Welcome to the weekend, everyone. Noah here with another morning hike for you. 🎿 We took it back to the basics today, with Felix and Jen meeting me around 6 am to get out for some first tracks. After some wet weather yesterday, we were on a mission to see how things looked this morning. Abby is up at Stowe right now, so stay tuned for a little field trip report coming soon. 🥳
It was a mild morning, temps in the low 30s, and no wind. These are the days that I really like because they are so quiet. 🤫 Aside from some occasional groomers and snowmobiles, it is very peaceful; we didn't have amazing views, but still special to be on the top of a mountain early in the morning with peace and quiet. It usually isn't that quiet up there, and one of the main reasons was the weather yesterday which led to a lot of extra work for the mountain ops team when it comes to lift operations. More on that below. ⬇️
Today's Quick Facts:
🏔️ Trail Count: 111/122
🚡 Lift Count: 20/20
⛷️ Today's Ski: Nordica Enforcer 94 Unlimited
🎿 Today's Boot: Nordica Unlimited LT 103 DYN
🧤 Today's Gear: Helly Hansen
Felix was today's hero, bringing up fresh coffee for us. ☕️ We don't always get this perk, so it's special when we have these simple luxuries. After a cup of coffee, we were off. The snow conditions were variable, with a mix of soft snow that was freshly groomed and firm corduroy that was set up overnight. ⛷️ We expect things to soften today as the temperature rises, but those freshly tuned pair of skis would not be a bad option to start the day. We got hints of blue sky peaking through the haze today, but it looks like we are stuck with overcast skies and temperatures in the mid-30s today. 🌥️
Pro Tip: When there aren't many lifts running, the lines can get long. Try taking trails that are long distances because it will give you longer time on snow.
Icing, what is it, and what does it mean for lift operations? Similar to what we talked about yesterday, it comes when we have weather right on the edge of freezing. It rained yesterday, but it was cold enough for that rain to freeze on trees, the trails, and obviously the lifts. There was a thick coating of ice on all the towers, the haul rope, and the communication lines. 🥶 In today's case, the lift maintenance team needed to climb every tower to hammer off all the ice in order for the lifts to run safely and efficiently. What it comes down to today is that most of the towers on the mountain need to have a person climb them and clear the ice from the sheaves and other parts. That's a lot of work, but they have already got the Quantum Six and Glades Peak Quad up and running, with more to follow. Hats off to Lift Maintenance and Lift Operations for the hard work today. 🙌 I hope this helps explain some of the complexities that go into running lifts. It may look simple, but there are a lot of moving parts, and it takes a big team to ensure they can get us to the top of the mountain every day.
"We almost turned the car around last night" - Jen regaling the life of a parent.
Please follow the Uphill Travel Policy at Okemo, follow the rules, and be cool about it.
Think snow,
Abby
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