Bright Lights, Big Tricks!

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!

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

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!

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

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?

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!

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!