More snowmaking, new park Cat, rental gear highlight Okemo winter improvements

LUDLOW – Okemo Mountain Resort is preparing for the 2016/2017 winter season with more improvements. Okemo’s commitment to snowmaking and grooming makes it a sure bet in the best of times – and when Mother Nature poses a challenge. That commitment continues this winter.
Snowmaking
After several years of major snowmaking improvements totaling more than $1 million, Okemo is expanding its snowmaking system again this year. New snowmaking pipe totaling 18,000 feet in length will allow Okemo to make snow on Catnap and Suncatcher in the South Face area of the mountain. This upgrade includes $30,000 of new snowmaking hose and secures Okemo’s snowmaking coverage at 98 percent of its trails. In addition to 1,125 state-of-the-art, energy efficient HKD tower guns, Okemo utilizes hundreds of snowmaking guns of varying types. It is the HKD SV series of guns, though, that make the biggest impression on skiers and riders – allowing Okemo to open more terrain early in the season and improving Okemo’s ability to recover more rapidly from unfavorable weather events throughout the season.
Park Cat Groomer
Okemo is adding a new Prinoth Bison X park Cat to its fleet of state-of-the-art, 500 horsepower Prinoth snow groomers this winter. This snowcat is equipped with a Caterpillar 400 horsepower, tier 4 engine that meets all the new federal emission standards with more fuel efficiency and a 40 horsepower increase compared to the previous model. The Bison X is extremely agile, even on the steepest terrain. Operators can master the sharpest curves and most demanding jumps in any terrain park. The maneuverability of the blade and the tiller makes it possible to construct refined shapes in the park and the joystick-in-a-joystick system makes the simultaneous control of the most important functions easy.
Rental Equipment Upgrade
Okemo is upgrading its rental equipment with the purchase of 515 new Volkl skis, 869 pairs of Dalbello ski boots, 153 Burton snowboards and 272 pairs of Burton snowboard boots. New rental equipment will be available at Okemo’s Clock Tower rental shop and at Jackson Gore.
Fine Tuning
Okemo’s Jackson Gore rental shop is taking delivery of a new Wintersteiger Micro 71 tuning machine. Stone, belt, and side edge grinding, tuning, cold waxing, de-burring and polishing are available as the Micro 71 transforms well-used alpine skis, snowboards and cross country skis into hot boards that give a new meaning to the joy of skiing. Racers, competitors and recreational skiers can benefit from proper tuning to improve the performance they need for a better experience on the mountain.
Parks and Pipe
Okemo’s partnership with Snow Park Technologies continues this winter to evolve the parks offerings and create new features for resort guests to enjoy: cross courses, flow parks and mini pipes. In addition, Okemo Parks and Pipe Manager Mark Fiori and his crew of park rangers have a list of new jib features they will be building and showcasing in the parks this season.
Base Lodge Upgrades
Okemo is spending tens of thousands of dollars on base lodge improvements: new carpeting, painting and general improvements.
Amtrak and Airport Express Shuttles
Overnight guests visiting Okemo Mountain Resort and booking lodging with Okemo-managed lodging properties can arrange transportation to Okemo from regional transportation hubs: Rutland-Southern Vermont Regional Airport, Rutland Amtrak Station and Bellows Falls Amtrak Station. Guests may reserve shuttle transportation at the same time they make lodging reservations. The fee for express shuttle service from any of the three transportation hubs to Okemo is $45 per person for one-way or $80 per person for round-trip.
For more information, please call 802-228-1600, or visit okemo.com.