Snowmaking Begins!

Spooktacular news for Halloween - Okemo is going to start making snow this weekend! Opening day is a mere 15 days away. How's that for a treat!?

Stay tuned to our snow report for all the latest.

The Farmer's Almanac Says...

Well folks, I know it’s only October but get ready to break out those flannels and long johns, and keep your boots and shovels nearby because according to the 2008 Farmer’s Almanac, this winter is going to be a harsh one for the east. I use the word “harsh” cautiously because I came to the realization the other day, when talking with a friend, how very different the winter mindset is amongst skiers/riders versus people who do not like to participate in winter sports. When conversing with her I brought up how excited I was about the winter to come and getting back out on the slopes again, and proceeded to mention how awesome this season is expected to be according to the Farmer’s Almanac (I really don’t know where this “farmer” information comes from but I’ve come to know it to be surprisingly accurate). Anyways, to this comment she quickly responded by saying, “Really, I heard it was supposed to be a horrible winter!” Puzzled, I looked at her for a second and then said, “Wait a minute…what do you mean a horrible winter?” To which she responded, “Like really cold and snowy.”

I laughed, and at that moment realized just how different the skier/snowboarder mentality is from those “others”, and then rejoiced in the fact that my information had been confirmed. So get excited folks, because whether or not you’ve heard it’s going to be an awesome or dreadful winter, it’s official that we are (according to the Farmers) in store for a cold and awesomely snowy season to come. Whether you are a skier/snowboarder or a hater of the winter season, get out those layers and thick socks. And if you do happen to be one of those winter-haters, stop sulking over cold weather, bundle up, and get your butts out on the slopes to have some fun! You can be sure that us skiers and boarders won’t be staying in and pouting over the “horrible” weather. We will be riding and enjoying this sweetness all winter long! Get ready…snow is coming!

The Season's First Tracks

If faced with the ultimatum of choosing either oxygen or snowboarding, I think our events guys, Jeff, would choose snowboarding. And if faced with the choice of not snowboarding another day or snowboarding on a few inches of snow with mud and rocks in the mix, he’d strap in and throw a rocky, muddy blast of snow in your general direction. This guy is so amped up for the season to start it’s contagious, and I really wish I had taken his word for it when he told me yesterday that he was riding this morning.

We loaded into the Okemobile and gunned it for the summit this morning. At the top, I stood and watched in a frozen stupor as Jeff laced up, strapped in, and rode down the mountain until he disappeared from sight. Then I turned to my snow reporting colleague, Sara, and asked, “Did Jeff give you the car keys?” Only one person can claim first tracks each year on the mountain, and only a few can say they’ve ridden in October. Jeff added both notches to his snowboarding belt this morning, and officially rang in the start to another great winter of skiing and riding at Okemo.

"Snow is coming; I can feel it in my hip!"

The skies look angry this afternoon, and it makes me happy to see them that way. Thanks to breakthroughs in weather forecasting technology, I know it’s not the apocalypse approaching but in fact something much more alarming—a snowstorm. Sorry, I try not to throw that word around lightly because I know it can cause the kind of involuntary, jubilation-induced spasms that will have your coworkers suspiciously rescheduling their plans to go out to lunch with you. But yes, there’s a snowstorm approaching us that could bring up to half a foot of snow!

There’s no doubt something is brewing out there, but with temperatures still in the 40s at the moment, we’re pulling out all of our good-luck charms for this one to come together. Some are saying it's too early for such a big snowfall. Our snowmaking crew pleaded with the storm, trying to get it to save the snow for November, but not I. Sure we may not be able to ski and ride just yet, even if we do get the forecasted amounts, but at least it’ll be a nice backdrop for when I go trick-or-treating in my abominable snowman costume on Friday.

All Aboard the SoBe Bus

The snowboarders on the bus jib all around the roof, all around the roof, all around the roof…


That may not be the same old tune you sang back in kindergarten, but this isn’t the same old bus either. Okemo’s park and pipe crew took it up a notch with this one. We gave them an old SoBe school bus, and they turned it into a fun house. This behemoth will park itself at the bottom of the SoBe Superpark (formerly the Nor’Easter terrain park). Not only is it a playground for skiers and snowboarders, but it’s going to be packed with a stereo system that’ll trigger avalanches in Argentina. The park guys are working hard to get it ready for our anticipated opening on November 15 so no one “misses the bus” when it comes time to shred the roof off.

Let’s not forget to give the Okemo Mountain park and pipes crew big props for helping Okemo take top spots in this year’s Transworld Snowboarding East Coast Resort Poll. Okemo placed in the top five in all three categories: overall resorts, top pipes, and top parks.

I wonder what song they’ll play out of the SoBe bus first? How about Kriss Kross’s “I missed the bus?”

Hello everyone, and welcome to winter here at Okemo! That's right, it's Wednesday morning and the snow has fallen, covering the top of our mountain with a good 1-2 inches of fresh white powder, and we at Okemo couldn't be more excited!! Like my fellow blogger below, I am one of the new snow reporters for the mountain, and I couldn't be happier spending the winter up in Vermont getting to do what I love! So, even though my apartment's heater is currently still broken (forcing me to wear winter gear inside) and the snowy conditions probably don't help my apartment temperature, it certainly put a smile on my face when I woke up this morning to snowflakes flurrying outside my window. I'm sure back in Massachusetts (I'm from Northampton) it's just cold and rainy, but here, here it is beautiful and white! And I Love it!

This morning I climbed to the top of the mountain with our Okemobile to take some photos of the freshly fallen snow and couldn't believe the amount my boots sunk into it when I stepped out of the truck. This is exciting news folks and even more exciting is the fact that we will be on the mountain before you know it. This can only mean one thing - it's time for me to get my board waxed and tuned up because we will be cruising down the slopes of this wonderful mountain come November 15, our anticipated opening day. So, if you didn't believe it before, believe it now, because winter has arrived and it's going to be an awesome season! Can't wait to see you all out on the slopes!

Checking In

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Okemo community and as a Philadelphia transplant, make nice with all the Red Sox fans out there. But perhaps not as nice as I would have had to make if the Red Sox made it into the World Series. Don’t get down on yourselves though guys, because we’ll be out on the mountain before we know it and the Red Sox’s shortcomings will be a distant memory. In the meantime, I’ll be watching my Phillies in the World Series. Alright, maybe I got off on the wrong foot.

Originally from the sandy shores of southern New Jersey (I was neither raised at an oil refinery or in a casino, it was a under a boardwalk actually), I’ve come to Okemo for the winter to bring you daily snow reports and answer all your snow conditions curiosities. Having recently done a two-year stint in Philadelphia, I am thrilled to be here in Vermont where I can take refuge from Philadelphia’s notoriously harsh winters. Trust me, they get ugly – as in not nearly as picturesque and outdoor-sport inducing as Vermont’s. In fact, it has always been a goal of mine to spend at least one winter in the mountains and now I’m doing it. So, here’s to a good season and a snowy one. It’s an honor to be a part of the Okemo community and I look forwarded to seeing you all out on the slopes. And in case you’re still mad at me for having a team in the World Series, as penance I’ll be forced to watch Patriots games instead of my beloved Eagles for the remainder of the season.