Greetings,
Spring skiing is fun as it is always different every day. Mornings are different than afternoons, Mondays are different than Thursdays. I’m sure you know what I mean. Even though the first day of Spring isn’t until March 20th, we are seeing some good weather headed our way.
So it is official….NO more Snowmaking this year. We were anticipating making snow in
March, but we just didn’t get any consistent cold temperatures to fire up the
guns. The snowmaking crew is now finishing up sending back the rental compressors, draining the water and air lines were need be, dragging in the hose and guns and cleaning things up.
As for grooming, the guys powertill the trails this time of the year. The winch cat
goes out on the slopes 2 – 3 times per week to pull snow up from the bottom of
the steeper trails and deposits it on the top and the halfpipe is cut 3-4 times
per week. Eb, Okemos Mountain Manager, also has the groomers start in different areas of the mountain to keep things different. One day it might be Jackson
Gore, it may be Nor’easter or perhaps South Face. This is also the time of the year when we make changes out on slopes and other operations.
A few examples:
- ePIC restaurant is closed for the season.- Top Shop Ski shop is closed for the season
- Timber Ripper is closed Tues & Wed - Snow Tubing is closed Tues & Wed
- Ice House is closed for the season - Amp Air Bag is open Fri/Sat/Sun only.
As many of you know we do make adjustments to lifts and trails. These will be on an as needed basis due to snow conditions. If
the weather forecast is somewhat correct, the trail count will probably be adjusted during the week. Guests are encouraged to call ahead or check Okemo.com for the latest updates.
Reminder that Okemo will be holding our FESTEVOL concert weekend with the Bare Naked
Ladies performing on Saturday 3/24 and Big Head Todd and the Monsters with Guster on Sunday 3/25. Tickets are available on Okemo.com
Okemo plans to stay open into early April, Mother Nature willing. Now there are many
things that can happen no doubt, but you need to be confident that all of us here
at Okemo will do all we can to keep skiing and riding. Okemo will be there to continue to provide the skiing product so our very important guests can have a place to take to the slopes.
Think snow and 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
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Great week, full steam ahead!
Greetings,
This has been a good vacation week. While the weather had a few hiccups, all and all it has been a good ski week. During the week we made snow on several trails and we fired up the guns this weekend. Mother nature also added some powder for our skiing and riding enjoyment with her storm on Friday night. Now not enough, but some is better than none. Snowmaking will continue as we head into March.
This time of the year is challenging for our grooming staff and Eb and Barry, the Mountain Managers. Decisions need to be made on grooming so as not to let things "get away from us". The temperatures fluctuate so much on different nights, that some nights they want to mountain till and other nights is strictly a power-till night. The key is making sure we don’t mountain till too long into the Spring. If the snow is stirred up too much from Mountain Tilling and then does not have time to set, it can create some real spring conditions much earlier than normal. There is always a balance, but in the end the guys always try to stop mountain tilling earlier rather than later for that reason.
The winch cat gets more on-mountain time during the spring as the snow is brought up from the bottom of the steep section of the trails. While it is important to make sure that the snow is not stirred up too much and then not be able to set, it is also a great way to use the existing snow to its fullest potential. The winch cat works on many of the steep trail sections during the spring and really helps cover up thin areas as needed.
Many people have been asking about the season and what Okemo's plans are for the spring? Okemo is a major Vermont Ski Resort and thus we will continue to fill our role. Okemo plans to stay open into early April, Mother Nature willing. Now there are many things that can happen no doubt, but you need to be confident that all of us here at Okemo will do all we can to keep skiing and riding. Okemo will be there to continue to provide the skiing product so our very important guests can have a place to take to the slopes.
Think snow and 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
This has been a good vacation week. While the weather had a few hiccups, all and all it has been a good ski week. During the week we made snow on several trails and we fired up the guns this weekend. Mother nature also added some powder for our skiing and riding enjoyment with her storm on Friday night. Now not enough, but some is better than none. Snowmaking will continue as we head into March.
This time of the year is challenging for our grooming staff and Eb and Barry, the Mountain Managers. Decisions need to be made on grooming so as not to let things "get away from us". The temperatures fluctuate so much on different nights, that some nights they want to mountain till and other nights is strictly a power-till night. The key is making sure we don’t mountain till too long into the Spring. If the snow is stirred up too much from Mountain Tilling and then does not have time to set, it can create some real spring conditions much earlier than normal. There is always a balance, but in the end the guys always try to stop mountain tilling earlier rather than later for that reason.
The winch cat gets more on-mountain time during the spring as the snow is brought up from the bottom of the steep section of the trails. While it is important to make sure that the snow is not stirred up too much and then not be able to set, it is also a great way to use the existing snow to its fullest potential. The winch cat works on many of the steep trail sections during the spring and really helps cover up thin areas as needed.
Many people have been asking about the season and what Okemo's plans are for the spring? Okemo is a major Vermont Ski Resort and thus we will continue to fill our role. Okemo plans to stay open into early April, Mother Nature willing. Now there are many things that can happen no doubt, but you need to be confident that all of us here at Okemo will do all we can to keep skiing and riding. Okemo will be there to continue to provide the skiing product so our very important guests can have a place to take to the slopes.
Think snow and 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
Thursday, February 16, 2012
You can count on us
Greetings,
The snow guns are continuing to roar. Okemo has been making snow this week as we head into the Presidents vacation week. This past week we made snow on Upper Chief, both the Clocktower base area and the Jackson Gore base area trails, as well as many of the main line trails including Lower Arrow, all the Solitude trails and the Sachem Trail.
Okemo is going to continue to make snow as we go thru February. Our concentration will be on the different lift pods on the Main Mountain and Jackson Gore. We plan to build base depths and enhance the surface conditions as we head into March. No doubt we will need to pick and choose trails, and some trails won’t be made on, but we will be making on your favorites and many others.
Many people have been asking about the season and what Okemo's plans are for the spring. Okemo is a major Vermont Ski Resort and thus we will continue to fill our role. Okemo plans to stay open into early April, Mother Nature willing. Now there are many things that can happen no doubt, but you need to be confident that all of us here at Okemo will do all we can to keep skiing and riding. Okemo will be there to continue to provide the skiing product so our very important guests can have a place to take to the slopes. This ski season has been a challenging one, but people are still coming to Ludlow and Okemo. The Okemo Valley relies on Okemo to provide the best vacation experience possible and we will continue to work hard to do that each and every day as we head into spring.
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.
Think snow and 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
twitter.com/okemogm
www.okemo.com
The snow guns are continuing to roar. Okemo has been making snow this week as we head into the Presidents vacation week. This past week we made snow on Upper Chief, both the Clocktower base area and the Jackson Gore base area trails, as well as many of the main line trails including Lower Arrow, all the Solitude trails and the Sachem Trail.
Okemo is going to continue to make snow as we go thru February. Our concentration will be on the different lift pods on the Main Mountain and Jackson Gore. We plan to build base depths and enhance the surface conditions as we head into March. No doubt we will need to pick and choose trails, and some trails won’t be made on, but we will be making on your favorites and many others.
Many people have been asking about the season and what Okemo's plans are for the spring. Okemo is a major Vermont Ski Resort and thus we will continue to fill our role. Okemo plans to stay open into early April, Mother Nature willing. Now there are many things that can happen no doubt, but you need to be confident that all of us here at Okemo will do all we can to keep skiing and riding. Okemo will be there to continue to provide the skiing product so our very important guests can have a place to take to the slopes. This ski season has been a challenging one, but people are still coming to Ludlow and Okemo. The Okemo Valley relies on Okemo to provide the best vacation experience possible and we will continue to work hard to do that each and every day as we head into spring.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.
Think snow and 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
twitter.com/okemogm
www.okemo.com
Friday, February 10, 2012
Okemo Secrets Revealed....
How is that for a dramatic title?
Winter continues to be here. And, we are going to see some winter temperatures in the next few days. A lot of time when cold fronts roll through, they wring out any moisture in the atmosphere as they cross the mountains and thus you get mountain squalls. Somewhat like when we see cold fronts come through in the summer, although due to the heat in the summer, thunderstorms develop.
As you are skiing or riding around Okemo, check out the halfpipe. We are getting a lot of comments on it, and it is getting some good use being smaller and more rider friendly. (Someone called it cute, which I immediately corrected her that it is gnarly and not cute...)! The Halfpipe is normally cut every 2 to 3 days depending on the weather and other factors. Our seasoned groomer John is the main pipe cutter. John has many years’ experience in a groomer and does a great job cutting the pipe. Through the years the terrain park staff and mountain operations have refined the cutting of the Halfpipe into a science.
The process begins with the Zaugg Halfpipe cutter hitched up to the winch cat groomer. John brings over the unit to the Halfpipe and prepares to begin his cut. Prior to the Zaugg arriving, the Mountain Operations guys have set up the "Laser". The laser is a rotating beam which sends a frequency light signal to a receiver located on the top edge of the Zaugg. This receiver signal is also picked up in the winch cat, telling the operator where the vertical edge should be, which in turn keeps the Zaugg in line and the walls straight and parallel. One is located on the left hand side of the lower arrow trail in the woods and the other is located on the right hand side of mountain road. Both get turned on and are calibrated for the edge of the pipe. The laser is turned on and begins to spin.
Next step is for John to bring the winch cat up to the top of the pipe and hitch the winch cable to the tower at the top of the pipe. John then lines up the top of the Zaugg with the laser beam and when he has the correct level; he gets a green light on his windshield and begins to cut the pipe. Think of a skill saw following a line on the board as you cut a straight line.
Up the halfpipe and down the halfpipe, John goes. Normally it takes 3 passes on each side of the halfpipe. Once the cut is done, John unhitches the winch cat cable from the anchor and heads the cat and Zaugg back to the maintenance shop. Another halfpipe has been cut for our pipe riding guests. So now you know another secret of how things are done on the hill.
The entire Okemo staff has been working hard to deal with the challenges this year and try to outsmart Mother Nature. Hopefully you have realized this effort and have not been impacted too much. Snowmaking continues as the weather remains cold in February.
Think snow and 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
Winter continues to be here. And, we are going to see some winter temperatures in the next few days. A lot of time when cold fronts roll through, they wring out any moisture in the atmosphere as they cross the mountains and thus you get mountain squalls. Somewhat like when we see cold fronts come through in the summer, although due to the heat in the summer, thunderstorms develop.
As you are skiing or riding around Okemo, check out the halfpipe. We are getting a lot of comments on it, and it is getting some good use being smaller and more rider friendly. (Someone called it cute, which I immediately corrected her that it is gnarly and not cute...)! The Halfpipe is normally cut every 2 to 3 days depending on the weather and other factors. Our seasoned groomer John is the main pipe cutter. John has many years’ experience in a groomer and does a great job cutting the pipe. Through the years the terrain park staff and mountain operations have refined the cutting of the Halfpipe into a science.
The process begins with the Zaugg Halfpipe cutter hitched up to the winch cat groomer. John brings over the unit to the Halfpipe and prepares to begin his cut. Prior to the Zaugg arriving, the Mountain Operations guys have set up the "Laser". The laser is a rotating beam which sends a frequency light signal to a receiver located on the top edge of the Zaugg. This receiver signal is also picked up in the winch cat, telling the operator where the vertical edge should be, which in turn keeps the Zaugg in line and the walls straight and parallel. One is located on the left hand side of the lower arrow trail in the woods and the other is located on the right hand side of mountain road. Both get turned on and are calibrated for the edge of the pipe. The laser is turned on and begins to spin. Next step is for John to bring the winch cat up to the top of the pipe and hitch the winch cable to the tower at the top of the pipe. John then lines up the top of the Zaugg with the laser beam and when he has the correct level; he gets a green light on his windshield and begins to cut the pipe. Think of a skill saw following a line on the board as you cut a straight line.
Up the halfpipe and down the halfpipe, John goes. Normally it takes 3 passes on each side of the halfpipe. Once the cut is done, John unhitches the winch cat cable from the anchor and heads the cat and Zaugg back to the maintenance shop. Another halfpipe has been cut for our pipe riding guests. So now you know another secret of how things are done on the hill.
The entire Okemo staff has been working hard to deal with the challenges this year and try to outsmart Mother Nature. Hopefully you have realized this effort and have not been impacted too much. Snowmaking continues as the weather remains cold in February.
Think snow and 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
Thursday, February 2, 2012
State of the Union.... er, Mountain
Greetings,
So Phil saw his shadow! Good news that means winter will be hanging around for a while. As I was looking at the multiple weather sites that I visit on daily and sometimes hourly basis, it was evident that another major storm was going south of New England and out to sea. We have lost count as to how many of those we have seen do this!! I’ve learned a lot about the blocking of the arctic air and the North Atlantic Oscillation! I have a degree in Resort Management from Lyndon State College and Lyndon has a top notch meteorological school and many students take "Met" classes so I learned a lot of basic from those classes.
As a born, raised and still living in, Ludlowite, I get asked all the time what is the weather going to do, what’s happening to Okemo, etc, etc... I tell people that things could be worse and we are holding our own. We are still making snow and running the snowcats. The entire staff at Okemo, and I mean everyone, have really dug in deep to do more with less and find efficiencies. Some examples:
Snowmaking will be coming back on for Friday. Resurfacing will be happening as we go into February. A decision has been made to not make snow on any of the trails which have not had snow made on them as of yet. Trails like Big Bang, The Plunge, Punchline and a few others. It is too late in the season to go on to them now. If we get natural snow, we will ski them if ski patrol deems them skiable.
I can’t thank our staff enough for all they have done as well as all of you as our guests who have been sticking with us and supporting Okemo. A big shout out and thanks.
We appreciate you skiing and riding with us this season. 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
So Phil saw his shadow! Good news that means winter will be hanging around for a while. As I was looking at the multiple weather sites that I visit on daily and sometimes hourly basis, it was evident that another major storm was going south of New England and out to sea. We have lost count as to how many of those we have seen do this!! I’ve learned a lot about the blocking of the arctic air and the North Atlantic Oscillation! I have a degree in Resort Management from Lyndon State College and Lyndon has a top notch meteorological school and many students take "Met" classes so I learned a lot of basic from those classes.
As a born, raised and still living in, Ludlowite, I get asked all the time what is the weather going to do, what’s happening to Okemo, etc, etc... I tell people that things could be worse and we are holding our own. We are still making snow and running the snowcats. The entire staff at Okemo, and I mean everyone, have really dug in deep to do more with less and find efficiencies. Some examples:The snowmakers changed the nozzles on some of the tower snow guns that are running in the Dew Zone for the half pipe. This is a time consuming project, but they did it so more snow could be made when it got cold.
The mountain ops guys also had a couple problems with needing snow through some of the tunnels that our trails go through. Snow trak, Line Drive/ Jackalope, Moonshadow. So they coordinated a bucket loader, found some clean snow in Jackson Gore or Solitude and dumped the snow over the edge of the road and the groomers pushed it into the tunnel. Instantly we have snow in the tunnel. Yankee ingenuity and some thinking outside of the box!!
Work is almost complete on the Half pipe. We sent a flatbed truck over to Mount Sunapee on Tuesday to pick up their Zaugg Half pipe cutter. Sunapee doesn’t have a halfpipe and because we are not building a Super pipe this year, our Zaugg is too large to work on the smaller walls, so we are using Mount Sunapee’s. (They will probably want to charge rent, but we’ll just ignore their phone calls!). The Half pipe will open this weekend. If I had to bet, I think it will be sometime on Saturday, but the "Official" word is Sunday.
Snowmaking will be coming back on for Friday. Resurfacing will be happening as we go into February. A decision has been made to not make snow on any of the trails which have not had snow made on them as of yet. Trails like Big Bang, The Plunge, Punchline and a few others. It is too late in the season to go on to them now. If we get natural snow, we will ski them if ski patrol deems them skiable.
I can’t thank our staff enough for all they have done as well as all of you as our guests who have been sticking with us and supporting Okemo. A big shout out and thanks.
We appreciate you skiing and riding with us this season. 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
Friday, January 27, 2012
De-Icing the Lifts and Full Steam Ahead
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
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
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A day in the Life of Okemo behind the scenes....
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
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
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