Looks like the Groundhog was wrong.........

Greetings,

February is here and it looks like we will begin with some snow! This year the new way we know when the storm is forecasted to be big is when the Weather Channel gives it a name. The storm forecasted for Friday/Saturday is named Nemo…..

So what are we seeing at Okemo? As you can imagine, I look at many different weather web sites and Okemo contracts with a weather reporting service. It looks like all forecasts are pointing towards lots of snow. I think it is going to be a good old fashion Vermont winter snowstorm. Nothing way out of the ordinary, but more than a few inches. My take on “Nemo” is that it is going to be slower than what they are saying and be prolonged into Saturday. I don’t believe there will be as much snow during the day Friday as they are forecasting with the bulk coming Friday afternoon and evening.

Bottom line, the skiing is going to be great. This snow is forecasted to be champagne powder. Lots of fluff! Okemo will get as much open as we can and leave as much powder as possible. Put this on top of all the snowmaking we have done since last Thursday and you have things looking good. We have gone from South Face to Jackson Gore and covered lots of acreage. Snowmaking will go on break for a few days while the storm goes on through and then we will reevaluate. We don’t want to screw up the new powder, and the snowmakers always need to help us snowplow and shovel.

Spread the word. Snow is on the way. My prediction is 10 – 16 inches of fresh powder by Saturday afternoon.

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

What goes on when you are not skiing.....

Greetings,

Have you ever wondered how the mountain gets going every morning? It is a process that flows like clockwork, although every so often there are a few wrinkles that need to be worked out but for the most part, the team work of the different department’s means guests are ready to ski and ride on time. There are many players on the team which make things happen. The team leaders who are out there every day & night include Barry Tucker – VP Mountain Ops, Eb Kinney - Mountain Manager, Brian Boudro - Night Manager, Greg Carter - Lift Maintenance Manager, Dave Thompson -Lift Operations manager, Jim Seiberling-Patrol Director, John Conway – Skier Services Manager, Ray Kennedy-Snowmaking Manager and then the grooming supervisors who include Art, John & Bill. On any given day, the work for the next day begins actually in the afternoon when around 4pm the groomers head out to prepare the slopes and snowmaking is on the trails.

Art coordinates with Eb to discuss where snowmaking is happening, special requests, trails to not groom etc. At around 8pm of so, Brian will arrive for work and speak with Eb at home to discuss anything special. Brian will be the go to person during the night and coordinate the dance between snowmaking, grooming, snowplowing when needed, and anything else. At midnight the new grooming crew will arrive and John and his crew will head out. Around 5am, the day mountain ops staff will begin arriving. There will be meetings with Eb, Barry, Ray & John who will then communicate with lift operations, lift maintenance, & ski patrol.

From then on things happen in sequence, get the grooming done, check the trails, ride the lift lines, run the auxiliary engines of the lifts, check the detachable lift tires (those are what keep the chair going through the terminal at the top and bottom when off the cable), mark the trails for hazards and then begin loading guests when the time comes (Ultra and Gold pass holders can get on 15 minutes early). After opening Lift maintenance will ride every chairlift and check every carpet lift for any issues. The groomers will finish up and then head into the maintenance shop where they will be brought into the garage, sprayed off with a power washer to remove the ice and snow and looked over for wear and tear and then the process begins all over for the next day.

It is because of these behind the scene guys and gals in all the mountain operations departments that there is an Okemo Difference and while you are asleep at night or catching a few extra winks, all these Okemo Team members are getting things ready for a great skiing and riding day. Snowmaking will be continuing as we head into February.

This past week saw Okemo snowmaking being done on most of our trails and we added several new trails. Thanks for Skiing and riding with us and think snow

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Q & A with the GM....

Greetings,

I figured it was a good time to pull out the mail bag and answer some questions……  Between myself and info@okemo.com, we get a few questions as you can imagine.  I will try to answer a few inquiries the best I can.

How come the Amp Energy Big Air Bag is not in place??   If I told you it is on a boat would you believe me?  The skinny is that the big air bag was shipped to Europe to be repaired under warranty.  It had some tears and the grommets were ripping that hold the bag down.  After the Adventure Zone closed, we packed up the bag and sent it on its way.  The rest of the story is how slow the company has been in getting us back the bag, clearing customs, holidays, etc. The good news is we are expecting the bag to be at Okemo next week!

What is the deal with the Amp Energy Superpipe?  The Superpipe is right now a quarter pipe! Well basically one side is done and cut, but we can’t use it yet.  Snowmaking will be working on the pipe tonight and Friday and we then will cut the other side. The reason for the delay has been a couple things. We probably bit off a lot when it came to trying to get the Superpipe, Black Out Terrain Park and the Nor’easter Superpark already at the same time.  There were only so many hours our groomers could work on the parks and Superpipe and the Superpipe requires a little more experience. Since the Superpipe needed more snow made in it, we finished the other two. We are hopeful to have it up and going by maybe Sunday.

Is Okemo aware of the I-91 interstate bridge delays in Brattleboro?  This construction project and delays have been very frustrating for our guests. I have heard from many of you. I have been speaking with the President of the Vermont Ski Areas Association who is our liaison with the State of Vermont as well as I have spoken with our legislators.  The stock answer was the work needed to be done and they were working as fast as they could. The good news is that both southbound lanes are now open and I have been told that both northbound lanes will be open by Tuesday 1/22/13…Finally…

How come there are no picnic tables at the Waffle Cabin at Jackson Gore? I know guests like to sit and enjoy a fabulous Waffle Cabin Waffle, but the space in that area just doesn’t allow a lot of lingering. We feel that since there are tables near the Round House, that guests who do want to linger, can use those tables. For others who want to grab and go, they can get right on the Coleman Brook Express.  Hopefully you will agree that this small inconvenience is ok as long as there is a Waffle Cabin.  Did you know that this Waffle Cabin will be moved to the food location for the Adventure Zone and will be selling summer fare and waffles all summer here at Okemo!

Tell me the snowmaking plan with this cold weather coming? Snowmaking will be going heavy while it is cold. Our plan is to resurface as many trails as possible before the weekend and also work on some new terrain.  Wild Thing and Easy Rider have been opened and we are heading towards the Plunge and Ledges at some point.  We are also going to be building base depths to get our mainline trails into the spring time. Another snowstorm will allow us to open up some more of the natural trails.

If you have a specific question, send it along. I will answer what I can and periodically feature some in the blog.

Thanks for Skiing and riding with us and think snow

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Terrain Parks and Lift Mechanics

Greetings,

 

Through the years, there has always been talk of the January thaw. Of course last year it was all year, but that is in the past. We have been experiencing the January thaw for the past week and the good news is that it looks like it will be ending soon.  Colder temperatures are on the way next week and Snowmaking will kick in quickly. 

Speaking of snowmaking, the past 10 days has seen a massive effort in the terrain parks.  The effort began on Black Out, moved to the Superpipe and finished on The Amp Energy Superpark.  The end result was great. There are numerous features all over the parks. Some are made out of snow and some are rails.  The Okemo Parks and Pipes crew has put countless hours in designing the terrain parks and the groomers have put in many more hours pushing the snow, sculpting the jumps and setting the rails. Lot of hard work by everyone. As you can see from the photos, the finished product looks great.

Next up for snowmaking is to finish Wild Thing & Dream Weaver over in South Face as well as begin a resurfacing program on existing terrain.  We are also looking to finish the Superpipe.  One side of the wall needs more snow and then it can be shaped and the Zaugg Pipe Dragon can do its job.  The plan is to also make enough snow for the ant hill and Igloo in Jackson Gore.

I want to take some time and mention all the work that goes into the “rides” at Okemo.  The lift operations and maintenance crews are the ones who keep things going on the lifts.  The operators do so much to prepare and run the lifts. They are the front line people for all of our guests. The behind the scene guys are the lift mechanics. They are the ones who are up before dawn and work behind the scenes to keep the bullwheels turning. Last week they worked on the Quad B seat pads and got those all repaired and we are heading towards some of the other lifts that need some help. They also ride every lift every day to make sure that things are looking good.

The weather pattern is changing, so be on the lookout for some colder weather and snow on the way. Thanks for skiing with us and we hope you enjoy the slopes.

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Snowmaking in the real cold.........

Greetings,

It has been some time since the last Blog.   Lot’s has happened since then.  Cold weather, great snowmaking, sunny skies and a good first week of January.  The New Year has brought good fortune to Okemo and all our skiers and riders.

Snowmaking has been moving full force during the past 10 days or so.  The weather has been ideal for snowmaking and we have been working hard at getting the terrain parks, Superpipe and other trails covered in snow.  Tuckered Out, which is one of our longer snowmaking trails, opened up this weekend.  Snowmaking in the cold weather is always a challenge. While the basics of snowmaking are to keep the water moving, it is even more prevalent and important when the temperatures are hovering near below zero.  Okemo has many of our snowmaking pipes above ground. This is done for a couple reasons. One, the mountain terrain of ledge outcroppings would require blasting to get the pipes underground. Two, the price of installing snowmaking underground is much higher.  So having the pipe above ground means that between the temperature, wind and steel pipe, the water needs to be mobile!  The snowmakers know that sitting water is not good.  The system is built to have loops where the water will drain at the far end. Another trick for the snowmakers is to run a gun very close to the end of the loop. This keeps the water moving even more.  On cold nights you will see snowmakers carrying their propane torches with them all night in the event that there is a problem, they can get some heat on the pipe quickly.

 

 

Another concern with making snow when the temperature is real cold is the snowmakers themselves.  Now these guys dress for the conditions every night, but below zero brings out additional concerns. The guys are always watching out for each other, checking for exposed skin, making sure guys don’t go out alone and in general working as a team to take care of each other.  Decisions are made with the guys in mind as to where we might make snow.  During real cold weather the plan is usually to stay on the lower mountain trails and stay off of the summit. This is to keep the snowmakers safer as well as protect our equipment from potential freeze ups.  As you can well imagine, in the event of a power failure when it is cold, things need to happen fast to drain the pipes.  It is a real fire drill!

If you have been skiing in the past few days you have seen the construction begin on the terrain parks. Black Out Progression Park, Hot Dog Hill and Broken Arrow are all now open.  Rails and features are coming off of Sapphire to move to the other parks.  Construction on Nor’easter will be next and then the Superpipe.  It will probably be a week until we see the Superpipe ready. Lots of work is needs to be done before the lasers are set up to cut the Superpipe.

Long range weather is looking favorable for great skiing and riding. Snowmaking will continue as the weather allows us to, which looks like into early next week.  Thanks for spending time skiing and riding with us. 

Someone asked me my favorite trail…………..I like them all, but Defiance is right up there………

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo General Manager

Terrain Parks, Pipe and Thanks......

Greetings,

Another snow day here at Okemo. We could get used to this.  Snow on top of snow.  As we head out of the holiday week the new snow will make for some great skiing and riding.  The new snow has made for a happening ski resort and lots of guests enjoying some fun in the mountains.

Snowmaking is going to begin tonight with snow being made on Black Out, Halfpipe & the base area trails. We will be focusing on some of these locations to build base depth. Bull Run needs snow to get the Nastar course in place, Black out and Nor’easter needs snow for the building of the features for the parks, the halfpipe needs snow to begin construction and we also need snow on mountain road and open slope.  We don’t anticipate going on any of the other trails as we don’t want to affect the great skiing we have now.  Next week’s weather is looking colder, so we will work on areas that need a lot of snow which we can make more efficient in the cold temps.

The parks staff is headed towards Black Out and Nor’easter to get the terrain parks in place. I would anticipate having the Black Out park ready by next weekend with the Nor’easter Park following soon after.  The Superpipe construction will begin this week after snow is made during the week.  It takes some time to get the Superpipe made, so no estimate on time yet.  We also expect to see some mogul trails this week.

This week has seen some good crowds on the slopes. I also realize that there have been some traffic concerns at the end of the day.  Some of this is expected due to it being Christmas week. We continue to work with the town of Ludlow on making the exit off the mountain as smooth as it can be. 

Guests have been very patient this week and I can’t thank you enough. We train our staff for this week, but there will always be challenges.  I am hopeful that even though we haven’t gotten everything correct,  how we recover from those challenges is what sets us apart.

On behalf of all of us here at Okemo, Thanks for skiing and riding with us and we hope that you and your family have a very Happy New Year.

Talk soon,

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Bring on the snow...............

Greetings,

We’ve got the snow!  Well we have waited over 600 days for this and look at it now.  Can you believe it? (The last significant snowstorm was over 600 days ago, actually in March of 2011).  13 – 15 inches of the fresh stuff out on the mountain.  This morning went pretty well, as well as the first major snowfall of the year can go. There were some groomer breakdowns, plugged power tillers, a few snowplow issues and your basic clusters at times, but all in all the guys and girls are pretty up to speed and know what to do.

We should be skiing over 110 trails for this weekend.  The ski patrol staff was on active duty today checking trails and opening up the skiing.  This storm had the wind as most Nor’easters do and the wind made for some large drifts on the slopes. More than one guy on a snowmobile got stuck today trying to go through a drift.  There would be no snow and then a 5 foot drift.  We needed to check the trails because of this and either had the groomers come along or have patrol ski pack out the drift.  Lift maintenance works hard on these mornings as the detachable chairlifts sometimes need a little coaxing to get the chairs through the contour of the lift.  Just a little bit of snow on the tires can cause havoc and once one chair gets stacked up in the terminal, there are normally others which follow.  I think the record is 7 or 8, but we don’t count when that happens.  The only way to stop that is have enough people to pull the chairs through and get things moving. Kind of like waking up in the morning and getting moving.

This weekend is shaping up to be a good one. Good ski and ride conditions, great weather and many of our friends visiting. A perfect combination. There are still some openings for ski and ride lessons and other children’s programs, but they are filling up fast.  The phone has been ringing today and I don’t mean maybe………  Snowmaking is taking a night off as the snow winds its way out of here, but we will begin again probably on Saturday.

After all the snow we got last night and today, you were out skiing and riding because many of the Okemo staff shoveled their way out and got into work.  It takes a team and Okemo is the best.

A hearty Thanks to all our Okemo supporters and guests who have the confidence in the job we can do to make skiing the best there is and provide a great experience for you and your families.  As always, let me know how we are doing.

Talk soon,

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM