Renting a ski condominium for the weekend can be a little like hitting
the jackpot, or being stuffed in the penalty box.
During
the winter weeks our family scouts trail maps and gets excited about
the upcoming weekend looking at the glossy ski resort brochures. Come
Friday after school and work, we cram in the family van with
equipment, frozen lasagna and snacks to head for the slopes.
Along the ride the chatter inevitably turns to speculation about our weekend lodgings. The gang finds endless amusement comparing the gamut of past outings from the finest to the “puniest” (my daughter’s word) of slopeside accommodations we have encountered.
Okemo Mountain Resort in central Vermont took our top honors this winter for the classiest ski condo of the season. We arrived at Okemo’s vast 30-year-old resort property and checked in at the ski area base. A winding 3-mile drive across the mountain brought us to Solitude Village, which is a resort unto itself, perched high above the charming town of Ludlow.
As
we turned the key to our Solitude condominium we were delighted with our elegant and
spacious weekend digs complete with giant foyer, gas fireplace,
washer/dryer, a master bath featuring a giant Jacuzzi tub, all
decorated to the nines. The exemplary lodging turned out to be only
the preliminary slice of the tasteful Okemo experience.
Over 120 trails wrap around the broad faced 3,344-foot Okemo Peak. 632 acres of skiing terrain hosts a pleasantly tame trail network that is sprawling while at the same time very manageable. Families can ski together or explore independently knowing that all trail pods lead to one of 19 convenient lifts that whisk you back up for another 1,000 feet of vertical. I could cruise the kids down the perfectly manicured and scenic Dream Weaver while my husband surged down Wild Thing on the South Face.
Most of Okemo’s runs are spacious rolling boulevards, covered with deep snow compliments of one of New England’s most impressive snowmaking systems, groomed daily to a white carpet consistency. Okemo has earned its reputation for excellent surface conditions and a modern, efficient lift system. As an added bonus, outstanding views of the rolling Green Mountains and the pastoral Ludlow valley sweep below.
A
few classic New England style glades offer skiers some variation, and
a little challenge. The “Nature Zone” gives kids a chance to glide
through the trees and search out wildlife prints. Lift attendants can
provide a special guide to the Snow Tracks. Kids love this alpine
version of a guided “nature walk” on skis, complete with deer rubbings
and bear claw marks.
Two of Okemo’s nineteen lifts were located right
out our condo door and four ski trails wind their way around the
exclusive hillside homes of Solitude Village. From any of these homes,
you can make a few turns and arrive at the base of Solitude’s Day
Lodge.
Solitude’s Day Lodge also serves as a private health club for owners and guests. In the heated pool you can swim from indoors to out, then hurry from your swim to the steamy outdoor hot tub, and if you’re brave enough - even make a Swedish roll in the snow.
Epic Restaurant occupies the glass-lined
top floor of this expansive lodge, where enthusiastic chefs impress diners with their latest concoctions. I can
personally attest that the duck makes a far superior skiers
lunch to the traditional burger.
This classy Vermont resort is the result of three decades of hands on management by the Mueller family. “Our goal is to guarantee the most consistently enjoyable, hassle-free time for you to spend with your family,” says owner Tim Mueller.
Okemo's
Jackson Gore Inn is a top-notch hotel with a surrounding pedestrian village with an indoor
pool and ice skating facility plus a detachable quad.
With Okemo’s impressive snowmaking system,
arguably the most powerful snowmaking system in Vermont, perhaps in
the East, early season skiing is a great bet at Okemo. The “winter
value fun pack” rates are dramatically less in early and mid December
prior to the busy holiday week.
A trip to Okemo promises a big mountain with impeccably groomed, wide-open trails covered in freshly made snow, a fast efficient lift system and luxurious condominiums. Solitude is my pick for the best on mountain location, at least until the debut of Jackson Gore.
It is refreshing in this day and age of ski resort monopolies, to find a family like the Mueller’s, providing great quality and top service for your skiing dollars.
During our Sunday afternoon trek home our family
of tired skiers all came to the consensus that Okemo scored high for
skiing, friendly hospitality, and our hats off for “the best condo” of
the season.
