Okemo Survives the Sandy Visit

Greetings,

 

I wanted to let our guests know that Okemo was spared the brunt of the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.  For the past few days all we have heard about is Hurricane Sandy.  We watched the graphics, the maps and the experts tell us what was going to happen and how bad things were going to be.  In the end, the State of Vermont, Ludlow and Okemo dodged a big bullet. To see the photos and videos of the destruction in Southern New England and New York relives memories of Hurricane Irene over 13 months ago.

After Hurricane Sandy came into Vermont, the damage assessment was minimal. The storm was more like a good rain storm with some wind.  There were trees which blew down around the mountain towards the summit. Some of these were on the Mountain Road up near the look outs as well as some window damage at the top of the Jackson Gore Lift.  A couple trees came to rest on some lift cables. The mountain Operations staff has most of them cut down and the damage cleaned up.  Many thanks also to the Facilities maintenance staff. Some stayed through the night to be sure all was well.  There was also a generator set up outside of the IT department server room which ran through the night so we would have power to our phone and computer systems. Of course the local phone company had issue and thus it was hard to call into Okemo or call out.

It is evident that Mother Nature is in charge when you see what happened to our neighbors to the south and some of the towns that our guests hail from.  It goes without saying that we should be keeping those people in our thoughts.

 

Nor'easter Terrain Park Early Morning

Snowmaking temperatures may be upon us early next week. The snowmakers are prepped and ready to go. We will keep everyone informed as to when snowmaking begins.  Until then I added a great photo to let you know what things will look like soon! Opening day is scheduled for Saturday November 17^th.  Many thanks for your support

 

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

The Excitement is Beginning.......

Greetings,

I get asked all the time, #1. How much snow are we getting?  #2. Are you making snow yet?  And now this week, #3. What is going to happen with this Hurricane?  Here are my answers.  #1. 176 inches. Calvin the Catamount told me.  There is no way we can have a no-snow season 2 years in a row. #2. Not yet, but we are prepared and when we see envision extended cold, the guns will roar. #3. I think we will get a strong rain storm. Possible elevation snow above 2800 feet and some wind. I predict it will focus on Maine area when it comes ashore. 

So there you have it. Things I get asked every day! As the GM of Okemo, I am expected to know a few things.  To be honest, if it wasn’t for our paid weatherman, a few selective weather web sites and some experience, I wouldn’t be able to answer the questions either.  I know when we will make snow, obviously when it gets cold, but we rely on others to help us navigate many of the other challenges that we face or expect to face.  This time of the year is some of my favorite months. Soccer, another passion of mine, is in full swing, Skiing is getting ready to begin soon, another passion of mind, and every day there is something new to deal with.  It is great to see new staff come to work with energy and vigor. It brings everyone else up too.  Old friends return to get their seasons pass, new friends purchase seasons passes for the first time.  Full time staff are working on finishing up taking their vacation time.  Many staff are avid outdoorsmen and are either hunting now or preparing to hunt.

There is also a beehive of activity on the inside getting ready for the season. You will be able to get your Starbuck’s fix in the Clocktower base lodge this year. We have expanded our franchise to have two kiosks to sell Starbucks coffee around the mountain.  The rental shop had some minor expansion with wall removal. New carpet in the Sugar House and summit lodge and also some laid down in the Jackson Gore skier services area.

Here is a photo of the new gladded trails that were cut this summer.  As soon as there is enough powder, look to track some freshies. 

 

Opening day is scheduled for Saturday November 17^th.  Snowmaking will begin in Early November as we begin to see a string of cold weather. Reminder Daylight savings time takes effect on Sunday Morning November 4, 2012.

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Final preparations for a great season!

The first cold snap of the fall season is upon us and we have seen some snowflakes in the air on the summit. The old adage is if you see snowflakes on October 8th, then it is going to be a great ski season! There is a lot going on around the resort. Last minute painting is being done in the lodges, packages are arriving of new ski boots and winter wear and the mountain crew is hard at work getting the slopes, trail, lifts and equipment ready.

Yesterday saw the arrival of 42 new SV-10 Snow guns direct from HKD snowguns. These new guns are part of our capital expenditures this summer and will be used on trails like ower World Cup, Lower Arrow, Upper Arrow and the base area. These marginal temperature guns will allow us to help get open earlier season and sustain the surfaces on those trails all season-long.

Some more important work is being done in our lift maintenance department. Every 7 years, the State of VT requires each chairlift to be "load tested". This entails putting 110% of the maximum weight capacity in the chair and running the lift on electric and diesel power. We are also required to check the brakes with the lift going in reverse. The weight is provided by water in plastic bags and cardboard boxes. (We don’t use staff or disgruntled guests)! Once passed, the lift is officially put into service. This week we are testing the Glades Peak, Morningstar and Black Ridge Triple chairlifts.

Opening day is scheduled for Saturday November 17th. Snowmaking will begin in early November as we begin to see a string of cold weather. Reminder: daylight savings time takes effect on Sunday Morning November 4, 2012.

So, we're ready to make snow when the temperatures drop so stay tuned. As I've mentioned before... Calvin the Catamount is predicting 176 inches for the season. I hope he's right!

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

P.S. I'm also told our brand-new four season website is just days away from launch - so stay close to okemo.com to be one of the first to check it out!

Great forecast, snowmakers are ready!

Greetings,

Some rain this week will bring out the fall colors, no doubt. Columbus Day is 3 short weeks away!

Have you seen the latest Farmer’s Almanac forecast map? Now this is showing us the way winter should be!

I use this with props given to the 2012 Farmers Almanac to emphasize that this coming winter will be one to remember. We have all heard the old timers' signs of a tough impending winter coming; lots of acorns, bees sectioning off the hive early, squirrels gathering nuts early and wooly caterpillars being brown, black or all brown or all black!

Here are a few you probably haven’t heard of: woodpeckers sharing a tree, thick hair on back of a cow’s neck, early arrival of crickets on the hearth, spiders entering the house in great numbers, and my all time favorite... "See how high the hornet’s nest, ‘twill tell how high the snow will rest".

So what does it mean? Probably very little, but we do like to talk about it. I can tell you that all of us here at Okemo are confident in a great winter, and we are even willing to bet this winter will be one of the best in recent memory.

So when will the snowguns start blowing? As soon as the temperatures drop! This summer there has been a considerable amount of work done on our snowmaking infrastructure, with pumps rebuilt at the mid-mountain pump station and motors upgraded in the base pump station. We also added $150,000 of new snow guns to our arsenal of heavy duty snow guns. Throw in a couple new snow cats (one specific to maintaining our terrain parks) and things are looking really good!

If you are in town, take a drive up the Mountain road, check out the foliage and great views and envision all the snow that will be on the trails soon enough! Calvin the Catamount is predicting 176 inches for the season...

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Irene - One Year Later

Greetings,

This week there has been many reminders about the anniversary of Hurricane Irene.  Today, August 28 is the actual day of this historical event in Vermont and Okemo history.  To say this was unexpected would be true.  I recall that day as being one to waking up to some rain and being mindful that we were expecting 3-4 inches of rain. What we got was closer to 8 inches of rain. 

There was so much that was happening that Sunday.  Getting to Okemo in the morning, it was obvious that there were problems developing and things were happening quickly.  Roads were washing out, water was going through buildings in the base area, pumps stations were being inundated and we were witnessing a crumbling of roads and bridges.  There were many Okemo staff that came into to help the situation and others would have if they could get in. By the time the seriousness of the situation was evident, many roads were washed out and travel was virtually impossible.

 

Okemo was lucky. By the time the water had receded, we were looking at damage of between $300 - $400,000.  Our marketing and lodging offices had been flood damaged and we also received some damage to roads, parking lots, some golf course bridges as well as other drainage culverts.  Many in Vermont suffered far worse. Some of our staff lost their homes, many had flooded basements or roads and still others were without power or access for over a week. 

They say during this type of life challenges, the good always come out in humans. This was so evident after Irene.  Neighbor helped neighbor, those who could donated money, food and equipment. Roads were made passable, culverts repaired and hugs were given.  Okemo staff rallied around each other to help those who were left with so little.  Okemo held the next Jackson Gore Music Series and over $15,000 was raised in donations and supplies. Okemo guests were calling asking where they could donate clothing or food as they had seen the photos of water charging down Main Street.

 

On this one year anniversary of Hurricane Irene, I wanted to take the time to thank all of you who stepped up to help those Vermonters in need.  Your support was greatly appreciated. I also want to thank the entire Okemo staff.  What you all did to help others and put Okemo back together after Irene was notable and so very much appreciated. The long hours and extra effort as we headed into the winter season were tough on everyone, but the work was done and when winter came, Okemo was ready. Thank you very much.

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Two New Attractions in Summer; Three New Trails for Winter!

I hope you have been enjoying your summer. It sure has been a busy one here at Okemo! While our fearless leader is away for some much deserved time off, I thought I would fill you in on what's happening around the resort.

Our Adventure Zone is in full-swing with the addition of two brand-new attractions this summer. Our Segway ® PT Tours entered the lineup in late June, with the Sawyer’s Sweep Zipline Tour soon thereafter in early July. I had the pleasure of taking the off-road Segway® Tour last week with Okemo’s very own Chris Carner. He is just as outstanding on the Segways as he is on the snow! In fact, in so many ways, those Segways operate in a way that makes you feel like you ARE on the snow. If you have never experienced them, it is a definite must-do before the snow flies.

And the Zipline Tour… well you know what they say about a picture being worth a 1,000 words right? I’ll skip the words (lucky you) and go with this:

Book your tour today by calling (802) 228-1600.

And, of course the COUNTDOWN to winter… which is just 108 days but who’s counting? We have some exciting news about THREE brand-new gladed areas, which will add 16 acres of tree skiing and riding to our lineup! These new gladed trails run from the top of Upper Mountain Road to Easy Rider; from the top of the Coleman Brook Trail to Mountain Road; and from Mountain Road to Village Run. Stay tuned for updates from the hill, and of course, trail names!

We have also added TWO new grooming machines to the fleet including another Prinoth 500 horsepower Beast and an agile Prinoth Bison Park Cat. While these machines are “behind the scenes”, you will certainly enjoy the fresh corduroy they’ll add on a nightly basis!

Finally, we’ll be adding ONE additional Waffle Cabin at Jackson Gore! This is BIG TIME as that sweet, siren smell of those beguiling Belgian waffles will now tempt skiers and riders at both base areas. How’s that for some good news?

See you on the hill soon, Jenn

Not Just for Winter Anymore!

Greetings,

First day of Summer has arrived! Summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere on June 20, 2012, at 7:09 P.M. (EDT).

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, each year the timing of the solstice depends on when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs annually on June 20 or June 21 in North America, depending on your time zone. The word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the sun appears to stop at this time. In our region, we notice that the sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike Earth at a more direct angle, causing the efficient warming we call summer. In the winter, just the opposite occurs: the sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at "high-noon" on the summer solstice, creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day then any other. So what are you going to do on the longest day of the year?

CampGokemo has opened up at Okemo and anyone who visits the Jackson Gore area Monday thru Saturday will see lots going on at camp. Plenty of activities happen during the day ranging from swimming, to hikes, team sports to rock climbing. There are also visits to Plymouth State Park on some days and field trips to area attractions.

In speaking with the "golf guys", things are going well at both Okemo Valley Golf Course and Tater Hill Golf Club. The greens are in great shape, the grass is growing quickly and the irrigation systems are going full swing during this hot weather. Did you know some of those guys begin mowing greens at 5 am? It is a lot like the winter operations guys, except it is much warmer! Rodney, who is the course superintendent at Okemo Valley and Eric at Tater Hill work hard to keep their courses looking good and it shows.

The biggest question I am getting asked..."how is the zip line coming?" Well, things are looking good. The name is Sawyer’s Sweep Zip line, and the lower two sections are complete. Work is progressing nicely on the upper sections. We are anticipating an early July opening and guests can begin inquiring about reservations at Okemo.com. We will have a more firm opening date to share soon.

The Adventure Zone begins 7-day a week operation beginning on Friday June 29th, so be sure to check it out!

Enjoy the sun and have some fun... Okemo, not just for Winter anymore!!

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM