2017 Big East Ski Trip

Big East Ski Trip – Okemo 3.0: 1/24-1/27, 2017

 

By Dave Gang, 2/2/17

We moved from Hawk Resort to slope side Okemo this year and what a difference it made. The bulk of attendees stayed in a large, beautifully furnished house on the Sidewinder trail just above the Solitude lift. The overflow was housed in a condo a few hundred feet below so it was easy to meet, ski, and dine together. Participants included: Dave and Nancy Dibelius, Gerry Bell, Dave Gang and Roberta Hillenberg-Gang, Peter Fahey, Paul Rizzi, Tom Enright, Burt and Cathy Quist, Sam Swisher, Eric Hatch, Allen Ott, Steve Schwager, and Ben Romney. Whereas conditions were dubious elsewhere in Vermont, we encountered surprisingly good snow on the mountain in Ludlow and avoided the rain down in the valley.

 

Gourmet dinners and creative soup-based lunches were prepared in-house by our creative chefs: Paul Rizzi, Tom Enright, Cathy Quist, Nancy Dibelius, and Roberta Hillenberg-Gang. Of note, two of Roberta’s reci- pes were from cookbooks authored by Ina Garten, including the latest “Cooking for Jeffrey.” We all hope that they will attend the 50th. Gerry Bell did a marvelous job setting up the trip and we’ve already reserved the big house for next year, hoping to add an extra day at the front end.

 

Everyone had a great time hanging out in this beautiful slope side home with gorgeous views (4 bedrooms, 2 bunkrooms, pool table, pinball machines, jacuzzi – not used – indoor basketball court, and ski room with boot dryer), and not worrying about restaurants and driving. Our post-Napa wine palates were well-served by excellent wine choices brought by attendees. A note of sadness hung over the event as we all missed classmate Bear Everett who had been with us the past two years. We toasted his memory with a bottle of Dartmouth labeled Cabernet from Sonoma’s Fieldstone Vineyards.

Trip Announcement

 

... and hello '16-'17 ski season, especially Okemo in January!  Just heard from the lodging director at Okemo that the owners of the spectacular slopeside house at Solitude base have accepted our lowball offer.  (Thanks to Dave Dibelius for the take-no-prisoners negotiating stance!)  We'll pay $2160 a night (about 25% more than the Hawk Resort house) but well worth it to be ski-in ski-out, have a place for lunch, and nearby walking distance condos so we can all be together for aprés ski and evening meals.

 

This house has four private bedrooms, two bunkrooms, and we've made arrangements to have some bunks broken down to make two twins in the huge downstairs game room.  I figure we can sleep 14 (four couples, six stags) here quite comfortably, with any overflow (or preference for less communal accommodations) in nearby two and three bedroom condos.  You can see pictures at http://www.okemo.com/lodging/luxury-solitude/.  Do not be alarmed at the seeming lack of sufficient dining area seating for all of us; they will bring in another large table and chairs.  Dibelius ain't the only one in this lash-up who can negotiate.

 

The dates are Tuesday Jan 24 through Friday morning Jan 27 (Tues-Thurs nights).  They will let us in early on Tuesday so you can dump your stuff, gear up, and go skiing Tuesday without having to wait for 4 pm check-in.  (He offered this to us; didn't even have to negotiate!)  We just need to be out on time on Fri morning so they can be ready for their weekend rental.

 

What I need from you at this point are (a) your indication that you're coming, accompanied or not; (b) your preference for the main house or nearby condo; (c) private bedroom or stag quarters; and (d) money.  They will need 60% of the total tariff on or about May 1, so I figure $300 per person attending will suffice for now.  (Yes, there will be differential pricing according to your accommodations, but for now let's keep it simple.)   I will reserve additional condos as demand requires and critical masses are reached.

 

If you do not already use PayPal, I -- with the zeal of a recent convert! -- recommend it to you.  Or a check will suffice.  Email for PayPal is skiboy1968@comcast.net, address is 129 Paradise Rd., Bethel ME 04217 (as of December 2017: 486 Birch Hill Road Shaftsbury, VT  05262).

 

I am really psyched about this!  Just the thing to cure end-of-the-ski-season blues!

 

Gerry