Snow Business: Okemo Serves Up the Snow With the Right Weather Recipe

LUDLOW, VT — The van pulled into the circle in front of the Jackson Gore Inn at Okemo Mountain Resort.

The kids were hungry, so a stop at Subway was imperative because it set up an easy meal at the dining room table once inside the condo. There was one problem, however — to avoid any sogginess over the drive from Connecticut to Vermont, the staff was instructed to hold the mayo.

So it was back down the elevator after lugging the stuff upstairs.

"Psst ... would you have any mayo packets?" the bartender in the lobby was asked. He came through with about a dozen. It was back toward the elevator.

Oops.

"Oh, hi Tim." It was Okemo owner Tim Mueller.

"Is that mayo? Very important for energy to ski. Make sure the kids enjoy those sandwiches."

Mueller had every right to be in a joking mood after what he called "The Season That Wasn't" last winter. The snow guns were blasting away right outside the door with Okemo in the midst of a cold weather window it had been looking for.

And the snow was piling up outside.

"It's just the opportunity we needed," said Eb Kinney, Okemo's mountain operations director. Okemo started last weekend at 23 trails, finished it with 36 open and plans to have 50-something going this weekend.

Kinney said a realistic goal was to have 70-something open by the holiday week off from school.

Snowmaking Manager Ray Kennedy said the weather has allowed the snow guns to push out about 8,000-gallons a minute.

And the snow felt good underfoot.

The Ski Patrol pick of the day last Saturday was Roundhouse Run over at Solitude. Though it's a green trail, the snow was simply stellar.

Some key blue runs were open on the main face and Jackson Gore had one of its better openings ever last Sunday.

The buzz this weekend is the black diamonds Blind Faith and Stump Jumper (the personal favorite here) being open over at South Face.

There are several terrain park features set up at Okemo as well. Check out the trail count here.

Yeah, Okemo is in good shape, and it is bound to get even better because now, the award-winning grooming crew has a lot to work with. Thanks for the mayo and the snow, Tim.

Photo Credit: Skylar Goold

Chris Dehnel is an editor for Patch and a past-president and current executive secretary of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association Eastern Division. His Snow Business column runs regularly during the season.