Now in its 66th winter season, Okemo is one of the most technologically advanced ski areas in the East.
This year’s installation of two express lifts maintains that tradition with the debut of an express replacement for the Green Ridge Triple and the new Quantum Six Express lift at Jackson Gore, providing greater and quicker access to upper Jackson Gore, home of several expert trails and Tuckered Out, a classic winding New England run.
This is great news for seniors like me who enjoy skiing from Jackson Gore to South Face and getting lots of runs in less time. It has the added bonus of comfort of quick rides on really cold days. Fifty years ago, I might have gotten eight runs all day. Now, thanks to these new, fast lifts, I can get 12 to 20 runs in four hours. The Evergreen lift will put the frosting on my exercise cake by making possible upper mountain laps on blue favorites.
Quantum Six will disperse people more quickly from Jackson Gore to Okemo’s main summit when they’re skiing to the Evergreen Summit Express. Okemo recycled its Quantum Four Express bubble lift to replace the fixed-grip Green Ridge Triple and named it Evergreen Summit Express. The renamed lift increases rider capacity, cuts ride-time in half, and adds a bubble, providing greater comfort on cold, windy days.
A new, short connector trail with snowmaking re-routes skiers from the Mountain Road trail to the Evergreen’s loading station. For those coming from Jackson Gore, the new trail and lifts not only reduce the time it takes to access the main Summit, it cuts the time to access the summit of South Face from Jackson Gore’s base from approximately 40 to 25 minutes.
Senior Director of Mountain Operations Eb Kinney noted the Evergreen lift offers a good alternative to the Sunburst Six for skiing a host of upper mountain trails — like Timberline, Sapphire, Tomahawk, and Jolly Green Giant, several tree runs, and some easy greens. Greater usage of this underutilized lift/skiing area will reduce lift waits at the popular Sunburst Six, he said.
Installations of the new lifts followed existing lift footprints and skier loading areas.
Part of Vail Resorts’ multimillion-dollar capital improvements plan for Okemo this year are upgraded snowmaking infrastructure, addition of a new grooming machine, improvements to the Clock Tower base area, and new shuttle service between Okemo’s main parking lot to the Clock Tower base.
Okemo is great when things are working well. Not this past week, when grooming and snowmaking was inadequate and major lifts shut down. One for 2 days+. Shuttle buses did not show up as expected..had to be called by resort services. Placard showing shuttle times still standing between the 2 buildings at the main base. Nope. Shuttle no longer goes there. Skiing there for the better part of 50 years, this was the worst.
Not quite like the Green, Black and Red Poma’s! But, they broke down too, and could not run when there was no snow. We opened and closed the top of the mountain 12/25/73 (and 3 or 4 more times that season), and the mountain closed in early March for lack of snow. Alan (Okemo Ski School 1972-1978).
Chair running was very mixed Wednesday You would think a Vail resort would be able to keep their major chairs running .
Too bad they can not keep the lifts turning. Staff shortage is only part of the problem. More wind holds this year then I recall in last 35 years. Poor weather lack of snow and cold then when it got cold no snowmakers.
Promote all the technology but it does not work. Epic app still does not see all lifts, still on west coast time.
How about a step back to good old fashioned customer service and employee appreciation
I, too was up this last week & was frustrated, as well! Not the same & of course some of the issues are understandable, but others were just lack of true organization. I do love Okemo & give it a bit of time to get all straightened out! Hoping for the best!
I am 73 and would love to ski again but the prices are out of my range. Any price breaks for the older crowd who are still eager to do what they love but can not come near affording where the prices have jumped to.If I could find
lodging for myself and a rescue choc. Lab. I could work at most things to pay my way. My Grandfather,Senator Styles Bridges, left his house to the State for the Governor would have a residence. Just a example of how my family has tryed to contrbute to the State of NH.