Good morning folks, Noah here, back with another early morning hike for you. 🎿 I was joined by Ted and Connor, who is back in town for a little while. We had a 5:45 start time, which meant we were on snow around 6 am. It was great to pull into the parking lot and hear the air compressors roaring. That meant snowmaking was going on in full force! Before we dive too deep into today's adventure, let's talk snowmaking. ❄️
The base area was getting blasted with snowmaking, which included some action on Lower Chief. It looks like Okemo is working on beefing up their existing terrain to recover from the rain earlier this week and is focusing on opening up access for trailside homes and condos. I am sure many of you will appreciate this. We had our family Christmas party last night up on the hill, and we were able to see active snowmaking going on around Solitude and the Morning Star area (Candy Mailbox will be coming soon! 🍬). Sachem is also seeing snowmaking, so all you folks staying on Trailside and that side of the mountain, stay tuned! Overall, the mountain is pulling out all the stops to ensure a great Christmas week. Today's route took us up Wardance to Jolly Green Giant because of active snowmaking and grooming on Sapphire and Arrow. We were happy for a change of pace and this meant they were really hitting snowmaking hard on these trails that need some extra love. This more direct route had us pass the Mid-Mountain Pump House, where we saw some snowmakers doing their thing with smiles on their faces. These folks allow us all to do what we love, and they deserve our deepest gratitude. It is not an easy job, and you are working with and a lot of times against Mother Nature. Keep up the hard work, everyone! The next couple of days will be seeing cold temperatures, which means the Mountain Ops team will do all they can to take advantage of snowmaking temperatures while they have them. 💪
'Tis the season for holiday shopping so why not support your favorite small business and snow reporting crew by gifting one of our super cool merch items! 🎁
Alright, now onto what the skiing was actually like. It was a chilly start today in the teens so we were moving at a good clip to get warmed up. 🌡️ It wasn't long before Ted was down a layer, and we were working our way up Wardance. The snow in the base area was pretty granular, with groomers working their way through cleaning up the snowmaking piles from last night. Wardance was a different story with some pretty amazing snow quality (more on that later). Jolly Green Giant was a bit firmer, but the coverage was still impressive, considering the rain earlier this week. At the summit, the wind was strong but nothing that was too concerning for lift operations. 💨
Today's Quick Facts:
🏔️ Trail Count: 40/122
🚡 Lift Count: 11/20
⛷️ Today's Ski: Nordica Enforcer 94 Unlimited
🎿 Today's Boot: Nordica Unlimited LT 103 DYN
🧤 Today's Gear: Helly Hansen
Once we were swapped over for the downhill, it was off to the races. 🏎️ With cold temps, it meant the snow was going to be fast. As expected, Jolly Green was firm and fast. This is a narrow and steep trail, so it's perfect for some short radius turns, and the rollers offer some great spots for my famous shifty. At the bottom of Jolly Green, the sunrise was spectacular, a perfect setup for what we were about to ski. Wardance was absolutely incredible. 🙏 The snow was perfect, the sun was shining, it was like we were in the middle of January. The snow did not feel like manmade snow, especially with what we are dealing with this season. Hats off to Okemo on that one! 🎩 All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by what things looked like; there is no doubt in my mind if you are out on the hill, you will be too. Remember to Thank a Snowmaker, and we will keep you posted on how things are looking tomorrow!
Pro Tip: Don't underestimate what a few days will do for skiing conditions.
"You should drive a little farther, the snow is going to be fast fast..." -Ted, Texting his Dad 5 seconds after getting to the bottom, who was headed to Stratton this morning from CT.
Please follow the Uphill Travel Policy at Okemo, follow the rules, and be cool about it.
Think snow,
Abby + Noah
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