The Okemo mountain thread

[jimmywilson69]

yeah I always have fun there as well. on a surprise 6" powder day last year and I dropped into a jackson gore glade AT LUNCH and had first AND second tracks

The snow at Okemo was far superior to mount snow. The surface at mount snow on Sunday was largely mech

 

[Zand]

A little bit of spice on Rolling Thunder!

Great 21k vert afternoon. I had just shy of 4 hours and time absolutely flew today. I love glades because they usually have great snow. But sometimes it feels more special getting to hit early season soft snow without that icy base underneath. Great day, glad to have gotten it in before the rain comes. As sad as I've been that I haven't been able to get to Stowe for the madness that's been going on up there, today definitely helped cure the jonesing a bit.

 

[Zand]

Quick hitter this afternoon...first day out in 3 weeks and about 30 minutes into the ride I realized I forgot my skis at home so I had to turn around, which cost me at least an hour. I don't think I got on skis until after 12:45. Skied hard for 3 hours for 18k vert.

Sun never really came out this afternoon yet the lower mountain and south facing stuff manked up and then got pretty frozen over by the end of the day. Hit the open nats over at South Face...unfortunately Loose Spruce was roped despite the snow report (still) showing it open. Double Diamond made up for it...lots of soft snow and kind of thin down the middle but the woods skiers right had much better coverage. I ended up in a rather long single track when I took a lap way far to the right, a little twiggy at the bottom but pretty fun. Would've hit it more but Catnap is fucking brutal. Place skis so much better when Glades Peak Quad is open. Fall Line and Ledges loaded with soft surfy snow.

Didn't hit much on Main Mountain but Searles/Sels was worth a trip. Searles always a fun nat, and Sels was ungroomed but no bumps seeded yet and it was kind of an icy mess the way it was. I also, for the first time ever, skied Everglade. Now I've been going to Okemo for almost 25 plus years and for some reason I've never found my way into this glade. I always figured it was some shitty flat thing that ran down to Mountain Rd as it looks short on the map and is in the middle of a sea of greens. Well I'll be damned. This sucker goes on and on and even has some decent pitch areas. I'm shocked Okemo rates it a blue. It is pretty near a carbon copy of West Pilot at Stratton. Pretty sure I'm gonna use this glade to get to Jackson Gore every time I go now. Picture of Everglade below for proof it exists. In less good news, I skied the Shadows next to Plunge which was all frozen mank and made for uncomfortable tentative turns until I could bail out.



Over at Jackson Gore, the rope very recently dropped on Big Bang and once again I'm proud of Okemo for actually opening it. It was loaded with deep chowder but that chowder hid some very gnarly boulders and cliffy areas just underneath. Even MRG would've bamboo'd off some of these rocks but Okemo was pretty much like "have at it!" Definitely a nice surprise. The other nats were more skied in but I hit them late and they were kind of that frozen over previously wet packed snow. Still edgeable, but sad I missed what was probably nice soft snow yesterday. Picture is of the top of Big Bang...wish I took one closer to the rocky area halfway down!



Was gonna go to Stowe this weekend but decided not to waste vacation time with the rain coming. Probably will just watch playoff football and maybe day trip to Mt Snow or Berkshire East on Tuesday. Hopefully we get some new snow soon after the rain moves out! Plenty of base and it's not a big torch so fingers crossed it won't be too long to get things back up to snuff.

 

[skimagic]

Good to know about everglade, looks great. I've never been into nearby tree dancer glade either.

 

[urungus]

I also, for the first time ever, skied Everglade. Now I've been going to Okemo for almost 25 plus years and for some reason I've never found my way into this glade. I always figured it was some shitty flat thing that ran down to Mountain Rd as it looks short on the map and is in the middle of a sea of greens. Well I'll be damned. This sucker goes on and on and even has some decent pitch areas. I'm shocked Okemo rates it a blue. It is pretty near a carbon copy of West Pilot at Stratton. Pretty sure I'm gonna use this glade to get to Jackson Gore every time I go now. Picture of Everglade below for proof it exists.

All the glades in that area are really fun - Everglade, Whispering Pines, Whistler

 

[Vince]

Skied Weds and 9-noon today. Good time.....................The problem with Okemo is too many trails always skied the same. But Vail has done a good job of running Okemo. They don't groom nearly as much as back in the day. Zand is right they open terrain in very marginal conditions...........More moguls, more sticks and rocks better than it used to be.