The Okemo mountain thread

[Hastur]

I'm not sure if the technology exists yet for a lift from Okemo base to Magic or Killington.

it's been a long time since I've been there but I remember some Okemo gnar in the south face area. I remember liking it, but I was young and dumb.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I don't think there is anything steep in the south face pod. the fact they call what's there "expert" slopes is silly . Double Diamond and Outrage are probably the most challenging down there and are fun when there is snow. those 2 are legit expert terrain.

 

[snoseek]

Exactly. It was my family's home mountain from 1987 through 2002. Pretty cool time to be a regular there with seemingly a new lift or trails going in almost every year.

We skied there probably at least 500 times during those years I probably hold the record for most runs ever on Sel's Choice. It was the only consistent bump run for many years and I'd spend most of my days skiing it. Wouldn't shock me if I have 10,000 runs down it. Some days I'd ski it 40 times.

We'd boot up at the base and just leave our shoes under a table there. Then bring a bag with lunch to the Sugar Shack and never go back to the base again until the end of the day. Worked really well

Dude you are so not the typical skier to come out of okemo but the sels laps explains it.

I actually really like it there. Went a few times for the first time since the 80s last year. Decadent grooming and comfy chairs. It's like a bigger Bretton woods with a slightly different crowd. I'm getting old and places like that are a getting more appealing

 

[urungus]

Annoyingly Okemo shut a listed 3:45 lift (Glades peak lift) at 3:15 for no reason it seems but to do it earlier.

This has happened to me as well at Glades Peak Lift, more than once

 

[deadheadskier]

How about 1 lift at each base area that brings you to a pod of trails you can ski and enjoy? not sideways?

okemo can't manage that?

summit lifts don't have to come down to the base area but their setup is odd.

I'm surprised you guys like it


also, Ludlow is terrible.

carry on.

I don't really see the topography supporting what you are talking about.

I also don't see their setup being a particular problem. It's basically the same thing as parking at Snowshed at Killington and using those lifts to get to the upper mountain.

I'm not a huge fan of the place anymore and have probably only skied there 3-4 times in the past 20 years, but as a kid it was a great experience with my family.

As for Ludlow? What's the problem with it? It's one of the better actual towns at a base to a ski mountain in the East. It's no Lincoln or Stowe, but there's plenty of restaurants and what not. I prefer it to what is offered near Mt Snow or Stratton any day.

Generally speaking, I find Okemo, Mt Snow and Stratton to all be basically the same. I don't care for the Southern VT experience in general as a weekend skier

 

[Hastur]

Generally speaking, I find Okemo, Mt Snow and Stratton to all be basically the same.

100% Agree. More parking lot fist fights at mt. Snow tho

 

[cdskier]

I don't really see the topography supporting what you are talking about.

I also don't see their setup being a particular problem. It's basically the same thing as parking at Snowshed at Killington and using those lifts to get to the upper mountain.

I'm not a huge fan of the place anymore and have probably only skied there 3-4 times in the past 20 years, but as a kid it was a great experience with my family.

As for Ludlow? What's the problem with it? It's one of the better actual towns at a base to a ski mountain in the East. It's no Lincoln or Stowe, but there's plenty of restaurants and what not. I prefer it to what is offered near Mt Snow or Stratton any day.

Generally speaking, I find Okemo, Mt Snow and Stratton to all be basically the same. I don't care for the Southern VT experience in general as a weekend skier

Yea, Okemo was my first introduction to VT. I had fun there, but no longer my cup of tea once I discovered places further north.

Also not sure what the problem with Ludlow is either. I always thought it was a cute little town. I remember enjoying walking around after dinner and watching all the lights of the groomers going up and down the mountain.

 

[urungus]

I also don't see their setup being a particular problem. It's basically the same thing as parking at Snowshed at Killington and using those lifts to get to the upper mountain.

At Killington, from the top of the Snowshed Quad, you don’t have to make a u-turn and ski down more than half of Snowshed Slope to get to the other areas. The Killington equivalent of the Okemo setup would be if the K1 gondola or Snowdon Six base terminals were 1/4 of the way up Snowshed Slope.
edit: I usually avoid the mess at Okemo by taking the carpet or making the short hike, to the Sachem Quad

 

[Hastur]

who in their right mind parks at snowshed at K?

 

[drjeff]

who in their right mind parks at snowshed at K?

An Apres drink at the Long Trail Pub isn't necessarily a bad thing . Other than that, unless you have some beginners with you, much better options IMHO

 

[4aprice]

I actually really like it there. Went a few times for the first time since the 80s last year. Decadent grooming and comfy chairs. It's like a bigger Bretton woods with a slightly different crowd. I'm getting old and places like that are a getting more appealing

Lol. Been following your posts for years and it sounds like you are right in the same place I am. Have a great time at places like Okemo, Loon, Buttermilk etc, you know, places not necessarily known for challenge. Skied Okemo several times during the Maxx Pass days. The wife loved it which was reason enough to go there (happy wife, happy life) but I enjoyed it too. The morning sun on South Ridge groomers and some of the trails at Jackson Gore including a really fun glade stick out in the memory banks.

 

[deadheadskier]

At Killington, from the top of the Snowshed Quad, you don’t have to make a u-turn and ski down more than half of Snowshed Slope to get to the other areas. The Killington equivalent of the Okemo setup would be if the K1 gondola or Snowdon Six base terminals were 1/4 of the way up Snowshed Slope.
edit: I usually avoid the mess at Okemo by taking the carpet or making the short hike, to the Sachem Quad

Huh? I'm not sure I understand your perspective. If you are not skiing Snowshed, you are skiing short connector trails to either Superstar quad or down into Needles basin. It's almost the exact same setup as South Ridge at Okemo. You either ski that terrain or a very short distance to either the Black Ridge, Northstar or Sachem chairs. In fact my mom even calls South Ridge at Okemo "Snowshed" all these years later because we started skiing Killington first before moving over to Okemo and the South Ridge terrain reminded her of Snowshed.

As far as why someone would park at Snowshed? Prior to the new K1 lodge, the Snowshed lodge was far better as a starting point to get booted up. Far more available seating. Then again, this is AZ and if you don't get dressed from naked in the parking lot, you are a pussy and a gaper.

Personally? I park at Bear whenever I visit K.

 

[Zand]

Generally speaking, I find Okemo, Mt Snow and Stratton to all be basically the same. I don't care for the Southern VT experience in general as a weekend skier

I kind of side with this take as well.

Okemo was my first VT experience (and apparently many others' here as well) and I don't think I've ever gone there and not had fun. I've only been there once in the past ~15 years though and now that it's Vail, I don't see a return anytime soon. I feel like it has the most laid back feel of the major southern VT mountains and a bit more of a family appeal than Mt Snow or Stratton. I also think for intermediates it's easily the best of the three even though they all cater to intermediates.

Being an Ikon passholder, I'm kind of stuck with Stratton as my southern VT daytrip area. The good thing is it probably has the best glades of the three and their clientele doesn't really ski it. But the clientele is definitely the "NYC people with money" type and I always feel like I'm from another planet when I end up in a gondola with those kinds of people.

I actually liked Mt Snow the most of the three when I had the Peak Pass as the North Face has better terrain than the other two. A lot more of the clientele falls in the jerk category compared to Stratton and Okemo but I only went there on a Saturday one time and never made that mistake again.

Overall though it's pretty easy to drive by all three to get to Killington and beyond when the natural is good.

 

[ThatGuy]

Then again, this is AZ and if you don't get dressed from naked in the parking lot, you are a pussy and a gaper.

so accurate

 

[drjeff]

Skied Okemo the last 2 days (the Sunny picture is Tuesday the 9th and the cloudy picture, Wednesday the 10th). Coverage on the 10ish distinct routes still open is generally good, with on most trails the hazards are well marked off with the orange "bamboo" - they're 100% plastic these days, are marked off by patrol - seems like only Lower World Cup might not make it to Sunday depending on what the cat operators have to work with still.

Tuesday (the Sunny day) the temps quickly shot towards 55-60 by 11ish, and the snow RAPIDLY got really sticky, and my wife and I quit after 9 runs and 15k vertical feet.

Wednesday (the cloudy day) the clouds stayed all day, the temps stayed a few degrees either side of 40 and the snow never got sticky during my 9:15-3:30, 27 Sunburst 6 rides, 45k vertical foot session.

The coverage is holding on the Okemo's last 4 days of operations this season should be some good Spring skiing on a fun 1500+ vertical foot pod of terrain!

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Then again, this is AZ and if you don't get dressed from naked in the parking lot, you are a pussy and a gaper.

Personally? I park at Bear whenever I visit K.

im a month late for this comment but i feel seen

aside from a slice of pizza on the way out of sugarbush and a morning coffee at magic, i did not go in a lodge building all season. there really is nothing to eat for a long while leaving sugarbush down 100 south, unless you go 10 min out of your way in each direction on 100 north.

 

[cdskier]

im a month late for this comment but i feel seen

aside from a slice of pizza on the way out of sugarbush and a morning coffee at magic, i did not go in a lodge building all season. there really is nothing to eat for a long while leaving sugarbush down 100 south, unless you go 10 min out of your way in each direction on 100 north.

Barely leaving Sugarbush there's Warren Store about 60 seconds off Rt 100 heading south.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Barely leaving Sugarbush there's Warren Store about 60 seconds off Rt 100 heading south.

Yea I almost edited to add that. I don’t really love it tho. I think it’s pricy and the sandwiches a bit eh

 

[cdskier]

Yea I almost edited to add that. I don’t really love it tho. I think it’s pricy and the sandwiches a bit eh

They used to be very good, although I do think they went downhill the past few years.

Best sandwiches in the valley are still Mehurons followed by Mutha Stuffers.

 

[tumbler]

The new owners ruined the Warren Store. Terrible quality and so overpriced. They finally smartened up and put the reutzler back on the menu but it doesn't come close to what the original was. It's not even a food option for us anymore.