Wednesday, the Okemo report

[Mister Moose]

Drove in to the Jackson Gore parking lot since I had never been there before. I was very impressed with the what they've done. It's a bigger version of Claybrook at Sugarbush. Booted up and hit Eclipse. Great soft bumps right up tight next to each other. Ledges, same thing. Found Ozzy and 3 Alpine Zoners, 2Knees, Craig, and madSkier6 or something like that. We proceeded to lap all the bump runs. I called Geoff and he claimed to be skiing Outer Limits, but did anyone actually see him? I figure he was still in bed.

I think everyone's favorite was Big Bang at Jackson Gore. There must be 8 sets of bumps, with flats connecting them. Some have quite the drop off the back side of the bump. The kind where you hear this voice that says, "4th floor, going down..." Ooooof. The basement comes up fast.

Since nearly everything got mowed at Killington, there really isn't anything that's comparable. Needles liftline is a technical terrain avoidance run, Needles right is gouged troughs with irregular spacing, and Escapade has been rock hard the days I've been there. Outer Limits seems to ski different, the bumps are bigger and spaced farther. Of course part was the day, everything was soft by 10am.

On the 4th run or so I discovered Craig was Greg. So I got to meet Mr Alpine Zone. He and 2Knees are definitely bump hounds. These guys have mastered skiing the fall line with very little turning, whereas Ozzy and I were still thrashing in the troughs making turns.

The seeded bumps are great. The turns are relentless, but that's where the fun is. Killington absolutely positively needs to set aside an area for a seeded run.

Sure, Okemo is groomers paradise for the most part. And rating Big Bang a double black is laughable for those of us used to steeper terrain. (I notice Jay doesn't give themselves even 1 double black) But the fun in their bumps is great, and with few exceptions, the troughs were not bottoming out and were not carved overly deep.

Apparently, you can't even give skiing away in the spring midweek. For 3 nonperishable food items, you got a lift ticket. There were no crowds. The Northstar HSQ was well attended, but not enough to form a line. The Jackson Gore lift was very quiet. There was maybe 8 other people on Big Bang with us.

I bailed at 3pm, thirsty, hungry, and with legs that were about to stop accepting instructions. Didn't get a chance to say good-bye, so thanks for the turns guys.

[skiadikt]

Since nearly everything got mowed at Killington, there really isn't anything that's comparable. Needles liftline is a technical terrain avoidance run, Needles right is gouged troughs with irregular spacing, and Escapade has been rock hard the days I've been there. Outer Limits seems to ski different, the bumps are bigger and spaced farther. Of course part was the day, everything was soft by 10am.

The seeded bumps are great. The turns are relentless, but that's where the fun is. Killington absolutely positively needs to set aside an area for a seeded run.

this is what some of us (you included) were talking about in another thread when they mowed the bump course they had built on needles - the need for some seeded maintained bump runs. the only consistently good bumps this year have been on vertigo. it's hard to believe that okemo has more bump runs than k. even a little area in ct that probably has less than 10 runs has more seeded, maintained bump runs than k. it's even more a joke given how much money & terrain k invests in way under utilized terrain parks.

[ski the trees]

some people really know how to run a mountain, and others don't.

[2knees]

nice meeting you and ozzy. had fun today, but i usually have fun there. Some big bumps in places on Big Bang. I think the fact that the place is relatively flat makes them work a little harder to provide some sort of challenge. regardless, my legs are pretty shot right now. still holding out hope for closing weekend at killington for myself, if in fact the 19th is the closing.

[Geoff]

I called Geoff and he claimed to be skiing Outer Limits, but did anyone actually see him? I figure he was still in bed.

Staying in bed is more exercise than skiing Okemo.

[Highway Star]

.......way under utilized terrain parks.

There are lots of people in the parks.......

[AlpineZone]

Didn't get a chance to say good-bye, so thanks for the turns guys.

Nice to meet you and ozzy, moose.

Love,

Craig

[ozzy]

Nice meeting you dudes. I had a blast, just as I'm sure Geoff did this morning surfing between SportsCenter, MSNBC and the weather channel while in his boxers drinking coffee wishing the G's were still in K. you missed a good time Geoff.

[AlpineZone]

Fun day today:



That big ass "SLOW" sign in the first scene is kinda funny.

[jackalope158]

it's even more a joke given how much money & terrain k invests in way under utilized terrain parks.

how much money and terrain, ha right look at the size of killington and the lousy 3 trails they have for parks. mt snow gave up half there mt to parks and lots of other mts put TONS more money and terrain into parks. they put in only enough money to make the parks work nothing more. if they had more parks + invested more money into parks more people would be going there to use them. even now you cant posibly say the parks are under utilized they get plenty of use. maybe a bump course here and there would be fine, but you just cant go bitching and talking sh*t about there parks... Maybe killington is on some next level sh*t by not having any... moguls are dead anyways........ bmmc LAME

[skiadikt]

it's even more a joke given how much money & terrain k invests in way under utilized terrain parks.

how much money and terrain, ha right look at the size of killington and the lousy 3 trails they have for parks. mt snow gave up half there mt to parks and lots of other mts put TONS more money and terrain into parks. they put in only enough money to make the parks work nothing more. if they had more parks + invested more money into parks more people would be going there to use them. even now you cant posibly say the parks are under utilized they get plenty of use. maybe a bump course here and there would be fine, but you just cant go bitching and talking sh*t about there parks... Maybe killington is on some next level sh*t by not having any... moguls are dead anyways........ bmmc LAME

not hating on the parks ... guess i'm wrong about the under utilized part, just whenever we ski through we seem to have the place to ourselves.

my point being, it would be "nice" if k would show some love to the bumpers. the only seeded run (conclusion) is mostly closed to the public. the bumps skiers right ol are a mess and not good practice bumps anyway. wildfire, north star & west glade have been brutally groomed way too often this year. like i said, they had a nice little course set up on lower needles for a comp and they took it away.

[SkiDork]

jackalpoe - are you gonna be keepin me from setting up site when the gates open at 7 AM again? Just thought I'd ask...

[RENO]

I think they should just get rid of the parks and all the bump runs at K and groom everything 3 times a day and once overnight...