Today's forecast: Holy crap I can't feel my face. 🥶 We're nestled into a single-digit day with a high of 9 degrees and a low of 1 degree. The light wind at the summit will make for the coldest day on the mountain this year. Luckily, the Sunburst and Evergreen are now open after a wind hold, so enjoy the bubble coverage and heated seats on the six-pack today. 🔥 SouthFace is on hold at the time of writing this, so you should keep an eye on the Okemo Conditions Twitter today.
My crazy pal Noah decided to join the Helly Hansen First Tracks event at Okemo this morning because he finds joy in doing painful things like hiking uphill in 0 degrees. It's all in the name of getting you a snow report though, so send Noah a thank you for doing god's work. 🙏
WE HAVE A NEW PATRON! 🎉 Thank you to John Wood for joining our Heaven's Gate Club. We are so grateful for your support. PLUS, Noah met up with John at the uphill event this morning. Huge day for John. 👏 You too can join our Patreon by clicking the link below.
It was a chilly morning, but that didn't stop us from getting out on the snow to see what was happening! Today was another Okemo First Tracks event sponsored by our favorite outerwear company, Helly Hansen. Joe Karl was out of town, so I got to lead today's hike. That might have been why the turnout was a little lower than last time; the cold might have played a factor, too, but if I'm being honest, Joe brings the crowds. 😂
We started out of the base area a little before 6:15 a.m. with a solid crew of myself, Corey, Landin, and our newest Patron, John Wood! The sign at the bottom of the access road read 4 degrees this morning, and the Okemo team had 2 degrees in the Clocktower. The wind was mild on the hike with active snowmaking on Lower Arrow that we were battling. We had a solid crew this morning and kept a good pace. Corey is the man behind the Okemo videos we all love. He was hard at work shooting photos with his camera slowly getting covered in ice. Landin joined us from The Boot Pro. He is one of their all-star boot fitters. John is our humble IT Specialist who was out for his first hike!
Today's Quick Facts:
🏔️ Trail Count: 114/122
🚡 Lift Count: 20/20
⛷️ Today's Ski: Nordica Enforcer 94 Unlimited
🎿 Today's Boot: Nordica Unlimited LT 103 DYN
Normally, I hike with a base layer, a fleece and my HH shell, but today I added a puffy. One benefit of it being this cold is you don't sweat as much, so I was pretty dry when we reached the summit. As we ascended, the wind picked up and by the time we reached the summit, the wind was howling, the bubbles were swinging, and while we didn't have an accurate temperature, it had to be in the -20s with the wind chill. 😰
After a quick swap to downhill mode we were ready to get out of there. The snow on the way down was amazing! Crisp, firm but, very edgeable. A bad day to forget the GoPro. Today is the kind of day that you just need to be mindful of wearing the proper gear and you'll enjoy the slopes.
Pro Tip: Cold? You wouldn't be if you were wearing some Helly Hansen gear 😉
I was perfectly content out there in the cold temps, but having boot heaters, warm mittens, face protection, an extra warm puffy, or whatever it takes to keep you warm is important. Keep an eye out for the little ones faces, that little uncovered nose can turn to frostbite quickly, so keep an eye on your kids and friends out there. Most importantly have fun, take. some laps and then stop in at the lodge for a cup of hot chocolate, warm up and do it again! ☕️
"There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” - Alfred Wainwright
Please follow the Uphill Travel Policy at Okemo, follow the rules, and be cool about it.
Think snow,
Abby
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