LUDLOW, Vermont — With the overdue arrival of winter weather, Okemo Mountain Resort is happy to offer alternative activities to alpine skiing and snowboarding. For the first time ever, visitors to the popular resort can enjoy ice skating at the new Ice House at Jackson Gore and snow tubing in the Jackson Gore base area. The arrival of natural snow has also allowed the resort to open its Okemo Valley Nordic Center for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

The Ice House, a multi-functional, year-round sports arena, is a covered steel structure, housing a 115- by 215-foot skating rink in winter and a tennis court, basketball court and single-lane jogging track, in summer. The adjacent building features a gas-fueled fireplace for skaters to warm themselves on cool days. Skate rentals are available at $4.00 per person, per session. An ice resurfacing machine helps keep the skating surface smooth and in top condition. The rink opens at 10 a.m. daily and recreational skating sessions are scheduled from: 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., 1 to 3:45 p.m., 4 to 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 to 9 p.m. The fee for each session, regardless of age, is $4.00.

Also new, early-evening snow tubing is being introduced at Okemo this winter. Specially groomed chutes keep inflatable snow-sliding “inner tubes” on track for a thrilling slide down a snowy slope at the Jackson Gore base area. Snow tubers must be at least 42 inches tall. Rates are $9.00 per hour for adults (13 and older) or two hours for $15. Juniors (12 and younger) pay $6.00 per hour or $10.00 for two hours. For days and hours of operations, please call (802) 228-1455.

The recent natural snowfall has brought smiles to the faces of Okemo Nordic skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts. Okemo Valley Nordic Center opened recently with 10 km of cross-country ski trails and 13 km of dedicated snowshoe trails. Additional trails are expected to be offered as the season progresses.

For fitness enthusiasts who prefer to get their aerobic workout indoors, Okemo recently debuted its Spring House fitness center at Jackson Gore. The resort’s new source for relaxation and rejuvenation is a two-level, 18,000-square-foot fitness and aquatic center featuring a recreational swimming pool with lap lanes for designated swim times, a children’s pool with a whimsical frog slide and numerous splash and water fountain features, and a ten-person hot tub. The facility houses locker rooms, saunas, a multi-purpose studio for fitness classes, a large room for weights and cardio equipment and a racquetball court. The pool area is still undergoing some final touches, but the fitness areas in the facility are open to the public.

For more information about Okemo Mountain Resort, please call (800) 228-1600 or visit www.okemo.com.