Ready to
move on from the day trips to the Poconos and the one-night-stands in upstate New
York? Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, Vermont
should be your next trip. Make a longer
playlist on your iPod, pack some snacks, and commence the five-hour drive to
your weekend destination.
Before you
go, use the Okemo Trip Planner (link below) to make lodging reservations. I have stayed and can testify to the comfort
of both the Jackson Gore Inn (slightly pricey at about $200 a night but 50 yards
from the lift) and the Okemo Mountain Lodge (less expensive at about $110 a
night but a bit of a walk from the lift).
Leave
Friday after work/school (yes it will be extremely tough to sit through the day
knowing what lies in your future) and you will arrive at around 10 or 11
P.M. Set your alarm for 7:00 A.M., and
go to sleep right away. You’ll need it.
We like to bring cereal and milk
with us so we don’t have to go down and pay $10 for the hotel breakfast. After breakfast, check the weather and dress
accordingly. The lifts start running at
8:00 on the weekends and you’ll want to be one of the first ones up.
On the Mountain:
Okemo has
four peaks: South Face, Northstar, Solitude, and Jackson Gore (from left to
right on the trail map). TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF ALL OF THEM. It is easy to stay on
one peak because it is so much fun and forget about the others, but remember,
you came to Vermont because you were ready for a bigger mountain. Each peak has trails of all levels but when
to ski each one is key.
Early in
the morning before the crowds hit too hard, we take some runs on Jackson
Gore. Then, from about 9:30 to 12:00 we
stay on South Face and Solitude, where it is always less crowded but
great skiing nonetheless. At noon, we
hit Northstar, the most crowded peak, when everybody else is inside
eating. Once we notice the crowds rising
again, we go inside for our own lunch.
We eat, have some hot chocolate, and head back out for the last couple
hours of the day. By this time, any of
the peaks will be great skiing, as many people head in at around 2:00 (the
lifts stop running at 4:00).
Off the Mountain:
If you’re
tired after an eight-hour ski day, imagine how dad feels! When you get back to the room, a nap might be
in order. All of the Okemo lodging
options have pools and hot tubs and to not take advantage of those would be silly. Head on down to the hot tub and relax. At Jackson Gore, they have outdoor hot tubs
where if it’s cold enough, your hair and eyebrows can freeze! Make a reservation at Sam’s Steakhouse, about
5 miles from the mountain, for a delicious dinner and an amazing après ski
atmosphere. Head back to the hotel, get
some sleep and do it all again the next day.
 |
| Okemo Trail Map |
 |
| Skiing Fresh Snow at Okemo |
 |
| Outdoor Heated Pool at Jackson Gore |
 |
| Sam's Steakhouse (91 Vermont 103 Ludlow, VT 802-228-2087) |
I went to Okemo a few years ago and the mountain is awesome. I particularly liked the terrain park. Like you said, Okemo is a high class mountain so you don't have those kids that go there for the day. So the terrain park is always empty and always fun!
ReplyDeleteDo you think this ski resort is suitable for people who are first-time skiers (like me)? And also, if I want to go there as a beginner, which peaks/ski area should I start from?
ReplyDeleteStay tuned Praz for a future posting about where to go as a beginner skier! There are some local mountains that are great for beginners that are much closer than Vermont. With that being said, if you are learning to ski at Okemo (which would be totally fine too) the area below the Northstar area would probably be the best. If you look on the trail map, there are two lifts below the Northstar Express Quad. That would be the best area to learn.
ReplyDelete