The most terrain open in all of New England!

[Talisman]

Jay is saying that if this storm pans out, they could be or close to 100% open by next weekend.

Jay's snow reports in recent years have been prone to hyperbole. I cross check their snow reports with what the snow situation at Burke, Sutton and Owl's Head. Though Burke, Sutton and Owl's Head don't get the same amount of snow as Jay the trends are similar.

 

[riverc0il]

Jay's snow reports in recent years have been prone to hyperbole. I cross check their snow reports with what the snow situation at Burke, Sutton and Owl's Head. Though Burke, Sutton and Owl's Head don't get the same amount of snow as Jay the trends are similar.

Hyperbole indeed. But almost all of their current open trails are open on natural snow and that is without the GMF or Tram which could easily yield 1-2 dozen trails even before the incoming storm. If Jay gets 1-2' from the upcoming storm, it will open up based on what I have seen and skied these past two weekends. The potential is there. Certainly not this weekend but after Monday and Tuesday, I think the mountain is going to be wide open except for the usual suspects that are variable throughout the year.

Jay's snow situation is nothing like Burke. Can't speak for Sutton and Owl's Head, but they are dubious as well. I lived right down the road from Burke the last two years and took the Jay pass with an hour drive over the Burke pass and for good reason. Night and Day. Burke is more akin to Cannon than Jay for snow conditions. The best cross check for Jay is Stowe.

 

[SnowRider]

Why does everyone here (besides a couple of you) hate Okemo? whenever a positive thread comes up on everyone starts saying its flat, its not that good. Its like your always trying to put Okemo to a lower level. So what if its flat. Its still better than half the resorts in the East. Its always well groomed and a well kept mountain. They do there best with what they have for terrain. So I sugest you stop putting Okemo down and just congradulate them for working harder and putting out more snow than the other resorts. If you dont have anything positive to say and you hate Okemo, stay out of this thread.

 

[Mark_151]

As a new skier (4th season) Okemo is my new big find. I loved what I saw last weekend and plan on taking advantage of my Wachusett Pass discount and visiting alot this season. One of the great things about being an intermediate is we're easily amused.

 

[billski]

Write on!

As a new skier (4th season) Okemo is my new big find. I loved what I saw last weekend and plan on taking advantage of my Wachusett Pass discount and visiting alot this season. One of the great things about being an intermediate is we're easily amused.

I would argue that the intermediate skier is under-represented on this forum. Maybe not as lurkers, but in number of messages posted. This forum (in my mind) isn't only for the Backcountry experts and advanced. I for one am always interested in an intermediate and for that matter, a beginner's perspective. If we don't keep getting new blood into this sport, there won't be many operating resorts left!

Interestingly, recent stats indicate the number of new boarders is dropping, and the number of new skiers is rising once again. My worry with the latter is that it's all old farts like me and not much young blood. I hope I'm wrong.

Write on Intermediates and Beginners, let's hear from ya!

 

[deadheadskier]

Why does everyone here (besides a couple of you) hate Okemo? whenever a positive thread comes up on everyone starts saying its flat, its not that good. Its like your always trying to put Okemo to a lower level. So what if its flat. Its still better than half the resorts in the East. Its always well groomed and a well kept mountain. They do there best with what they have for terrain. So I sugest you stop putting Okemo down and just congradulate them for working harder and putting out more snow than the other resorts. If you dont have anything positive to say and you hate Okemo, stay out of this thread.

I think you'll find that for EVERY ski area in the Northeast or really anywhere, there will be people who for what ever reason dislike it. I personally have nothing against Okemo. I grew up skiing there and have wonderful fond memories of the mountain. There is great cruising terrain and I think by far the best grooming in the east that I have experienced. It's a very well run operation and I wouldn't be suprised at all if it is the most profitable resort in the east.

That all being said, I haven't skied there since 1997 and really have no plans of going there because in the same travel time, I can find a mountain that suits my needs better.

To say "if you haven't got anything positive to say and you hate (insert mountain here), stay out of this thread," is a bit ridiculous though. After all this is a message board where opinions will be expressed, good or bad.

 

[billski]

Why does everyone here (besides a couple of you) hate Okemo? whenever a positive thread comes up on everyone starts saying its flat, its not that good. Its like your always trying to put Okemo to a lower level. So what if its flat. Its still better than half the resorts in the East. Its always well groomed and a well kept mountain. They do there best with what they have for terrain. So I sugest you stop putting Okemo down and just congradulate them for working harder and putting out more snow than the other resorts. If you dont have anything positive to say and you hate Okemo, stay out of this thread.

I would argue (see my earlier post) it's because intermediates don't speak up enough on this forum, or are out-shouted by advanced-skill-level writers. Let's also put it in perspective. 40 or 50 opinions out of 5 million does not constitute a majority. It's easy to lose that perspective in forums where really good posts get lost/buried quickly in the pile and only the most current writers are visible. To that end, I would ask the more advanced skiers and most vocal writers to practice a little more of that diversity and tolerance that we all learned in college.

p.s., Long ago I learned how to have just as much fun on a corduroy green as I can in the woods. (i.e., practicing my stupid tricks!) It's another one of those skills that seems lost on many Americans who only want the next most extreme experience. (I am making a general statement about Americans, not these forum members.)

 

[deadheadskier]

Hey Dead, what town did you live in? My best skiing bud grew up in Belmont, and skied everyday after school at Okemo 'cause his mother worked there. I don't think much homework got done in the winter I miss those Pomas.....

I was very fortunate in that my folks had a ski home in Ludlow. I went to High School at Vermont Academy about 45 minutes away and Okemo was our 'home' mountain. Classes ended at 1pm on Tuesday and Thursdays and at 11am on Wednesday and Saturdays, so we were at the mountain 4 afternoons a week and then all day on Sundays.

 

[crank]

OK I'll admit it - I like Okemo. (but hey I even like Stratton)

No it is not a very challenging mountain. Okemo has the best snowmaking and the best grooming I have ever encountered. Okemo also has a well thought out, modern lift system. We like to take a March trip where we ski in the still mid-winter cold and snow of Jay Peak for a few days, and then hit Okemo for a day or 2 of luxury cruising/ basking in the sun. It is amazing the temperature/weather difference between the 2 mountains at that time of the year.

 

[2knees]

i had a decent length reply typed up but then i just decided it wasnt worth it. I'll just say that the original post was just a service announcement if you will. Okemo is expanding. good for them. just because they dont have crazy gnar gnar steezy mad bc shiznit to offer (how's that gss?) doesnt mean there arent some people who find this thread useful. flame on!

 

[thetrailboss]

There are lots of great places open...with lots of great terrain. I would get out there....

 

[MRGisevil]

I would argue that the intermediate skier is under-represented on this forum. Maybe not as lurkers, but in number of messages posted. This forum (in my mind) isn't only for the Backcountry experts and advanced. I for one am always interested in an intermediate and for that matter, a beginner's perspective. If we don't keep getting new blood into this sport, there won't be many operating resorts left!

Interestingly, recent stats indicate the number of new boarders is dropping, and the number of new skiers is rising once again. My worry with the latter is that it's all old farts like me and not much young blood. I hope I'm wrong.

Write on Intermediates and Beginners, let's hear from ya!

That's refreshing to hear, Bill. I've only been skiing around 7-8 years (whith a 2 yr break in between) and sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by some of the posts I read on this forum and wonder "should I really show up to an event?" Those sorts of things. Thanks for being so reassuring.

 

[Greg]

I would argue that the intermediate skier is under-represented on this forum. Maybe not as lurkers, but in number of messages posted. This forum (in my mind) isn't only for the Backcountry experts and advanced. I for one am always interested in an intermediate and for that matter, a beginner's perspective. If we don't keep getting new blood into this sport, there won't be many operating resorts left!

Interestingly, recent stats indicate the number of new boarders is dropping, and the number of new skiers is rising once again. My worry with the latter is that it's all old farts like me and not much young blood. I hope I'm wrong.

Write on Intermediates and Beginners, let's hear from ya!

There are some that would say this forum has more intermediates than most skiing boards. My feeling is that those that post most often are insanely passionate about the sport. Anyone that is that enthusiastic is inherently going to be a somewhat accomplished skier.

That's refreshing to hear, Bill. I've only been skiing around 7-8 years (whith a 2 yr break in between) and sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by some of the posts I read on this forum and wonder "should I really show up to an event?" Those sorts of things. Thanks for being so reassuring.

Don't! Trust me. I've been to several AZ gatherings, large and small and often times the mix of advanced and intermediate skiers is pretty representative of the general skier population, I'd imagine. None of us loud mouths are as good as we claim we are... Well, Marc thinks he is, but......

Provided you can confidently navigate a steep blue or mellower (groomed) black diamond trail, you'll have no problem keeping up at an AZ gathering. At the larger ones, I encourage folks to break off into smaller groups of similar abilities and ski at your own pace. Usually, we'll all meet up, introduce ourselves, ski a few runs together and then break off into smaller groups, pretty naturally. When you get 12 or 15+ people together, all of different abilities, it's impossible to all stick together anyway. Some folks will feel like they're waiting too long; others will feel like they're holding up the group. It's pretty simple: Just ski. You'll settle into a group you feel comfortable with. I like to find a group of say 5 or 6 to ski with, but I'll take time to ski mellow stuff with others from time to time, or take the time to stick with someone who wants to try the harder stuff, but is a bit slower at it. JimG., especially, makes it a point to hold up a bit and wait for the slower skiers in the group so they don't feel left behind. He's also very willing to provide tips if you want them. I've seen folks latch on to him for that reason.

Don't feel intimidated, MRG. Nobody is going to criticise your skiing. We all share the same passion for the sport and that what's most important. Moreover, we all know what the learning curve is like. If you have 5+ seasons under your belt, you'll be fine.

 

[WJenness]

I only started skiing at the tail end of last season, and last night met up with some folks at Wachusett (see the thread in the TR forum). It was a good time, and though they were all clearly better skiers than me I didn't feel out of place or over my head... some of that may have been the fact that it was WaWa, but the folks were good people and it was a fun way to spend an evening at Wa.

-w

 

[2knees]

That's refreshing to hear, Bill. I've only been skiing around 7-8 years (whith a 2 yr break in between) and sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by some of the posts I read on this forum and wonder "should I really show up to an event?" Those sorts of things. Thanks for being so reassuring.

I think you'll be surprised how easy going most people here really are. Posts can be misinterpreted because there is no tone or inflection or personal communication. that and sometimes people just like to make opinion sound like fact. :smile: Just come on out and see for yourself. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[MRGisevil]

Thanks guys- made me feel better about it.

Given what Greg said, I don't think I'll have a problem keeping up... during the past couple seasons I've grown to be able to confidently navigate most of the blacks I've skied (haven't skied too many doubles and when I did it took me a while to make it through), but I certainly can't do it with the speed I've seen more advanced skiers do it with. Oh, and my idea of "big air" is about 10 inches, he he he...

Actually looking forward to some AZ events this season. My husband always tends to just ski at my pace and I have never really had people to ski with who would make me want to challenge myself and accel more than I do now (usually go out with beginners, or my step-brother- a Utah native who'd leave me at the base and go do his own thing). This season, for me, is really about progression, and I think attending some group outings will help enforce that even more.

Sorry to commandeer the thread ><;;

 

[Greg]

This season, for me, is really about progression, and I think attending some group outings will help enforce that even more.

Indeed it will. That and by logging as many miles as possible.

 

[JimG.]

That's refreshing to hear, Bill. I've only been skiing around 7-8 years (whith a 2 yr break in between) and sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by some of the posts I read on this forum and wonder "should I really show up to an event?" Those sorts of things. Thanks for being so reassuring.

Just show up and ski.

Skiing is fun.

That is all.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Just show up and ski.

Skiing is fun.

That is all.

I have to agree with that...On the big PASR days..the skill levels go from low intermediate to Platinum level Nastar racers..and we all have fun skiing together. When I ski by myself I like to bomb run after run after run with no stops but it's also fun to have a mellow social ski day with a large group. I feel like skiing with lower level skiers and helping them if they want is a great way to give back to the sport.

 

[riverc0il]

Not that it really matters much but Jay is up to 36 trails and the second the GMF comes online you can bump that up to about 64 or so. Doubt Okemo has six glade trails open yet