PASSHOLDER (or Real.Easy Card User) CHECKLIST

Are you ready for the winter season? Check off these three steps to make sure you and your pass are good to go before your first day.

Step 1 – What does your Pass or ticket look like?

ALL old Okemo season passes and Real.Easy cards will no longer work and need to be switched out for a new pass card. If you already have your new pass, go to Step 2.

Why don’t I have my new pass yet? There are 2 possible reasons:

• It’s probably in the mail. We have been working hard to process and mail out new passes to everyone. You should receive yours within the next 7 business days.
• We might need a new photo from you before we can print. Check your email inboxes for an email from @email.snow.com asking you to login and upload a photo and follow the instructions.

Want it sooner? Stop by a Resort Services desk at Okemo any day between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Step 2 – Release of Liability

If you purchased your season pass over the phone we may need a signed release form from you before you can ride.

• Check your email inboxes for an email from @email.snow.com asking you to login and sign an ROL and follow the instructions.
• Stop a Resort Services desk at Okemo any day between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Step 3 – Check your pass when you arrive

When you arrive for your first day make a quick stop at the Pass Validation Station (the tent just outside of the Clock Tower Lodge) to get your pass scanned and checked before heading to the lifts.

If you need further assistance, feel free to call 802-228-1600.

Greetings,

Labor Day has come and gone and that is the unofficial start of fall. The weather doesn’t really say that as we have had some warm days but it won’t be long when we have some crisp nights. This summer here at Okemo was a good one. Okemo Valley and Tater Hill golf courses had a strong summer. The Adventure Zone and EVO Bike Park had many visitors too. Vermont is very popular in the summer and Okemo is working hard to continue to offer plenty to do around the resort.

Improvements for the winter have been taking place, and this has included new snow guns as well as upgrades in snowmaking pipe on Lower Arrow and Black Out. The replacement of this pipe is somewhat hidden but the impacts are significant. The snowmaking pipe replacement will make for more reliable water into the mid-mountain pump station and thus more snowmaking capacity from that pump station and on the upper sections of the mountain. There will also be a replacement of the chairlift cable on the Morning Star Triple, as well as repainting done on the Black Ridge and other lifts. Carpet, roofing and painting has been done in many of the public spaces of the lodges. In the Summit Lodge Sky Bar, there will be a new bar to greet skiers and riders.  The new wooden bar looks great and it will be a nice new touch to a great location to stop and get a drink during your ski day. There continues to be work on WIFI points to enhance connectivity around the and work is being done on improving recycling options and other lodge improvements. 

The question about the Vail Resorts transaction is what’s primarily on everyone’s mind. We continue to look at a potential mid-September closing date. The staff of Okemo, as well as Vail Resorts, is eager to finish this process and begin working as one company. We are excited about this transaction happening and understand there will continue to be questions on seasons passes, ticketing and other items. Once the closing is complete, these questions will be answered. Tim and Diane will be retiring and enjoying some quiet time, but most likely staying busy with their grandchildren and hobbies. If you would like to send a note to the Muellers, feel free to send them an email at info@okemo.com. All emails sent will be forwarded to them directly. The mailing address for Tim and Diane is Okemo Mountain Resort, 77 Okemo Ridge Road, Ludlow VT  05149.

The Okemo Job fair is scheduled for Saturday October 20, from 10 am to 3 pm, in the Clocktower base lodge. Snowmaking will begin any time after November 1st and we anticipate opening as soon as possible in November. Thanks for your support in the past and I am hopeful of your continued support moving forward.  The Okemo Difference will be continuing and is alive and well!

Bruce Schmidt

Vice-President & General Manager

Okemo Mountain Resort

Greetings,

As most who are reading this all know, the month of June brought with it some exciting news for Okemo, Triple Peaks and the Mueller family. I am so happy for Tim, Diane, Ethan and Erica, that they can go out on top and that the sale of Triple Peaks will allow Tim and Diane to retire and enjoy some quality time away from running the ski area. I am also excited about the new ownership of Triple Peaks – Vail Resorts. 

I was working for Okemo when Tim and Diane became the owners of the ski area. There was a lot of apprehension, unknowns and anxiety amongst the staff, the community, and skiers and riders of the resort. Much of this anxiety and uncertainty was quieted down because Tim and Diane and the leadership team were up front and communicated with the town and employees about what their vision was.  Fast forward from 1982 to 2018 and we have a similar situation. No doubt the stakes are higher, the resort is larger and there are more employees, but the venue, Ludlow Mountain, is the same. 

Okemo is going to be purchased by a strong player in the ski industry and one which has a proven track record of working to provide the best possible ski and ride experience and to thoughtfully engage and contribute to the surrounding communities in which it operates. Vail Resorts’ mission says it all: Experience of a lifetime…  This goes for guests of the resort as well as employees.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. There will be changes. And I am hopeful that our loyal guests and supporters will trust that these changes will have this in mind: providing the experience of a lifetime! I understand that not all changes will be embraced positively, but if all of us – staff, loyal Okemo supporters and townspeople – allow some of these changes to play out, I truly feel that you will be positively impressed with what these changes do for the resort experience and for our community. 

Right now there are questions on the season passes and some of these questions most likely won’t be answered until after the closing. Vail understands the need to work through the challenges and all of us at Okemo are working to answer and solve some of these more complex topics. 

Vail is also committing several million dollars to Okemo and the other resorts for capital improvements. More information will come on this later, and it is exciting to think of the possibilities.

Moving along, I will work to do my best to keep loyal guests, supporters and staff, up to date on how things are progressing and what is happening. Okemo is open for the summer season, two golf courses are open, The Adventure Zone is open and, of course, Coleman Brook Tavern and Willie Dunn’s Grill are open for lunch and dinner and Coleman Brook Tavern for breakfast and weekend brunch.

So I hope you’ll be patient and optimistic. Let’s embrace the change and congratulate Tim and Diane for a great run and wish them nothing but the best in retirement.

Bruce Schmidt

Vice-President & General Manager
Okemo Mountain Resort

2017-2018: 163 Days of Skiing and Riding!

Greetings,

As Okemo passes Day 150 of the season(4/09), we continue to have winter-like weather;  it isn’t very often that morning temperatures in April are in the mid-teens! The long range weather forecast looks great for some spring skiing and with riding, with more spring-like temperatures in VT heading into the weekend.

We've been asked about how we make decisions concerning our closing date, as well as how and when we decide to consolidate operations. I can tell you that these decision are made with forethought. We look at many factors, including the long range weather forecast, snow conditions, and yearly history, as well as lodging occupancy and advanced online ticket sales. Our decision to consolidate our ski operations down to one base area was done to concentrate on a smaller footprint, while still providing an enjoyable guest experience.  Business levels do come into play, but we also try to not be wasteful, which can happen with running lifts, grooming trails, and opening up cafeterias and restaurants that will see very limited use as we head into mid-April. There have been several guests who have voiced their displeasure and while we won’t be able to please everyone, I can assure you that we think through these changes in operation diligently and look to find a compromise. It's still our goal to provide some great skiing and riding for our loyal season passholders, as well as those who may only come and visit us a few times a season.

Extending our closing date was something that was embraced by ownership as well as our management staff.  Having such great conditions on the mountain, we all felt that this was the right decision. Extending the season required some managers to adjust their schedules and cancel or move their vacation time, but we knew it was what our guests would expect from Okemo. All Okemo employees were willing to do what was necessary to keep skiing & riding until April 22^nd. 

Thanks for your support this past season ... I can’t thank you enough for skiing and riding with us. A 163 day season is a good one. There were no doubt some weather challenges in December & January. In February it felt like the season would end early, but March roared in and was one of the better months on record. 

Okemo prides itself on being a family for both our employees, as well as for all those guests who spend their time with us. We are truly humbled by and appreciative of the days you spend with us and for the confidence you have in our skiing operation, our lodging and all the other departments that make up this great resort. Skiing will continue for a while longer and while not all the trails, lifts, lodges or buses will be open or operating, we will continue to run some lifts, groom lots of trail and keep restrooms open in the Summit Lodge.

Golf will be opening in late April and the Adventure Zone on Memorial Day. Mountain Biking will soon follow!

Bruce Schmidt

Vice-President & General Manager

Okemo Mountain Resort

Five feet of snow in March!

Greetings,

We are at the midway point of the month of March and have received, on average, around 140” of snow to date and about 60” for the month of March …  it doesn’t get any better than this! After the third nor’easter, some might say “uncle,” but I would say call your “uncle, and get him up here for some skiing and riding! 

We anticipate maintaining our full trail count for a while, looking at the long range weather. The lift count will fluctuate in the 9-12 range midweek, and 20 for the weekends, with potential adjustments being done later in the month. Snowmaking by machine has ended for the season. The snowmakers and groomers did a great job getting us up and going and taking care of the many weather events we have had. Mother Nature took over for March and they didn’t need to fire up the guns.

As many of you heard, Okemo announced a partnership with Vail Resorts to begin a long-term alliance beginning next winter, to be part of the Epic Pass. Pass holders who purchase Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at each of our three resorts: Okemo, Mount Sunapee and Crested Butte. Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any, or all seven, of their total days, and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any, or all four, of their total days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts. Guest can then purchase tickets at a 50% off rate for the duration of the season.  Okemo Gold, Ultimate & Classic pass holders will be able to purchase 50% off single day tickets at the Vail Resort Ski Areas. We are excited about this alliance and look forward to having Epic Pass skiers and riders experiencing Okemo.

Okemo is hosting its annual Sugar Daze concert on St Patrick’s Day this coming Saturday, March 17. The featured band is Blues Traveler. This event should be fun with nice weather forecasted, although a coat may be needed. Music begins at 3:30 with Braiden Sunshine & Jake Kulak; at 5pm Pete Kilpatrick Band; and at 7pm Blues Traveler to finish out the evening.

Okemo is committed to staying as close to full operations as we can as we head towards the end of March and Easter weekend. There will, no doubt, be some adjustments of services, but our goal is to make the least of an impact to our guests as is possible. There will be operations changes because of weather and we will do our best to let you know of these before you begin your ski day. Once Easter rolls around, we will be looking at more significant adjustments to operations and services – at least midweek. I get asked daily what our closing day will be, and at this point our plan is to close on Sunday April 15* As always the * (asterisk) means weather-dependent.  

Bruce Schmidt

Vice-President & General Manager

Okemo Mountain Resort

Presidents Weekend Update

Greetings,

The presidential holiday is here and Okemo is ready to work hard to provide the best possible experience we can. This coming weekend's weather is looking good. Friday’s weather has been overcast and cloudy, but we are expecting that Saturday, Sunday & Monday will be sunny with temperatures in the mid-20s on Saturday and mid-30s or higher on Sunday & Monday.

The temperature will be dropping Friday evening and snowmaking will be starting up and running on as many mainline trails as possible. These will include Upper World Cup, Lower World Cup, Count Down, the Summit Area, Sapphire, Upper Arrow, Lower Arrow and the Base Area. Grooming will be done across the mountain on open terrain. It is expected that many of the gladded trails will end up being closed until the snow softens up.

Okemo staff will be working hard to provide an enjoyable resort experience. We will be at full operation in all our departments. This includes all our culinary outlets, all lifts & carpets, as well as our Nordic operation, Ice House, Spring House, Snow Tubing & Mountain Coaster.

There will, no doubt, be some times when there are less than enjoyable lines to access our lifts and other services. Rest assured that our staff will be doing all we can to make those lines move as fast as possible. As we all know, it does take time to get guests checked in, load lifts and answer phone calls. Our staff is committed and will try to do whatever they can to speed up these necessary interactions.

There have been questions about snowmaking through February. Okemo is committed to building base depth, as well as working to provide the best possible skiing and riding through the ski season. We will continue to make snow as needed and when it is possible. We will make “game time” decisions on snowmaking as we head into the end of February and early March. There needs to be a “need” on the trails, a good window of temperatures and a forecast that assures us that the snow will stay around. You can be assured that we are constantly monitoring the conditions and long range forecasts so that we can stay on top of things.

The Okemo Team is ready and committed to a great week and we are hopeful that you will see the “Okemo Difference” while at the resort.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to reach out and let us know how we are doing.

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Holiday Week Update

Greetings,

The Christmas week is upon us with New Years almost here.  All of us here at Okemo want to thank everyone who has been spending time with us out on the slopes and around the resort. 

We are experiencing a real winter. This is like the ones your grandmother told you about when she had to walk to the one room school house up hill -- and who ever got there first had to start the pot-belly stove to warm up the room!  This is great for skiing and riding and if you dress for the conditions it can be truly enjoyable.  

It is important to communicate with our loyal guests and let you all know what we are thinking for the future here at Okemo as well as why we do some things.

• I’ve had many people ask me about the weather event we had last week. The weather was a mixture of freezing rain, snow and then rain in the base.  The Okemo staff worked hard to keep the lifts running but we just weren’t successful to keep them going all day.  We take the closing of a lift very seriously but safety for our guests and our staff is our first priority.  When a lift is closed we put the information up on the reader boards at the lifts and in the lodges, we also have a Mountain Update link on our web site and we post to our Twitter page.  A lot happens quickly during weather events but we work hard to communicate what we know. 

• There are times when the Jackson Gore lifts have issues and we have to run shuttle buses from Jackson Gore.  This is never an enjoyable event for anyone.  I can assure you we will be reviewing our communication. I heard from several guests that they were unaware that the Quantum Four was not running after they had ridden the Coleman Brook Express.  Not a good situation and one we can improve on.

• Why are we making snow around the Black Ridge triple and Base Quad A after we have gotten over 2 feet?  Okemo will remain aggressive in our snowmaking. We will continue to make snow when it is cold to keep the water flowing.  Our plan is to make snow tonight so we need to keep the water flowing and some snowguns running.  It is very hard, and at risk of freeze-ups, when the system is charged in temperatures like this so we continue to make snow during the day.  Making on Black Out is our objective to help create the terrain park as well as build moguls for competitions and guest enjoyment.  I apologize for those who were inconvenienced while riding the lifts. The snowmakers work hard to constantly adjust the snow guns,  but at times we just can’t get it right.

• Our snowmaking plan is to make snow in the Superpipe, finish Hot Dog Hill & Black Out and then when we get out of this polar vortex, head towards the South Face area and make on Wild Thing, Punch Line & Dreamweaver.  We will also be making on Big Bang & Triple Sec to finish things up.  Some trails will be resurfaced to keep the snow texture top notch during the next week to 10 days.

The entire Okemo has worked hard in this cold weather.  From Lift operators, Culinary staff, parking attendants, Mountain operations staff, Hotel and Resort Services staff.  They all have contributed to make your experience here at Okemo and enjoyable vacation.  While we can’t control the weather, we can control the helpful and friendliness we provide.

Thank you for your support of Okemo and on behalf of the entire Okemo team, we want to wish you a very Happy New Year!

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Heading towards the Holidays at Okemo

Greetings,

New snow has covered the ground and it's looking white around the resort.  Winter is here.

As of the weekend of December 9^th we have 36 trails which is almost 200 acres of skiable terrain. Even though we have received the first snowfall of the season, snowmaking will continue at every opportunity while we have these colder temperatures.  During the past week we added trails in the Jackson Gore area, some in Solitude -- and most likely will be adding Rimrock and trails around that area early this week.   The plan will be to work on Upper & Lower Chief, Sidewinder, Quantum Leap & expand teaching terrain in Jackson Gore as well as beginner terrain in the Clocktower base area. 

The other areas we will put some of our snowmaking capacity on will be Wardance, Sachem, Ledgewood, Kettle Brook and the Morning Star and Solitude lodging trails. The lodging trails are important to Okemo and we should be opening some of these with the weather expected this week.  Wardance has been tougher for us this year as the snowguns we have on the trail are the standard HKD variety and to use these guns the temperature requirement is below 20 degrees.  This coming week looks like that will happen.  Without Wardance thus far, we have been holding race training on Sapphire. Okemo also hosted a VARA slalom race on Nor’easter.  We understand this setup is not ideal and will work hard to get snow on the Wardance race trail.

During the past week or so there have been a couple days where the skiing conditions on some of the trails has not been ideal.  In fact it probably wasn’t good at all!  We realize this and are not proud of the initial opening on some of these trails. We realize that some of the Jackson Gore trails weren’t ideal when we opened on Friday. In order to help make the skiing and riding better we are going to let trails “sit” for 24 hours after heavy snowmaking. We will begin grooming after the 24 hours of “time out”.  This allows the snow to settle, some of the water to leach out and makes for a better surface.  Rimrock will be an example of this. We will finish snowmaking on the trail tonight and then won’t plan to open the trail until Tuesday.  We can’t do this every time, but will whenever possible.  Trails may not open as quickly but the skiing, when they do open, will be better.

Our RFID ticketing system at the lifts is working well. We appreciate your patience when it comes to working through any challenges. Most of these are quickly fixed -- and much of the time right at the lift with the gate monitors. If you are asked to go down to the resort services desk that means that the problem is more than what can be done on the phone.

Thanks for your support and as always let us know how we can improve.

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

Off and Running here at Okemo

Greetings,

The Okemo blog is returning and will be in the winter mode moving forward with more timely updates.

Skiing and riding at Okemo have been great for the Thanksgiving weekend.  The snowmakers and groomers provided 20 trails and lift operations and lift maintenance crews had 5 lifts operating. The skiing has been good with very carveable snow and, even though we have had changing weather conditions, the snow has remained pretty consistent.  This late fall/early winter pattern fluctuates dramatically, but the good news is that we have not seen a lot of melting of the snow crystals and thus, the skiing has stayed more consistent.  The other good aspect of this time of the year is that even though the sun is out, the angle of the sun is lower and doesn’t heat things up as much.  So there is your weather lesson for the week!

As the ski season marches on, Okemo will continue to make snow when we can.  Don’t be fooled by looking at your thermometer and saying, “Hey Okemo must have made snow --  it is 30 degrees this morning”!  When we talk about making snow at every opportunity what we really mean is that there is a window to make snow, not just that the temperature dropped to the high 20’s late at night.  Always keep in mind the old saying, “It is always coldest before the dawn”. Okemo snowmaking needs temperatures below 25 and we need a “temperature window”.  2-3 hours is a minimum most of the time, as it doesn’t even make sense to get the system charged unless we will have some consistent snowmaking time.  It takes between 90 to 120 minutes to charge both the air and water system to make snow on the Summit area, Jackson Gore, Solitude or South Face so we want to be sure we are getting a good window.

So what is the plan?  Snowmaking this week we will be working on Jolly Green Giant, Defiance, Coleman Brook & Mountain Road. We also will put some guns on some of the existing terrain to keep the surface up to snuff.  Our plan is to head towards the Jackson Gore area by the end of the week if the weather cooperates. We can only begin snowmaking after December 1^st in the Jackson Gore area because of wildlife permit conditions.  Looking at the weather it looks up and down this week but there does look to be a pattern change the first week of December which hopefully be positive for winter weather returning and staying around.  We also have Wardance on the list and will be heading toward some of the lodging trails like Sachem, Ledgewood & Kettle Brook.  No promises can be made but we fully understand the need to get those open as soon as possible for our loyal guests.

As for grooming, we have our groomers hired and most are working now. We have a lot of returning staff which is great as they know the product that our skiers and riders are looking for.  The groomers are working at night to get the skiable terrain done and most importantly to set up the snow so it is ready for the morning. We also have a couple who come in at 5am and take care of any snowmaking or other small projects.  The Mountain Operations staff are always looking to make the on-mountain experience even better than the day before.

Thanks for your support and as always let us know how we can improve.

 

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

The Season End Approaches

Greetings,

April has arrived and the snow and colder weather stayed with us.  This spring has been an unsettled one, no doubt.  It is looking like the warm weather and bright sun will now be with us for a while and that will make for some great spring skiing to finish up the season.

 

When the season ends on Easter Sunday, April 16^th we will have skied and snowboarded 144 consecutive days beginning on November 23.  The weather had its ups and downs but all and all we had some great snow, wonderful ski & ride conditions and a strong season.  There is always the question about why end the season now vs keeping it going as we have open trails.  This is always a debated question amongst some of us here at Okemo.  In the end, we look at the long-range weather, look at the what we feel the conditions will be and we look at business levels.  This week is beginning a warm period that is looking to be extended into next week and this will no doubt change the look on the mountain.  I know we cannot please everyone with the decisions we make on closing day but it is important to note that there is plenty of discussion.

 

This coming week skiers and riders will see some changes in operation which will include the closing of the Jackson Gore area during the week and reopening on Good Friday, April 14^th and remaining open through Easter Sunday.  This is a good balance and will allow some consolidation of operations on the Clocktower side for most of the week.  We will be operating Base Quad A & The Sunburst Six beginning on Monday April 10^th. There will also be ticket pricing changes when this begins.

 

I want to thank each and every one of our guests who spent time with us here at Okemo this past winter.  We appreciate so much the confidence you have in committing to ski with us if for a day or the entire season.  I understand there is a certain amount of trust that is needed when you drive to the mountain, walk to the lodge, get your ski gear on and head out on to the slopes without really knowing what to expect.  Hopefully the entire Okemo team has proven to you that you can trust us and we will continue to provide the best possible mountain experience each and every time. I also hope that if we do stumble, that we do what we can to make it right for you and show you that we want you to return.

 

Okemo is not just winter and our summer operation opens soon.  The Okemo Valley Golf Club and Tater Hill Country Clubs will be open the links soon for all you golfers out there and the Okemo Adventure Zone will be opening on Memorial Day.

 

Thank you so much for your support this season. We know you have choices and really are thankful and appreciative that you choose Okemo!

 

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Snowmaking in March

Greetings,

If you weren’t on the mountain this past week, you missed some great skiing and riding. Yes, I know you are going to say it was warm, but that made it even better! The weekend was much better than was forecasted, with no inclement weather until after the lifts closed on Saturday. Sunday's snow was firm, but the surface was edgeable and guests shared some positive comments on their experience.

Did I tell you that we will be making SNOW IN MARCH???? Cold weather is arriving ... we are expecting sunny skies and temps in the teens to low 20’s during the day. In an effort to extend spring skiing, SNOWMAKING has started again this week. Sunday night our snowmakers were very busy and are scheduled to come back Thursday afternoon. We plan to focus our snowmaking efforts on the main line trails and up around the summit area. We are also heading into the Clock Tower base area to build some depth. Snowmaking in March is a serious commitment to a long spring season! 

The efforts of our Snowmaking Team, along with almost 100 inches of natural snow, has given the distinction of the most acreage, most miles and most open terrain in Vermont to Okemo!  We are skiing and riding on 612 acres and over 40 miles of trails. That, along with snowmaking in March, means a long season. 

We plan to monitor midweek lift usage as well as our other operations. We may make some adjustments, but we will keep everyone up to speed through updates to the Snow Reports page of Okemo.com. My goal is to be up front;  everyday I try to make decisions before the resort opens, in the hopes of making it easier for our guests to make decisions. Without a doubt though, the best laid plans don’t always come together. Sometimes we end up making adjustments on the fly. We will always let you know through the web site, Facebook and Twitter.

March is here, snowmaking is going to happen as temperatures permit and we have the most snow!  It doesn’t get any better than that! Enjoy and thanks for your support this season.

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

Late February Update

Greetings,

The month of February has brought plenty of snow, sunshine and warm weather. Okemo guests have been treated to great ski & ride conditions and we expect it to continue into March. 

This past holiday weekend was a good one at Okemo. While there were no records set, skier visits were very strong and I can’t thank all of our loyal skiers and riders enough. There were some operational challenges, including longer lift lines, slower than normal food service, and some muddy parking lots, but Okemo continues to work on all aspects of our operation and we strive to provide the best experience possible for our guests.

I have been asked about how this past week's weather pattern has affected the skiing conditions and snow. There's no doubt that the snow has been more edgeable and carveable. Grooming has been happening every night and the groomers have been changing their patterns to mix things up. The grooming begins in Solitude each night, since it is closest to the Maintenance Shop. As soon as ski patrol finishes their nightly sweep, the groomers head to either Jackson Gore or the South Face area. Switching things up allows for each area to set up differently. The area which is groomed first is always firmer and on sunny days, can be the best place to start your day of skiing or riding.

Snowmaking will continue, even as spring approaches, whenever temperatures permit and we will remain aggressive in keeping our trails open and lifts operating. The snowmakers have been cleaning up some of their hoses and guns, but are poised and ready to go as needed. We are increasing snow depth for high traffic areas and working on some of our main line trails. Heading into March, we are expecting some great spring skiing and riding!

Okemo is stoked to host the Volvo Sponsored Sugar Daze concert in the Jackson Gore Courtyard. This free concert is scheduled for Saturday March 11^th and goes from 3:30 – 8:30pm. A local warm-up act will take the stage at 3:30. MAGIC! will dazzle the crowd with their catchy fusion of reggae, pop and R&B, starting at 5:45. Then at 7:15, two-time Grammy and World Music Award nominee Paul Oakenfold will perform. Sugar Daze is always a great time for everyone!

This week, Vail Resorts purchased Stowe Mountain. Okemo has congratulated Vail on their purchase and we welcome them to Vermont. Stowe is a great resort and we are sure that Vail will continue the great skiing and riding experience that Stowe is known for. Having Vail in Vermont may result in Okemo adjusting some of the ski experience offerings available, but that will come with time.  Presently, we are in wait-and-see mode and we'll continue to concentrate on the positive energy Okemo has going, as well as focus on what we can offer for our guests.

Here is to a long winter and a great spring skiing experience. Thank you for your continued support and for a great February vacation week!

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

MLK Weekend Update

Greetings,

Okemo has just surpassed Day #50 for the ski season and we are in full mid-winter mode.  The ski season has been going along well and we are looking forward to a strong Martin Luther King 3-day weekend.

The weather has been challenging off and on this winter and that is true this week.  There has been some wet weather, some sunny weather and some cold weather. The great news is that this weekend we are looking at the sunny and cold.  The January temperatures are welcome and will make for a great ski weekend.  There is no doubt that the skiing surface will be variable…we can’t prevent that. But I can tell you that Okemo groomers will be diligently working the snow with mountain tilling, blading and power tilling the best we can.  We will also have the winch cat out on the steeper terrain each night pulling snow up from the bottom and moving things around.  Also helping out will be the snowmaking team.  Snowmakers will be doing their part with an aggressive push on existing terrain.  This will mostly focus on the main line trails in the center of the mountain and head out towards Jackson Gore and Glades peak into South Face.  While we won’t be able to tackle every trail, the plan will be to run and gun, lay out some manmade snow and then move. We are hoping to cover a large percentage of the trails over the weekend both during the day and night.

Work on the Amp Energy Superpipe has begun and between the snowmaking and grooming we are coming along well.  If you haven’t seen the photos, check out the picture above or on our Facebook page.  Lots of snow has been made and now we will push the snow down the superpipe and onto the walls. After that comes more snowmaking and then more shaping. It is a long process but worth it in the end.  I can assure you that the work on the Amp Energy Superpipe is not impacting the snowmaking effort and grooming we are doing on the mountain at all.  We always work on the ski terrain and then go to the Superpipe.

There are times when our business levels are strong on the slopes and around the resorts and I know that there is no doubt some frustration with lines, crowded buildings, full parking lots and lots of skiers and riders. I want to assure you that all of us here at Okemo are committed each day to do our best to keep lines moving, lodges cleaned up, cars moving and doing what is possible to have a great day on the slopes.  I know that we won’t always reach the mark, but the Okemo Team will try and provide the Okemo Difference every day.  Thanks in advance for your support and patience.

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM

A White Christmas at Okemo!

Okemo skier and riders,

It is a great winter morning here at Okemo and we are making snow hard and fast. Wednesday night we ran around 150 guns and were maximizing our use of water. Most of those guns are HKD guns so when it gets colder they can use more water and make more snow.  This past week added some natural trails along with adding Defiance and Sel’s Choice.

As we head into the weekend, we will be looking to add the South Face area, with Stump Jumper and Blind Faith most likely being open for skiing and riding as well as Rimrock, Moon Dog, Sun Dog, Moment’s Rest and Sprint.  The snow report mentioned making snow on Dream Weaver, but I want to clarify that that is only the bottom section from Stump Jumper down. We haven’t made snow on the upper section and most likely won’t for the time being.  Also on the list for this weekend is adding Sachem, Wardance, Bull Run, Liftline and the Galaxy Bowl.

During this cold snap, we will be looking to make snow on Upper and Lower Chief as well as Coleman Brook and Sidewinder.  The plan is to work our way towards Moonshadow and Morningstar with the hope of having them open by Christmas.  We will also be working towards Tuckered Out in the Jackson Gore area.

Some of our lower mountain objectives will be expanding terrain in the base area to include Robbins’ Nest, Ledgewood and Kettlebrook.  The natural snow we have received will help the trails in the long run, and we have been rolling the trails with a roller and snow cat to pack down the snow.  Looking further out, I anticipate the snowmaking operations to head back towards the South Face area and the SouthFace Village trail as well as working on some of the lift line trails we haven’t gotten to yet.

This weekend Snow Park Technologies (SPT) will be on-site building the Crazy Train Terrain Park as well as some features in “The Zone” area.  The groomers have also added moguls to the Plunge.  We will have that closed on Saturday for a “B” mogul meet.  It is always great to showcase the excellent talent of the Okemo Freestyle competitors.  I will be honest and say that I don’t anticipate any work being done on the Superpipe until early 2017.

With this new terrain added we are also expanding other operations including the opening of Epic Restaurant at the base of Solitude on Saturday, December 17th, Coleman Brook Tavern opening for lunch and dinner 7 days a week and Siena opening for dinner on Friday, December 16th.  Also, opening will be the Sugar House cafeteria.  An exciting time here at Okemo as we add more for our guests to enjoy, on and off the hill.

This week, we have been diligently making ice at the Ice House with our new refrigeration system, and we will be skating this weekend! Be sure to check it out and watch our new Zamboni work on the surface.  It is just like the TD Garden!

Many thanks to you for your support of Okemo and I want to wish you Happy Holidays.  As always, if you have a question, please send it along.  The entire Okemo team will do our best to give you the best skiing and riding possible!

Enjoy it out there on the hill!

Bruce Schmidt
Okemo GM

December Outlook

Okemo Friends,

December has arrived at Okemo and with that some great early season skiing and riding as well as a strong snowmaking push. While the weather has been up and down, the Okemo Mountain Operations staff has been able to open up almost 80 acres of terrain.

We have had 18 days of making snow since early November and we have made snow on more than 20 trails – with 11 currently open for skiing and riding. While the crew worked hard to get top-to-bottom trails, they also have been working to head into the Solitude area, and now Jackson Gore. The snowmaking game plan is broken down into the Upper Mountain, Mid Mountain and Base area. Imagine the mountain being broken into two sections: trails above the Black Ridge, Solitude and Jackson Gore all being upper Mountain, and trails below the top of the Black Ridge the lower Mountain. As you can imagine, I get lots of questions on what is happening as we head into the holidays. Here are some answers.

What is the snowmaking Plan?  That is a pretty broad question, but I can tell you that we balance the best possible skiing and riding with the addition of new terrain as quickly as possible. Presently, we are working with our patrollers and other departments who are on the slopes to decide if we need to make snow on existing terrain. Some of our capacity is committed to that while the rest is committed to adding terrain. We are headed toward Solitude with snow being made on The Plunge, Heaven’s Gate, Screamin’ Demon, Mountain Road, Sweet Solitude and Roundhouse Run. This will get us into Solitude as well as toward Jackson Gore. 

Why make snow on The Plunge?  The Plunge is an easy continuation down from Sapphire. We use the Plunge for both a way into Solitude, and as access to our Maintenance shop. We need a trail near the Maintenance shop to get the snow cats out on the slopes as well as move food trailers to the Summit Lodge. While we could make on Village Run, the Plunge is a better skiing trail than Village Run is, so it makes sense to head there. It also allows us to make Moguls if we wanted to earlier in the season.

When will Jackson Gore be open?  Snowmaking guns are set up on some of the Jackson Gore trails and we will be making snow there most likely Saturday night. Snow will be made first on Blue Moon, Sunset Strip, Lower Limelight and, if possible with HKD temperatures, Vortex and Quantum Leap. If the temperatures come in like we expect, we will also make snow on Inn Bound, Fast Track and Expresso. The plan is to have the Jackson Gore base area open by Saturday December 12. We will have a better feel by early next week. 

How much longer do we have to ride the Sachem Quad?  I know the ride on the Sachem is not the best, but as I always say, it is better than riding the shuttle bus! I am hopeful that we will be riding the Base Quad and skiing down Lower Arrow within the next couple days. The mountain skis better when the quads are operating, so we want to get there as soon as we can.

What about snowmaking on the slopeside lodging trails?  Believe me, I understand the importance of this.  The plan will be to get to those trails before Christmas or soon after. We want to get more terrain open to give more skiing and riding options, and we will pick off some of those lodging trails when we have some capacity. 

What about Wardance?  Once we have Lower Arrow open we will begin to work on some other mid-mountain trails. This most likely will include Lower Chief, Wardance, Black Out and Village Run. I want to have the racers in their own area so training can begin and Okemo can begin to hold competition events.

What about Terrain parks?  We have discussed where our first terrain parks will be worked on and most likely that will be either the Crazy Train Terrain Park or the Lower Tomahawk Terrain park. Both require lots of snow, so we would be doing this only if, and when, we have colder temperatures.

How long will the features stay on Nor’easter?  Okemo is working hard to create some terrain features and rails to balance out the skiing and riding, and have options for everyone. We plan to have terrain park features on skiable terrain until we have a terrain park built and open.

When will there be beginner terrain? As there are snowmaking temperatures in the base area, more of the base area, mountain road and open slope will be widened. We will focus on the F-10 learning area first and then the Mountain Road from the top of the Base quads.

Is Okemo grooming every night during the warmer weather? Yes, Okemo is grooming slopes and trails every night. There may be some areas with less snow that we are working around, but the majority of every trail is being groomed. When it was colder, Okemo ran some mountain tillers to help the surface. We will do this again as the temperature drops to keep the surface softer. Okemo grooming and snowmaking are making for a great skiing experience.

What is Christmas holiday period looking like for slopes and trails?  Whenever I am asked this question I am quick to let everyone know that, contrary to popular belief, Okemo does not have a crystal ball. I will say that Okemo will work hard to get as much terrain open as possible. We will work hard to have a great skiing product on our existing terrain. Our goal would be to have some terrain open in all the different mountain pods.  You can be assured that Okemo snowmakers will be making as much snow as possible whenever possible!  There is no issue with water supply, we have our generators in place, and there is a great snowmaking team that is supported by a strong Mountain Operations team to give all they have every day. 

This is a sample of the questions I hear and am asked. I am hopeful that I have answered some of your questions.  As always, if you have a question send it along. The entire Okemo team will do our best to give you the best skiing and riding possible!

Enjoy your days on the slopes,

Bruce Schmidt

Okemo GM