dale Talkington on Vimeo.

are you an igloo guy?

2010-02-08T16:56:00.001-05:00

The Okemo Operations Guys have outdone themselves again. With President's Vacation Week coming up, they decided to do something fun for visiting families; they built an igloo in the courtyard at Jackson Gore.

Okemo Recreation Manager K.C. Gandee recently faced his fear of igloos in a short video called Igloo Guy.

You can see how the Ops Guys worked their magic by viewing The Making of Okemo's "BIGLOO"

Winter Carnival's Fun Race was a huge success!

2010-02-07T14:02:00.008-05:00

As part of the Ludlow Winter Carnival, the Kid's Fun Race at Jackson Gore proved to be an exciting time. This race will consisted of children 13 and under being timed in a foot race up and over the big mound of snow and over bales of hay and thru the finish line in the Jackson Gore Courtyard. All contestants were winners and received a sweet Mountain Dew stocking cap, but the fastest boy boy and girl in the 6 and Under and 7 - 13 yr old divisions won an Okemo Mountain Resort lunch pail with Snickers candy, hand warmers and a bottle of Poland Spring Water!

The 6 and Under boys winner was Quinn Riorclen and the boys 7 - 13 yr old winner was Mason Colby. Both boys are from Connecticut.
The 6 and Under girls winner was Molly Wetherbee and her sister Grace was the girls 7 - 13 yr old winner. The ladies are from Massachusetts.
Smiles were abundant at Jackson Gore today!

Okemo's Joey Jam Car has arrived

2010-02-07T10:20:00.005-05:00

Back for year 2, Okemo's hugely popular "Joey Jam" will take place on March 27th. We searched long and hard for a great prize for this year's winner and came up with this amazing automobile. Aptly named "Snow White", this 1989 Camaro is ready for the ski season. Times are tough and gas is expensive, so with you in mind we went for something a bit more fuel friendly then last year's big v-8. The motor in this beauty starts right up and it drives great. Next week Snow White is heading up to Terry's Car Audio on South Main St in Rutland Vermont for a new Pioneer CD Player and some eFX Speakers. Thule has graciously donated a ski rack for the car, so you and 3 friends can load up the skis or boards and head back to Okemo for Slush Cup and Killarny's Splash For Cash the following weekend.

Registration opens for the Joey Jam on March 1st. All the details are at http://www.okemo.com/joeyjam

The Clarkson Five

2010-02-01T17:05:00.001-05:00

In what has been affectionately named the Clarkson Five, Okemo VP of Marketing Scott Clarkson decided to celebrate his birthday with a challenge to raise money for the challenged. He decided to revisit all the Vermont ski resorts where his career in the ski industry has taken him over the years. The challenging part was that he wanted to ski at every one of them in one day ... and he did - all five of them.

Scott, his wife Martha and son, Parker, started their day at Burke. They skied Sugarbush, Stratton and Bromley, and ended their day at Okemo with a celebration at Jackson Gore. They raised nearly $3,000 for Vermont Special Olympics in the process.

Marmota monax

2010-02-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hey, who are you calling a whistle pig?

Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day and we're hoping the fuzzy little marmot gets frightened by his shadow so we can enjoy lots more winter.

Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.

Do ya think Phil is gonna come out and see his shadow?

(sound familiar)

Punxsutawney Phil!

Thats right, woodchuck-chuckers - it's

GROUNDHOG DAY!

GROUNDHOG DAY!

If you think of the Bill Murray movie when you consider Groundhog Day, then you're in for a life-imitates-art experience at Okemo. The skiing and riding conditions are like they were prior to that horrible rain event we experienced a week ago. No matter what Mother Nature throws our way, we're waking up to mid-winter skiing and riding conditions that are oh-so-sweet..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phil: To the groundhog.

Rita: I always drink to world peace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rita: What should we drink to?

Phil: I'd like to say a prayer and drink to world peace.

Hannah is crowned Okemo's Helmet Head Contest Winner!

2010-01-26T13:49:00.006-05:00

Well folks, another National Safety Awareness Week has passed and this year's Top Helmet Head has been crowned. Hannah from Hudson, Massachusetts tallied 150 votes to secure her spot in Okemo's Helmet Head Hall of Fame! Hannah has won herself 2 complementary tickets to Okemo and a sweet prize bag full of swag. 399 votes were cast for the Best Helmet Head on Okemo's Blog site. Emily from Setauket, NY finished in second place with 101 votes.

$10 from every helmet purchased during National Safety Awareness Week will be donated to the Vermont Children’s Hospital P.H.A.T. Program: $5 from Okemo and $5 from the helmet manufacturer. This year our SnowSports Shops sold 160 helmets during National Safety Awareness Week, which totals $1600.00 benefiting Vermont's Children's Hospital P.H.A.T. (Protect Your Head at All Times) Program! We'd like to thank everyone for participating in our National Safety Awareness Week activities. It's Safety First here at Okemo!
Ride Safe and Ride on!
GravityHound

LOL!

2010-01-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

It's time, once again, to laugh out loud with friends and neighbors as Okemo hosts Comedy Night on Saturday, Jan. 30. This event is sponsored by Vermont Properties and Development, Inc. and will take place in the Great Room at Okemo's Clock Tower Base Lodge. Ticket sale proceeds will benefit the Okemo Community Challenge Fund.

The show will feature comedian Steve Sweeney who was the first of the Boston super-stars to break into television. He has been a regular on some major TV shows such as David Letterman, Evening at The Improv, Comics Come Home and others. Many will recognize Steve from his special appearances with The Ryder Cup, his narrations of Peter and the Wolf with The Boston Symphony Orchestra or one of many featured roles in films such as Rodney Dangerfield's Back to School, Judd Apatow's Celtic Pride, and There's Something About Mary with Ben Stiller.

Johnny Joyce has been performing for more than 15 years in Boston, New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Los Angeles and Atlantic City. John’s act is very high energy and always evolving.
Always a sell-out show, tickets can be purchased in advance for $23 at Vermont Properties, Okemo Mountain Resort's Jackson Gore, Chittenden Bank and The Wine & Cheese Depot. If you want to take a chance, tickets may be purchased for $28 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Don’t forget to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes including an Okemo “Ultra Season Pass” valued at over $1,600.00!

For more information, call Vermont Properties and Development, Inc. at 802-228-8877.

Perfect Snow, Perfect View, Perfect weekend ahead!

2010-01-22T14:15:00.003-05:00

I must admit, it's been a week or so since I have had a chance to get on snow (I know, I work here, what am I crazy?). Let me tell you this. It was worth the wait. The snow conditions today were epic. I mean amazing. I just got my planks back from a tune and they skied like I was on rails. The snow is soft and forgiving, but firm enough to be fast. With a fresh coat of wax, VERY fast.

We did take our time for a run as we made our way down Mountain Road from the top of the Glades Peak Quad. Stopping to take in the breathtaking views of the Adirondacks as well as the White Mountains and a great view of Mount Washington. I then found some fresh powder in the trees before making it back to Mountain Road for the trip down to the bottom.

This weekend the forecast is calling for much of the same. Sunny, warm, perfect. I'll be sure to get out again first thing tomorrow to carve up some of the great trails, and then stop in at The Sitting Bull for lunch. We'll be serving up some of The World's Best Cheddar tomorrow - menu TBD, but it will include Cabot Cheese in some way or another. If you miss lunch, be sure to grab a free sample on your way out of the clocktower base area tomorrow afternoon. The Cabot Shredders will be on the hill before sampling the World's Best Cheddar at the bottom.

Vote for the Best Okemo Helmet Head!

2010-01-17T14:21:00.012-05:00

It is the beginning of National Safety Awareness Week and Okemo is all about "Safety First." We had the folks from P.H.A.T. (Protect your Head at All Times) on hand today, promoting helmet safety. Karen Williams from P.H.A.T. worked with our SnowSports Shop in raffling off 6 helmets, which went to deserving skiers and riders. Besides promoting helmet usage the P.H.A.T. Table was the final destination for those who found Safety Helmets in our Safety Scavenger Hunt. Cardboard helmets with Skier Safety Codes on them were hidden along Green trails today. Hunters who found the helmets returned them to the P.H.A.T. table for a sweet prize bag!

Need a Helmet? Okemo’s Snowsports Shops have a large selection of helmets from vendors like Giro, Smith and Bern, plus a staff well trained to get you into the right one. If you purchase a helmet between Jan 16^th-23^rd you will be helping the Vermont Children’s Hospital. Starting Jan. 16 and running through National Safety Awareness Week, anyone who purchases a new ski or snowboard helmet at Okemo's Snowsports Shops will receive a coupon for 50 percent off a future full-day lift ticket, or 50 percent off a full-day equipment rental or high-performance demo, or 50 percent off a group lesson or adult clinic. New this year, $10 from every helmet purchase will benefit the Vermont Children’s Hospital P.H.A.T. program: $5 from Okemo and $5 from the helmet manufacturer.

So you are probably saying "Ok - let's get to the part about Voting for the Best Okemo Helmet Head!" The Events Team was out in the base areas looking for that perfectly messed up Helmet Hair. We found plenty of candidates, which means that helmet usage was abundant. In fact, over 260 helmets were rented resort-wide on Saturday, January 16th! This year the Okemo Marketing Department had a tough time narrowing down the field, so instead of the Top 10 we settled for the Top 11. Please take a second to Vote for your favorite "Helmet Head." Voting will end at midnight on Saturday the 23rd of February. The Head with the most votes will win 2 complimentary lift tickets!
Ride on and Ride Safely - GravityHound

it's national safety awareness week

2010-01-17T10:33:00.000-05:00

"Safety First" is a motto you'll hear often from the staff of Okemo Mountain Resort. It's a mantra that is drilled into us from the start. We're reminded to be safe and watch out for one another daily in our GM's morning mountain-status update. Accidents still happen but we're doing our best to minimize those accidents.

Okemo celebrates National Safety Awareness Week through Jan. 22 with some fun events and activities to help educate skiers and riders of all ages and promote on-mountain safety.

The National Ski Areas Association named Okemo Mountain Resort winner of the Best Helmet Safety Program in its 2009 Heads Up National Ski Area Safety Awards. Nine resorts were recognized in different safety program categories and Okemo was the only New England resort to receive honors. Each season, the awards recognize those resorts that have done an outstanding job of educating employees and guests about skiing and snowboarding responsibly.
Starting Jan. 16 and running through National Safety Awareness Week, anyone who purchases a new ski or snowboard helmet at Okemo's Snowsports Shop will receive a coupon for 50 percent off a full-day lift ticket, or 50 percent off a full-day equipment rental or high-performance demo, or 50 percent off a group lesson or adult clinic. New this year, $10 from every helmet purchase will benefit the Vermont Children’s Hospital Phat program: $5 from Okemo and $5 from the helmet manufacturer.

Today, Okemo will host a “Helmet Head” contest. Staff members will be out on the mountain taking pictures of willing candidates showing their best helmet head – that cool, disheveled look of matted hair that happens when a skier or snowboarder removes his helmet after a great day on the slopes. A panel of judges will select the top-ten best helmet heads and post those photos on this blog for voting by blog visitors. The candidate who receives the most votes will win two complimentary lift tickets for a day of skiing or riding at Okemo.

January Thaw

2010-01-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

It comes every year, in one form or another ... the January thaw, that is. This year we got lucky. It landed on MLK weekend and the thawing temperatures are being accompanied by sunny skies. It looks like these temps are going to stay with us for the next couple of days - what a treat! A co-worker officially started his goggle tan today, but I think he may be jumping the gun a little. There's still a lot of winter ahead of us and I expect we'll see lots more cloudy days and snowfall before racoon eyes make their season debut.

MLK Weekend Special

2010-01-12T07:55:00.001-05:00

Okemo is recognizing the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday weekend with a special offer that you need to take advantage of before time runs out. Okemo's MLK special must be purchased online 48 hours in advance.

Martin Luther King Online Ticket Offer - Come celebrate the life of Martin Luther King at Okemo with a special holiday three-day ticket valid Saturday, Sunday and Monday January 16, 17 & 18, 2010, for just $169 for Adults (regularly $219); $149 for Young Adults and Seniors and $119 for Juniors and Super Seniors. Offer may not be combined with other discounts, special price days or promotions. Must be purchased online, 48 hours in advance. Buy Your 3-day Martin Luther King ticket now!

And while you're thinking about the three-day weekend ahead, be sure to give some thought to the work that Martin Luther King, Jr. did to raise awareness for civil rights. He was a magnificent orator with a passion and conviction for delivering a message of equality for all. Imagine a world where his dream is a reality.

Labatt Blue Vermont Pond Hockey Regionals at Okemo

2010-01-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

The temperatures were right today for the Labatt Blue Pond Hockey Regionals. Okemo's Ice House at Jackson Gore saw lots of action and some games that even went into overtime. The competition was fierce.

Enjoy a few shots:

Ross Powers Superpipe is open for the season

2010-01-04T17:19:00.000-05:00

It's a pretty big accomplishment ro get a 450-foot superpipe open this early in the season - especially when you consider how much effort has been going into snowmaking and grooming on the other 118 trails at this time of year. It certainly shows Okemo's commitment to terrain variety.

Of course we had a little encouragement from Okemo's number one halfpipe enthusiast - Ross Powers. The winner of Olympic bronze and gold in halfpipe, Ross has his sights set on something a little different this year. He's now competing in snowboardcross and trying to claim a spot on the U.S.A.'s Olympic SBX team. He did really well at the World Cup Finals in Telluride and now he's headed to Europe and then Canada for three more weekends of qualifying oppportunities. He made the podium in Telluride (third), so let's hope he can do it again in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, 18-foot walls and decks spaced 50 feet apart are calling. As an added bonus - and at Ross' recommendation - Okemo's ops team increased the pitch on the big pipe. With a 16 percent grade, it means "it's faster and riders will get bigger air," says Ross. He adds, "the pipe is showing some potential."

Okemo soon to be Hockey Town USA for a day

2010-01-03T16:10:00.004-05:00

Labatt USA, importer of Labatt Blue beer, already announced that the third-annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament sold out in 24 hours. But teams of all skill levels still hoping to play in the two-day, regional event can do so by competing in the exclusive Vermont Pond Hockey Regionals on Jan. 9, 2010 at the Okemo Mountain Resort.

The first Vermont Pond Hockey Regional Tournament promises a four-on-four tournament with a minimum of two games. Divisional winners get an automatic bid to play on the icy surface of Lake Erie at the Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo on Saturday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010 at the Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament.

To enter a team in the Labatt Blue Vermont Pond Hockey Regionals, and for a list of rules, please go to www.okemo.com/hockey. Registration has been extended until Jan. 5, 2010. There is a registration fee of $150 and players must present proof of age.

Okemo makes a Christmas wish assist

2010-01-03T11:18:00.001-05:00

When Okemo Mountain Resort’s Ski + Ride School Assistant Director Rob Bevier learned about a young boy’s Christmas dream to snowboard at Okemo with his Iraq-deployed dad, Bevier leaped into action to make it happen.

On Christmas Eve, masslive.com posted this story about an 8-year-old Palmer, Mass., boy whose only wish for Christmas was that his dad, Army National Guard Spec. Michael J. Hawk, make it home from Iraq for the holidays.

Although the plan was for the elder Hawk to surprise his son at school a couple of days before Christmas, a delayed flight moved the surprise to young Devan’s swim team holiday party – where Michael arrived, still in military uniform.

In the masslive.com article, Reporter Lori Stabile wrote, “The happiness on Devan's face was still evident two days after his father returned home, as they talked about their plans for the next two weeks, which include a trip to Toys R Us and snowboarding, possibly at Okemo in Vermont.”

That was all Rob Bevier needed to know to put the wheels in motion. A few days later, Devan and his dad were learning to snowboard together courtesy of Okemo Mountain Resort. Okemo’s Tyler Longland and Gordon Robbins, a living legend in the world of snowboard instruction, had Devan and his dad sliding, stopping and making turns in no time. When asked how he liked snowboarding, Devan replied, “I love it!”

twilight falls on the final day of the decade

2009-12-31T15:37:00.001-05:00

So, the burning question on everyone's mind is, will it be twenty-ten or two-thousand ten? Okay, so maybe that's not exactly the burning question. Around Okemo Valley, the talk is all about the "New Year's" blizzard that probably isn't actually going to happen. It's shaping up to be ongoing snow showers with an inch or two here and there throughout the weekend. Sounds like it will be just enough to keep the trails nice with a new coating of pow on top of all the Okemo corduroy.

What's that, you're into natural terrain? Have you found Broken Arrow yet? It's so new, I don't think the sign is even up yet. It's an all-natural terrain park in the trees that's built entirely out of found timber. No live trees were sacrificed for this thrill-seekers folly. Let us know what you think of it when (and if) you find it this weekend.

Well, gotta go over to the Gore to help out with the festivities. Here's wishing you a happy and healthy new year!

spring into winter

2009-12-28T11:54:00.001-05:00

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday's conditions were an advance taste of spring with lots of soft snow. As sweet as that was, we're not even close to being ready for spring skiing yet. Then, just a few nightime hours later, we went from a foggy winter bummerland to a snowy winter wonderland. The snow started early this morning and has been snowglobing steadily all morning.

There's pow on that there corduroy!

Fortunately, the clouds cleared in the afternoon, making it a great night for Okemo's torchlight parade and fireworks show.

This week is jam-packed with events and activities, so come pay us a visit and have some family fun.

Special thanks to Donald Dill for sharing his photos from last night's festivities.

into each life ...

2009-12-27T15:27:00.001-05:00

... a little you-know-what must fall. We try hard not to use the "R" word around these parts - it is afterall, a four-letter word.

The rewards for skiers and riders who ventured out and braved the elements today were springlike conditions - not a bad little treat as we're about to embark on another plunge into seasonably winter-like temperatures. And now, in the final hour of the ski day, the rain has stopped and blue sky prevails. Monday is shaping up to be a splendid day. Check out the Okemo snow report.

Visitors to the Okemo Valley for this holiday period will notice a couple of changes to the Ludlow dining landscape. They happen to be very good changes.

The Cool Moose Cafe has taken over the spot where Archie's used to be. Inside and out, things don't look much different but this family-friendly dining option is certain to be a hit. Try the wings and ask about the secret hot powder they kep in the freezer for real hot-stuff afficianados.

The other most notable addition to the dining scene is a total re-do of the building across the street from the shopping plaza where Cool Moose resides. Outback Pizza (yes, the same Outback Pizza of Killington Access Road fame) has opened a new restaurant at the bottom ok Okemo's access road. I hear good things - especially from Okemo workers who get a sizeable discount on pie - thanks, Casey!