More Spring Operations

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

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.

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

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...

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!

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"

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