Okemo

Okemo
Okemo as seen from Mount Ascutney
Location	Ludlow Mountain Ludlow, Vermont, USA
Nearest city	Londonderry, Vermont 12 miles (19 km) south, Rutland, Vermont 25 miles (40 km) northwest, Boston, Massachusetts 120 miles (190 km) southeast
Coordinates	43°24′5″N 72°43′0″W / 43.40139°N 72.71667°W / 43.40139; -72.71667Coordinates: 43°24′5″N 72°43′0″W / 43.40139°N 72.71667°W / 43.40139; -72.71667
Vertical	2,200 feet (670 m)
Top elevation	3,344 feet (1,019 m)
Base elevation	1,134 feet (346 m)
Skiable area	667 acres (270 ha)
Runs	121
Longest run	4.5 miles (7.2 km)
Lift system	13 chairs, 7 surface lifts
Terrain parks	8
Snowfall	16.6 feet (5.1 m)
Website	Okemo Mountain Resort

Okemo Mountain Resort is a ski resort located in Ludlow, Vermont. Before becoming a popular ski resort destination, Ludlow was originally a mill town, and was the home of a General Electric plant until 1977. The resort experienced 600,000 skier visits in 2009. Parents Magazine rated it the Top US Family Snow Resort.

Okemo was founded in 1955 by a group of local businessmen. Operations officially began January 31, 1956, with four inches (102 mm) of snow and trails serviced by two Poma surface lifts. The lower poma cost 20 cents per ride, while the upper one cost 60 cents. The early 1960s saw the introduction of four more Pomas. In these years, Okemo had a reputation of operating with all Poma platter lifts, while other ski areas used double chair lifts to serve advanced ski terrain. The first chairlift, the Sachem double, was introduced in 1965. Along with all of these improvements, Okemo began to offer slopeside lodging starting in 1961. In 1963, Okemo purchased its first groomer, a Tucker Sno-Cat model. Snowmaking was first used, starting with the lower part of the mountain, in 1966.

The 1970s brought tough times for Okemo. There were fires, floods, and competition from the West. In 1982, the owners decided to sell the resort rather than go into bankruptcy. Tim and Dianne Mueller purchased the resort on August 2, 1982. While the resort was in danger of going bankrupt and the facilities were outdated, the Muellers wanted to preserve the historic feeling. They kept the name Okemo, which they claim is Native American for "All Come Home", although there is no evidence as to which Native American language this comes from. According to the scholarship of John C. Huden, the name means Chieftain in Chippewa and a louse in Abnaki. Certain trail names also continue to preserve this sentiment, such as Chief, Tomahawk, Wardance, Sachem, and Arrow, all of which are present on today's trail map.

Since 1982, Okemo has grown in many different ways. The facilities have been expanded in every aspect, including new chairlifts, trails, lodges, and snowmaking. Since purchasing Okemo, the Muellers have also acquired Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, New Hampshire, and Mount Crested Butte in Crested Butte, Colorado.