Glades Peak Sneak

Something dawned on me this morning while going through my normal snow reporting routine -- I've never been down Triplesec! Well, I shouldn't say never. I've been riding at Okemo for nearly 15 years, so chances are I flew down it at some point. But, to my recollection I had no memory of it. So, today I set out on a mission to ride Triplesec -- the trail I often hear about from the General Manager every morning because it is typically on the "ungroomed" list.



Here we are, dead-center in the middle of the February vacation week, and as I hobble around in my snowboard boots at the top of Triplesec not a single passerby comes through. The Glades Peak area is one of the less traveled sections of the mountain. Perhaps because it isn't accessed by a high-speed lift, just a trusty quad chair. As I found out, sometimes it's nice to take it slow.

There are a few things I like about the Glades Peak area. First, as previously mentioned, it's borderline desolate. Second, the area is loaded with pines. On a warm day the smell is invigorating and the aesthetics are quintessential Green Mountain. Third, it catches a lot of sun almost any time of day -- perfect for goggle-tan hunters.


Although not the longest trail on the map, the black-diamond Triplesec proved to be a hidden gem. The photo above was taken today (2/18) at the top of the trail. That's the day after a 6'' powder day in the middle of a holiday week, and there's still untouched snow! After a gradual pitch at the beginning, the slope drops off nicely as it hooks a right towards the Glades Peak Chair. The next time you're daily routine is feeling a little stale, try sneaking over to the Glades Peak area for some peace, quiet, and powder. See you on the slopes!

Yo! Da Smokey Jo's cheesesteak is the bomb!

Yo - I was born in Philadelphia moved to Chicago and then back to Philly for 16 years. I went to college at Drexel University and have worked for the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, Phantoms and Kixx (major indoor soccer). With that said, I know the city well and consider myself an expert in cheesesteakology. I have my favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night spots to score great cheesesteaks. If your ever in Philly my favorites are Jim's on South Street and Delessandro's in Manyunk. Don't be fooled by Pat's or Geno's they are tourist traps!

My new rule is - Anyone who comes up from Philly to visit must bring a cheeseteak to gain entry into my home.

Now you may say - "Ok where is he going with this?" A few years ago, I moved to Vermont and have been on a search for a killer cheesesteak.
It took a few years, but I finally found it. This cheesesteak resides in the SugarHouse at Okemo Mountain Resort. Smokey Jo's BBQ, out on the SugarHouse deck, has it dialed in.
This is a cheesesteak Rocky would be proud of!
Yous guys should definitely swing thru and try one!

Okemo's Dale Talkington goes big in the big west

Okemo's own Dale Talkington, an Okemo Mountain School student and Okemo sponsored athlete, put together this little clip for all the world to see. Dale is currently in Utah filming with the 4bi9 film company for their upcoming movie.

Keep up the good work Dale!

dale t sample from Dale Talkington on Vimeo.

are you an igloo guy?

The Okemo Operations Guys have outdone themselves again. With President's Vacation Week coming up, they decided to do something fun for visiting families; they built an igloo in the courtyard at Jackson Gore.

Okemo Recreation Manager K.C. Gandee recently faced his fear of igloos in a short video called Igloo Guy.

You can see how the Ops Guys worked their magic by viewing The Making of Okemo's "BIGLOO"

Winter Carnival's Fun Race was a huge success!

As part of the Ludlow Winter Carnival, the Kid's Fun Race at Jackson Gore proved to be an exciting time. This race will consisted of children 13 and under being timed in a foot race up and over the big mound of snow and over bales of hay and thru the finish line in the Jackson Gore Courtyard. All contestants were winners and received a sweet Mountain Dew stocking cap, but the fastest boy boy and girl in the 6 and Under and 7 - 13 yr old divisions won an Okemo Mountain Resort lunch pail with Snickers candy, hand warmers and a bottle of Poland Spring Water!

The 6 and Under boys winner was Quinn Riorclen and the boys 7 - 13 yr old winner was Mason Colby. Both boys are from Connecticut.
The 6 and Under girls winner was Molly Wetherbee and her sister Grace was the girls 7 - 13 yr old winner. The ladies are from Massachusetts.
Smiles were abundant at Jackson Gore today!

Okemo's Joey Jam Car has arrived

Back for year 2, Okemo's hugely popular "Joey Jam" will take place on March 27th. We searched long and hard for a great prize for this year's winner and came up with this amazing automobile. Aptly named "Snow White", this 1989 Camaro is ready for the ski season. Times are tough and gas is expensive, so with you in mind we went for something a bit more fuel friendly then last year's big v-8. The motor in this beauty starts right up and it drives great. Next week Snow White is heading up to Terry's Car Audio on South Main St in Rutland Vermont for a new Pioneer CD Player and some eFX Speakers. Thule has graciously donated a ski rack for the car, so you and 3 friends can load up the skis or boards and head back to Okemo for Slush Cup and Killarny's Splash For Cash the following weekend.

Registration opens for the Joey Jam on March 1st. All the details are at http://www.okemo.com/joeyjam

The Clarkson Five

In what has been affectionately named the Clarkson Five, Okemo VP of Marketing Scott Clarkson decided to celebrate his birthday with a challenge to raise money for the challenged. He decided to revisit all the Vermont ski resorts where his career in the ski industry has taken him over the years. The challenging part was that he wanted to ski at every one of them in one day ... and he did - all five of them.

Scott, his wife Martha and son, Parker, started their day at Burke. They skied Sugarbush, Stratton and Bromley, and ended their day at Okemo with a celebration at Jackson Gore. They raised nearly $3,000 for Vermont Special Olympics in the process.