For release at will
Winter 2007/2008
Contact: Bonnie MacPherson, director of public relations
Okemo Mountain Resort | 77 Okemo Ridge Road | Ludlow, VT 05149
802-228-1947 | bmacpherson@okemo.com
OKEMO’S ALPINE ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES
Nordic Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice Skating and Snow Tubing add to the Alpine Experience
LUDLOW, Vt. – Okemo – it’s not just for skiing and snowboarding anymore. Renowned for its commitment to snowmaking, world-class grooming, and its vast selection of trails that span five distinct mountain areas, Okemo Mountain Resort excels at providing a memorable winter vacation experience off the slopes, as well as on. Visitors to the popular resort can enjoy ice skating, snow tubing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, swimming, indoor golf, racquetball, fitness classes, aerobic and weight training, massage, sauna, relaxing by a fire, or soaking in a hot tub.
As one of the newest additions to the Jackson Gore base area, The Spring House is Okemo’s center for relaxation and rejuvenation. The two-level, 18,000 square-foot fitness and aquatic center features a recreational swimming pool with lap lanes for designated swim times, a five-person hot tub, and a children’s pool with a whimsical frog slide and numerous splash and fountain features. In addition to all that aquatic action, The Spring House offers a racquetball court, a fitness-class studio, weights and cardio equipment, a sauna, and locker rooms that include a unique family locker room area. For the ultimate indulgence, massage services are available just steps away, inside the Jackson Gore Inn.
The Ice House, a multi-functional, year-round sports pavilion, features a 115- by 215-foot covered skating rink that is maintained by an ice resurfacing machine. Skate rentals are available and skaters can enjoy a hot chocolate by the fireplace inside the attached building. When winter wanes, The Ice House transitions from a skating rink to a warm-weather sports center with tennis courts, a basketball court and covered, single-lane jogging track.
After a successful, soft launch last winter, the word is out that Okemo is offering early-evening snow tubing at Jackson Gore on weekends, holiday periods and during other specific times. Specially groomed chutes keep inflatable snow-sliding “inner tubes” on track for a thrilling slide down a snowy slope. Snow tubers must be at least 42 inches tall. Specialized snow tubes are available for rent by the hour and a magic-carpet style surface lift returns tubers to the top of the chutes after each trip down.
Just steps from the bottom of the snow tubing hill, the Jackson Gore Inn’s courtyard offers a king-of-the-hill snow mountain, complete with ground-level tunnels and spontaneously created snow slides for hours of fun. Children’s imaginations transform them into mountain climbing explorers, Olympic luge athletes or tunnel-traveling tomb raiders. Parents can jump in on the fun or watch from the Adirondack-style chairs gathered around a stone fire pit nearby.
Located halfway between Okemo’s Jackson Gore base area and original Clock Tower base area, the Okemo Valley Nordic Center welcomes winter enthusiasts with 22 km of tracked and skate-groomed cross-country skiing trails, and 13 km of trails designated for the use of snowshoers. Okemo’s Nordic Center trails are ideally suited to all ability levels, and they are groomed daily using state-of-the-art grooming machines. Inside the gracious clubhouse facility, visitors enjoy a fully stocked Nordic Shop with the latest advances in outdoor clothing and accessories. Demos, equipment rentals, repairs and waxing are available on-site. Dressing rooms with showers and lockers make a nice change from the typical rustic facilities of most Nordic centers. And the ambience of Willie Dunn’s Grille will have winter wanderers enjoying a beverage by the fire or a delicious lunch or après ski snack in total comfort.
Golfers can stay on top of their games with Okemo’s Indoor Golf Training Center at the Okemo Valley Nordic Center. The 6,000 square-foot, indoor practice facility houses a 700 square-foot putting green, swing stations and a computerized virtual golf simulator. Golf instructional programs are available with group and private lessons offered. The Indoor Training Center is an ideal way for golfers to improve upon their skills and maintain their swing during the winter months. Golf enthusiasts can purchase a golf winter season pass to the indoor golf facility or visit one day at a time for a daily fee.
For resort visitors who opt to travel farther afield, the village of Ludlow and the entire Okemo Valley serves as a gateway to Okemo Mountain Resort, offering shopping, dining and a variety of community events that are open to the public.
For more information about Okemo Mountain Resort, please call (800) 228-1600 or visit www.okemo.com.
# # #