Stratton 2.11.2012 and Okemo 2.12.12

[Cheese]

Date(s) Skied: 2.11.2012

Resort or Ski Area:Stratton

Conditions:Machine groomed


Date(s) Skied: 2.12.2012

Resort or Ski Area:Okemo

Conditions:Machine groomed

Trip Report:

Sorry I can't share more detailed reports but here's the condensed version.

Glades and ungroomed terrain were either closed or not worth skiing so I'll just offer a quick comparison of groomed runs at both resorts.

Okemo definitely blew Stratton away in the grooming category. Stratton's grooming tillers took a very thin bite so the groom was very thin and the crowds wiped away what little they had for easily carvable snow by 11am. Okemo's groom was deeper so actually felt like corduroy on a good snow year. Yes, Stratton has more uphill capacity but on the way down they have more crowded slopes, dangerous intersections and mountain safety employees posted all over the mountain reprimanding anyone who they feel is traveling too fast. I have no affiliation with either mountain but given the choice to go to either mountain tomorrow, I would return to Okemo.

 

[billski]

Thank you for the report Cheese. It's a very interesting contrast; it seems to reflect on the strategy of each area to till up the frozen stuff. I don't know anything about grooming, but I wonder if grooming it quickly during the freeze up kept more loose stufl. Or perhaps they make several passes on each trail. Gosh, I haven't been to Okemo since about 1982 when the place was all pomas.

 

[gmcunni]

Gosh, I haven't been to Okemo since about 1982 when the place was all pomas.

it has changed a bit since then. i recall skiing there in the 80s and the top was never open.

 

[billski]

it has changed a bit since then. i recall skiing there in the 80s and the top was never open.

What hill was it that had a mid station to summit poma? that went right across a ski trail? I remember it from roughly ten years ago.

 

[gmcunni]

What hill was it that had a mid station to summit poma? that went right across a ski trail? I remember it from roughly ten years ago.

sugarloaf has a poma that crosses a ski trail, not sure if other do/did too.

 

[wa-loaf]

sugarloaf has a poma that crosses a ski trail, not sure if other do/did too.

You talking about the t-bar? There's just a catwalk that crosses the line. Nothing you'd consider a trail.

 

[gmcunni]

You talking about the t-bar? There's just a catwalk that crosses the line. Nothing you'd consider a trail.

yes, t bar. i had to avoid people both riding it and crossing