Taking a walk down Rolling Thunder

Here's a little treat for all you Okemo blog readers ... you are the first to learn the names of Okemo's two new trails (most resort staff members don't even know yet) AND here's a sneak peek with photos taken today, Aug. 1.

Here's the first little drop at the start of Rolling Thunder. The trail starts just below the first pitch on Limelight, where the trail takes a sharp turn to the right.

The photos really flatten things out. Believe me, this is a nice little whoop-de-doo. This is the same view as the first - just a few steps down the trail to give you an idea of how deceptive it can be from first glance.

The black fencing you see is silt fencing made from landscape fabric. It's in place to help prevent erosion until the grass seed planted takes hold (which it clearly has). With July being as wet as it has been, we've left it in place a little longer than we needed to. VP of Operations Barry Tucker tells me it'll be coming out soon. In the meantime, it makes a nice reference point as we make this pictorial tour down the trail. Our next stop is at the top of the next pitch, where the landscape fabric crosses the trail ...

OOOh, this is a nice drop! Note that rock outcropping on skier's left, just beyond that silt fencing ...

Here's a look back up the trail from that rock outcropping

Now, I'm turning 180 degrees ...

Take note of that tall tree in the foreground, just right of center ...

We've just gone up and over the rock outcropping ... Rolling Thunder continues straight ahead (to the right of that tall tree) - note that first line of silt fencing - that's our next stop after taking a quick look down White Lightning, the trail dropping off to the left ... watch out for that double fall line!

We're going to continue down Rolling Thunder ...

Here we are at the fence I last mentioned ....

Here comes another 180 degree turn ...

Here we are looking back up the trail. There's that rock outcropping in the center of the photo.

A couple hundred yards down the trail and Jackson Gore Village comes into view.

That's where our little tour ends ... for now.

Cheers!

Summit Wedding

Question: What's more romantic than a wedding?

Answer: A wedding on top of Okemo mountain.

This past Saturday Okemo hosted a happy bride and groom for a mid-day mountain top wedding. It was a truly joyous occasion as the happy couple are part of the Okemo Family- Katie Simms from Jackson Gore Real Estate and Jackson Gore Inn Front Desk Manager John Boehrer.

The Northstar lift whisked guests and the wedding party up the hill to the ceremony, which was in a beautiful meadow overlooking the Green Mountains and the town of Ludlow. The weather was crisp and clear with temps in the 70's for the nearly 80 guests as they awaited the arrival of the beautiful bride. As the chairlift crested the horizon line, the wedding processional music floated through the air to serenade guests as they walked to the ceremony. Wedding guests were delivered to the base of the lift after the wedding surrounded by glistening soap bubbles to add even more magic to the event.

The evening concluded with a reception at Solitude's ePic restaurant. Spontaneous whiffle ball broke out in the green outside the day lodge as other wedding goers were cutting the rug on the dance floor.

Congratulations Katie and John Boehrer!

Thank you for a romantic event in a very romantic place!

(Okemo Employee and wedding guest Norm Koch

controls the sound board during the ceremony )

Take a Hike!

No, this isn't the attitude of the front desk staff in lodging at Okemo. However, it might be a recommendation for something to do, if you are seeking an activity in the area.

And speaking of stuff to do. I had the opportunity to go to Vermont's own Circus Smirkus earlier this week in Brattleboro Vermont. What a great show! if you've never heard of them, I highly recommend learning more about the circus. Did you ever want to run away and join the circus as a child? Well, now your children can! Yup, Circus Smirkus is all about kids performing great acrobatic feats and entertaining children of all ages. And yes, they are all kids, with a few adults thrown into the mix. Your children can actually go to circus camp. Although the camp is not here in Ludlow, it's pretty cool. The circus travels around and performs in numerous locations around New England under the Big Top. A wonderful old fashioned experience with something for everyone.

I've lived in Vermont on-and-off again for about 8 years, and every summer I learn more about cool stuff to do (during the summer). For example, if you like watching people hang glide, there's a hang gliding center in West Rutland (watch them from Rte 4A) and over at Ascutney. I find the whole concept fascinating.

And back to the title of my post today - "Take a hike"! get out there and explore the area.

See you on the trail!

Mountain Music

Earlier this month I found myself amidst an aural display of music in the mountains. On Friday evening I took in the spectacular Vermont Symphony Orchestra's performance here at Okemo's Jackson Gore, complete with the 1812 Overture set to a backdrop of fireworks. The next morning I ran in the Race for Grace 5k, then proceeded home to Weston, VT passing by Kinhaven Music School. The students were performing The Flight of the Bumblebees for their instructors, parents and anyone that passed by, on the lawn outside of the practice hall. A little further down the same road at the Weston Recreation area the Jenny Brook Bluegrass festival was in full swing... all this great music, playing simultaneously and all within a few mile radius. A few days later on July 4, local rhythm and blues phenom Fry Daddy delighted a crowd of nearly 500 at the Jackson Gore Outdoor Music Series. Anyone thinking that the backroads and byways of Vermont lacks culture is surely mistaken.

A Tale of Two Trails

Okemo has saved the best for last. The final two trails of the original Jackson Gore layout are slated for completion in time for this winter’s ski season. For years, skiers and riders traveling to the Jackson Gore summit on the Jackson Gore Express Quad have looked longingly upon the partially cleared trails located on skier’s right halfway down Quantum Leap.

“These are not your typical Okemo trails,” says Okemo Mountain Resort VP of Operations Barry Tucker. “Offering some of the steepest pitch at Jackson Gore, they have lots of character with natural outcroppings and contours to enhance the way these trails will ski.”

Looking a little like a scene from the History Channel’s Ax Men, the summertime trail clearing at Jackson Gore took on an innovative approach to some timber removal challenges. To avoid a wetlands area located downhill from the trail-clearing operation, felled trees had to be hauled with a winch, uphill to a point where they could be loaded onto trucks and removed via Mountain Road.

Although they have not yet been named or officially ranked, Tucker thinks the new trails will be rated double black diamond. One of the new trails will measure about 1,000-feet long and the other will be about 2,600-feet long. The latter will have a vertical drop of 850 feet. Together, the new trails will add about eight acres to Okemo’s skiable acreage total – now 632 acres.

Dog Days Already?

Hot enough for ya? It's not the heat, it's the humidity. It's early July and we're getting our first Dog Days of Summer right on time. That means just one thing - it's time to head for the swimming holes of Okemo Valley.

The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. The rising of Sirius does not actually affect the weather, but for the ancient Egyptians, Sirius appeared just before the season of the Nile's flooding, so they used the star as a "watchdog" for that event. Since its rising also coincided with a time of extreme heat, the connection with hot, sultry weather was made for all time.

"Swimming? Where to go? It's a question I often get asked," says Bill Graf, the concierge at the Jackson Gore Inn. "The swimming is pretty good here."

That good?

"Oh yes," he says. "There is a lot to choose from."

The easy way out for Graf is to point to the pool connected to the Inn. It’s so convenient for guests. The Inn’s swimming area features a couple of outdoor hot tubs, which seem to be the most popular spot after a day of mountain biking or a round of golf. There’s also a large pool that starts indoors and continues outside. Then there’s the Spring House – just a few steps from the Inn. There’s another large hot tub, a family pool with designated times for swimming laps, and a shallow kids’ pool with fountains and splash features.

"The smaller pool is very popular with the young people," Graf says with a laugh. "Sometimes it's hard to get the kids out of there."

Over at The Spring House, a giant fiberglass frog knows exactly what Graf is talking about - and he’s laughing even harder. The frog presides over a splash pool adjacent to the main 35,000-gallon pool at the Spring House. Children can climb up his back, step into his mouth and then slide down his tongue into the water. The pool, which ranges in depth from six inches to two feet, also has three working fountains. It can be more popular than a Hanna Montana concert.

"I am flabbergasted at how many people come in here ," says Okemo Recreation Facilities Manager K.C. Gandee. "The kids can’t get enough of it. Even the bigger kids ... they come in here and say, "sweet, look at the frog’s mouth ... I’m there … It’s great to see the kids have so much fun."

How popular is the frog? One Okemo official chuckles at the thought while saying, "It just spits out kids all day long."

The main pool ranges in depth from three- to four-and-a-half feet. A section is roped off for lap swimming at designated times during each day. Other scheduled activities include water aerobics classes and water volleyball. At the deeper end is an eight-foot spiral slide, for bigger kids or just in case there’s a line at the frog slide.

For the less adventurous - or those who are just sore from that morning hike or a hard day of touring the local sites - the Spring House also features an indoor, six-person hot tub.

"The facility really is a multi-use recreational pool," Gandee says. "We are very happy with how much it is being used already."

Membership in the Spring House is included with Jackson Gore unit ownership and guests of the Inn can use the facility free of charge. The Spring House is also open to the public. Day passes are available and a variety of monthly and season-long passes for individuals and families can be purchased. Offering much more than swimming, the resort’s new source for relaxation and rejuvenation is a two-level, 18,000-square-foot fitness and aquatic center featuring free weights, exercise equipment, a racquetball court, a studio for fitness classes, locker rooms with saunas and showers, plus a separate family locker room for parents with opposite-sex youngsters.

Ready for a swim a little farther afield? Graf likes to let Okemo guests in on a little secret. It’s called Buttermilk Falls.

"It’s a longtime secret swimming hole for Vermonters," he says. "A lot of people are seeking a place out, off the beaten track, and it’s definitely one of the places to go if you like a cool, refreshing dip on a hot day."

Graf will point guests to an access road almost directly across from the Rt. 103 turnoff to Jackson Gore, near the old VFW hall. With the name Buttermilk Falls Road, it's easy
to remember, even for the first-time visitor. About two miles in, after the Vermont forest sign, is a small parking area. About 50 yards from that is the best place to swim - pools that serve as the upper and lower falls’ basins. The Web site newenglandwaterfalls.com calls Buttermilk "one of the few great swimming holes in southern Vermont," because the natural pools are deep enough for "complete submersion." The lower falls empty into a 25-foot-wide pool of clear, olive-green water. At the upper falls, two streams of water flow into a large swimming pool with clear water and a pebble-covered bottom. Buttermilk Falls is a popular swimming hole that has been preserved thanks to the efforts of The Vermont River Conservancy.

Watersports and lake swimming are also available a short distance from Okemo. Four beautiful lakes along Rt. 100 North, have been a popular destination for generations of summer visitors. At Camp Plymouth State Park, which offers a big sandy beach, grassy lawns and wooded picnic sites, plus a snack bar and changing facilities, families can spend sunny summer days playing in the cool, clear mountain water.

Graf says he can also arrange whitewater and flatwater canoe and kayak trips from his concierge desk. He says his first choice will always be Buttermilk Falls, however.

Scholarship Winners Announced

Tim and Diane Mueller, owners of Okemo Mountain Resort, are pleased to announce the recipients of the Okemo Mountain Scholarship Awards for 2008.

Thirteen scholarships were awarded this year to students who have worked at Okemo or are the dependents of Okemo employees. Criteria used to select the scholarship recipients included academic achievement, co-curricular involvement and the composition of an essay.

"Education is the cornerstone of our future," says Diane Mueller. "Tim and I wholeheartedly support the Okemo Scholarship Program as a way to contribute to the community and to assist young scholars as they embark on educational endeavors that will hopefully lead them back home again so they can lead full lives and improve the community for their own children."

The 2008 Okemo Scholarships were awarded to students who were either employees of the resort or dependents of resort employees. Two memorial scholarships and three "creative endeavors" scholarships were also awarded.


Okemo Mountain Employee Scholarships

Jenna Berger, of North Springfield, Vt., worked at Okemo as a recreation attendant. She graduated from Black River High School and plans to pursue a course of studies in aeronautical or chemical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Benjamin Bolaski, of Springfield, Vt., worked at Okemo’s Jackson Gore Inn as a bellman and a valet. He graduated from Springfield High School and plans to earn a degree in environmental studies at Plymouth State University, in N.H.

Aemelia Thompson, of Springfield, Vt., has worked at Okemo as a cashier and a restaurant busser. She plans to study graphic design at the Massachusetts College of Art, in Boston. David Thompson, Aemelia’s father, is Okemo’s manager of lift operations.

Sasha Yakovleff, of Alstead, N.H., graduated from Vermont Academy in Saxtons River and is embarking on her second year at the University of New Hampshire as a recreation management major. Sasha has worked as an Okemo ski instructor for four winter seasons.

Okemo Mountain Employee Dependent Scholarships

Julie Davis, of Evanston, IL, is attending Northwestern University, where she is pursuing a dual degree in music education and arts policy. Julie plays the violin and hopes to share her passion for string instrumental music with grade-school children. Julie is the daughter of Okemo Safety Ambassador Lee Davis, who has been with the resort for six seasons.

Bruce Davis, also a dependent of Okemo Safety Ambassador Lee Davis, is pursuing a PhD in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In the long term, Bruce hopes to work as a program manager for NASA.

Anne Paterson, of Chatham, N.J., is the daughter of Okemo Ski Patroller Joy Paterson. Anne is attending the University of Vermont, where she is studying environmental science and French. Her future goals include helping people and joining the Peace Corps.

Ian Rebhan, of Ludlow, Vt., is the son of Todd Rebhan, who works on the race crew and has been with Okemo for 20 years. Ian recently graduated from Black River High School and is planning to attend Ithaca College to pursue a course of studies in sport media.

Okemo Memorial Scholarships

Daniel Sonshine, of Ludlow, Vt., is this year’s recipient of the John F. Mueller Scholarship Award. Formed by the Okemo Mountain Resort staff in memory of Dr. Mueller, this award is given to a student employed by Okemo or Mount Sunapee Resort, who is pursuing a career in medicine. Daniel is a graduate of Brown University and has worked as a ski patroller at Okemo. He plans to attend medical school in the fall and hopes to return to Vermont as a physician one day.

Daniel Dockum, of Ludlow, Vt., is the recipient of the Thomas Croney Scholarship. Presented to a student pursuing a career in a technical field and given in the memory of Tom Croney, this scholarship recognizes an Okemo employee who sets an example through his dedication to the resort and its guests. Daniel is a graduate of Black River High School and plans to complete the Vermont Electrical School Apprentice Program offered through Vermont Technical College and the State of Vermont. Daniel worked in Okemo’s electrical department last winter.

Okemo Creative Endeavors Scholarships

Hannah Fishman, of Amherst, Mass., will be attending the Tufts Summit Program. The course in international relations and French includes a month-long visit with a host family in Talloires, France. Hannah worked at Okemo as a Learning Center snowboard instructor.

Kyla Loso, of Mount Holly, Vt., is participating in a program called Experiment in International Living, which includes a journey to China to experience the diverse cultural aspects of that country. Kyla worked as a barista in Okemo’s Roundhouse base lodge last winter.

Rowland Pollard, of Proctorsville, Vt., will be spending the next year living and studying in India as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Rowland worked as an Okemo ski technician and has been with the resort for three winter seasons.

Congratulations!