Good ol' Vermont Cold Snap

Here is some information that's handy for the upcoming weekend, which looks to be FANTASTIC for snow conditions, albeit a little chilly.

- Thursday and Friday will be the coldest
--Saturday's temps will begin to moderate in the morning. Temps are forecasted 10-15 degrees in the base and 0-5 degrees at the summit
--Sunday we're looking at 15-20 degrees
--Strong winds are not forecasted
--Okemo will also be extending our First Hour FREE skiing from 60 minutes to 90 minutes on Thurs, Friday and Saturday (just so you can make sure!)

A few other bonuses should you be on the hill this weekend:

--Hot Chocolate Galore! We'll have the Okemo Cold Patrol on alert with coupons for free hot chocolate - look for them in the base lodges. (Hint: take lots of breaks!)

--All guests purchasing tickets will receive "BELOW ZEROKEMO" coupons good for a return visit for $39 - valid Sunday through Friday beginning 1/20/09 (excluding the February Holiday).

So keep in mind:

--Dress in layers.
--Hand and toe warmers are a great idea.
--Take frequent breaks!
--Ski & Ride on sheltered trails and the lower lifts. Riding the Solitude Express or Jackson Gore Express keeps you away from "the top" but gets you pretty close.
--Cover all exposed skin. This means a neck gaiter or even a mask.
--Another option is beginning your day a bit later, after the sun has a few hours to do its thing!

As always. Be safe and have fun!

"Cold, schmold. Put on another sweater."

OK, so I'm channeling my mother here, but whenever I see a chilly forecast (in Vermont! In January! Go figure!) my parents' voices echo in my ears. ("Don't you touch that thermostat, young man!")

Truth is, it IS going to be a bit nippy on the mountain the next few days. Old Man Winter is flexing his muscles and showing us what he can do when he puts his mind to it, and the upcoming cold temperatures plus a bit of a breeze (yes, I'm being euphemistic) does mean that bundling up nice and tight is in order.

There's an old saying that there's no such thing as bad weather; only bad clothing. I don't know if that's completely true, but certainly, now is probably not the time to rock the Jets hoodie and the Wrangler jeans. (I'm talking to you, Brett Favre.) Remember to dress appropriately, (warning warning warning shameless marketing plug approaching) visit the Okemo Snowsports Shop for a great selection of handwarmers, bootwarmers and (my personal fave) face and neck gaiters and masks, and you'll be just fine. Besides, that's what Okemo's world-famous hot cocoa is for, right? Warming up after a few great runs on a 100% open mountain? Mmmm... Okemo hot cocoa... velvety chocolate goodness...

Besides, there's great news in these cold temperatures: in addition to the primo snowmaking and grooming days this cold front is providing us, the temps are going to rise significantly starting Saturday morning... just in time for a heck of a nice MLK weekend. See? Old Man Winter's not so mean after all.

Jan. 20 is OkemOBAMA Day!

Jan. 20, 2009, is Inauguration Day for the 44th president of the United States of America. To celebrate the momentous inauguration of Barack Obama, Okemo Mountain Resort has declared Jan. 20 OkemOBAMA Day. Lift tickets will be priced at $44 for a full-day ticket and every television set within public view will be tuned to Inauguration Day festivities.

Six Feet of Snow

Isn't it funny how a turn of phrase can trigger memories? Reading Tom's snow report yesterday brought me back to those road trip selects tapes we always made. Little Feat always made the cut and there was nothing like harmonizing to Lowell George singing Six Feet of Snow.

That's a lot of snow! When you consider how early in the season it is, that's pretty impressive. Despite all that natural snowfall, Okemo's VP of Operations Barry Tucker assured me that his crew is "continuing to make snow aggressively." Successful resurfacing efforts brought a number of trails back online for this weekend and it looks like there's more snowfall on the way. I'm hearing 6-10 inches! Fingers crossed.

Back to Lowell ... "Don`t you know the ice and snow is sneaking in through my windows ..." Cheers!

The Art of Okemo

Meet the Art of Okemo - Art Farrington. Like Van Gogh or Picasso, Art and his fellow groomer operators are masters of their medium.

It is especially evident during busy times like this - Okemo has turned grooming into an art form. All that edge-to-edge corduroy doesn't just happen by itself. Okemo's team of grooming artists start with a fresh white canvas every evening and Okemo's top-secret methodology delivers some of the best skiing and snowboarding surfaces in the business. It's the Okemo Difference that brings people back time and again.

What Are You Doing ...

Maybe it’s much too early in the game

Ah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same

What are you doing New Year’s

New Year’s Eve?

Whether you’re looking for memorable family festivities or a romantic interlude that includes dinner and a midnight stroll under the stars to our courtyard fireplace (where you’re guaranteed to see sparks fly, one way or another), Okemo has a New Year’s Eve celebration for you.

Join us at Jackson Gore’s Coleman Brook Tavern for a very special New Year's Eve celebration with dining and dancing after 9 p.m. And enjoy music by The Sherry Winston Band. Call (802) 228-1435 for reservations and information.

If a more active evening is appealing to you, bring your friends and family to Okemo's First Annual Family New Year's Eve party! Enjoy snowtubing, ice skating, snowshoeing, horse drawn wagon rides, games, special activities and more! Plus, join us for a family-friendly pizza and dance party in the Roundhouse, complete with a DJ, balloons and noisemakers.

Hot Dog Hill is Open for the Season!

Ketchup, mustard, and relish, may be the more common hot dog toppings, but at Okemo we like to put a little butter on our dogs. Our Hot Dog Hill beginner-level terrain park opened for the season this past Saturday, ushering in another winter of freestyle ski and snowboard progression. From the greats like Ross Powers to your average Joe-y, they all have to start somewhere. The pint-sized park features small jumps and plenty of butters for up-and-coming X-Games medalists to get their start on. After busting your buns in this park for a little while, you'll be ready to move on to one of Okemo's other parks, including our SoBe Super Park on Nor'Easter.

(Interestingly enough, the gateway to Hot Dog Hill was built by a family of beavers, not Dachshunds. I only kid.)

Just because our Pipes and Parks crew is a top-rated team of feature-building experts doesn't mean they forgot about those of us who don't throw down backside 900s on our way to lunch. The history of terrain park building is one which can be characterized by many bucks and trends, but two things have remained constant: safety and progression. Hot Dog Hill is the type of park you can feel comfortable dropping the kids off at, or dropping into. So whether you're young or old, it's never too late to put a little air and butter beneath your feet.