# Okemo 1-21-13



## tekweezle (Jan 22, 2013)

*Date(s) Skied: 1-21-2013* *

Resort or Ski Area: Okemo,VT  

Conditions: Packed Powder, Frigid Temperatures, Loose Granular on Boilerplate* *

Trip Report: *

Took the Emilio's Ski Bus from NYC to Okemo.  4:30am Pickup on Upper East Side and on the road by 4:55am.  We were the resort parking lot by 9:00am-4 hours.  Not bad and better than if I drove myself as usually it takes me about 5 1/2 hours to cover that distance.  About 48 people on the bus so not too packed.

Conditions were as described-Temps were about 16 degrees, probably no new snow since last week and looked like the groomers had the day off so was skiing on mostly refrozen hardpack and coral rocks from Sunday's traffic.  Other than that, trails had good coverage although some of the more traveled ones were getting skied off with exposed rocks.  Okemo is a cruisers heavens with it;s wide boulevards.  all the trails skied about the same with little variations.  A person who never skied there before noted to me afterwards that all the trails felt about the same.  of note-it was a bit colder in the Jackson Gore area probably because it;s facing north I think.  Snow was a little deeper over there probably because not as much traffic.  

You don;t go to Okemo for the most excitement but a homogenous, consistent quality.  Given the lack of snow and warm up from the week before, could have been worse.  I got my miles and miles of cruising in since I was skiing solo.

was snowing on the way back along i91/i95.  I always seem to just miss the snow by a day.  made the trip home a little longer but got back in 5 1/2  hours-still better than if I had driven so no complaints.  hopefully, that snow traveled up to the mountains where it belongs.


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## gmcunni (Jan 22, 2013)

odd that they wouldn't groom on a big holiday weekend.

how were the crowds?


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## herlich (Jan 22, 2013)

" Not bad and better than if I drove myself as usually it takes me about 5 1/2 hours to cover that distance. "

Not to pick on you but 5 1/2 hours to okemo from NYC?

I can do it in 4 1/2 and I'm coming from North Eastern Nassau County, you should be able to cover that distance in 3 1/2 in  a car from the upper east side.

I made it home from Killington last year on Super Bowl Sunday in just over 4 (NY vs NE game really emptied the roads!)

Just saying!


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## tekweezle (Jan 22, 2013)

Crowds were light. Not alot of daytrippers, seems like most of the people I encountered on the lifts were the remnants of the holiday weekend crowd getting ready to go home. Only about 4-5 tour buses in the lot. Most were probably scared off by the frigid temperatures. Glad I took the suggestion heard here to ski Monday instead of Saturday. 

Some congestion at 10am and after lunch at the Northstar lift but that's just due to the design of the Mountain. They dismantled the lift barriers starting around 1:30pm so I was able to skid into the lifts without stopping after that point. It was like I was running the Bird of Prey race no longer stop. 

My 2 speeding tickets in Vt has curtailed my aggressive driving behavior. Odd thing for me is that I usually take forever on the local roads portion to the resorts but going home after getting out of vt, it's smooth sailing from there and I get home under 4 hours when I am driving. It always feels longer going than coming back home. 

Skis used for this trip-K2 Axis X skis 167. My primary hard snow and ice ski worked well for me the conditions. Its a relatively stiff, narrow 70 mm waist ski that's quick edge to edge. I think the ice knocked all the rust and burrs off the edges. 

Sent from a HTC Droid Incredible running CM 10.1


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## jrmagic (Jan 22, 2013)

herlich said:


> " Not bad and better than if I drove myself as usually it takes me about 5 1/2 hours to cover that distance. "
> 
> Not to pick on you but 5 1/2 hours to okemo from NYC?
> 
> ...



 I live in Westchester and it takes me 3h 15m to Magic and I'm more aggresive than the average bear. 3:30 to Okemo from NYC is borderline impossible.


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## Bene288 (Jan 22, 2013)

Buses also make several stops and can't travel as fast/aggressive as a passenger car.


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## keyser soze (Jan 22, 2013)

herlich said:


> " Not bad and better than if I drove myself as usually it takes me about 5 1/2 hours to cover that distance. "
> 
> 
> Are you that guy on the thruway that drives 50 MPH in the left lane  on the way home:blink:


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## tekweezle (Jan 22, 2013)

No but I am the guy trying to stay just under 10 mph above the speed limits in Vt. Lots of speed traps. 

Sent from a HTC Droid Incredible running CM 10.1


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## ScottySkis (Jan 22, 2013)

Bene288 said:


> Buses also make several stops and can't travel as fast/aggressive as a passenger car.



Ski bus from NYC that I took really didn't make any stops, their just not the best at leaving on time.


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## mikestaple (Jan 24, 2013)

Okemo was mobbed on MLK Saturday and Sunday (surprise, surprise).  An ambassador on the chair lift said he had never seen Jackson Gore so busy on Saturday.   Northstar quad was a 15 to 25 minute wait to load.  The smart way up was Blackridge to Greenridge.  Unfortunately, the Greenridge triple had issues around noon on Sunday and wasn't back on line the rest of the day.  So a lot of Sel's Choice was the result.  It was not bumped up.    The superpipe was being built.  I believe that opened on Tuesday.

As reported, the snow was the same Saturday and Sunday as on MLK day itself.     With one exception.  On the South face pod of trails between 10:00 and 11 on Sunday a snow squalled came in and dumped two inches up top (was only a smattering at the base).  The "blacks" up there skied nice with little bumps popping up.  (Blind Faith and Stump Jumper).


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## tekweezle (Jan 24, 2013)

Yeah, I am glad I chose Monday instead of Saturday to ski. 

Sent from a HTC Droid Incredible running CM 10.1


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