Today is a New Day.......

........and tomorrow is a New Year..........but for today, I wanted to update on our conditions.......got through yesterday's temp in the 50's just fine.........closed at 6 pm as planned, opened tubing for a large private group for a couple of hours ........and while that was going on we put the two groomers on the trails.......

.......at 6 pm the temps were dropping fairly quickly........just right.........made the first groom to get air in the top layer of snow......which took about 2.5 hours, then started the process of continuous grooming........and when we shut the cats off this morning at 2 am........I was very pleased with the conditions.........very.......

.......opened at 10 this morning.....as planned.......greeted with a little burst of sleet.......but no rain.....and it looks like we have dodged the bullet as I don't see much behind this little cell that just went over us.......

......we are of course closing at 6 tonight and then reopen at 7 for our four hour Family Friendly (yes, Coal Creek Lounge will be closed during the event) New Years Eve party........ski, snowboard and snow tube for one all inclusive price......plus a slice of pizza or hotdog with soft drink for each ticket holder......some party favors will be handed out at about 10:30 in preparation of watching the "big ball" drop in Times Square on our big screen........

......as needed we will groom starting at 6 pm........but if it doesn't get very warm there is a good chance that won't be required.......

......got more Seven Oaks apparel in again..........new designs.......

..so, to all of you, regardless of your plans tonight, be smart, be safe, be alive tomorrow.......

......see you soon.......

Another bonus day.........

.......geez, got warm today but not enough to shut us down or even close to it.........some go a lot of rain today be we missed all that.........looks like we might get a little snow at around noon tomorrow.......we'll have to wait and see if that happens........but......we will be turning the guns on at 11 pm tomorrow night after the hill closes for the New Years Eve family friendly ski and tube night........are you coming out?

.....anyway, thanks Dom for these great pics of tonights sunset as seen at Seven Oaks.......

I think those are great shots...........

Warmer but conditions not bad.......

Here was our facebook posting for conditions today:

......."Conditions for today, Thursday, December 30. Spring like conditions. We are still covered with snow, snow will soften as the day progresses. I would anticipate having spring like conditions all day, wet but not sloppy. Still a great day to be on the slopes. Snow tubing will be the same - the run out will be wet."

......and yes, people are here and on the snow as I type.......skiing, riding and tubing......we groomed the School Yard and the very bottom between lifts where it was more hard packed from all the traffic yesterday. Had about 15 employees ride all the trails and all are reported to be no problem getting an edge.

......am told that DesMoines is pretty snowless this morning after the temps last night.........it was warmer there yesterday and last night than at Seven Oaks.........Plus........we had MORE SNOW.......

.....I will get some pics later and post........

Bonus

What two blog entries in one day! Unheard of.......but.......Darci was kind enough to send us some pics via email so I thought we should get them out there.........

thanks Darci.......

A great day on the snow

Yesterday with the mild temps and the sunshine made a perfect day to be on the snow......and a lot of you brought family still in the area since Christmas.......

.....today is going to be another awesome day.......just not as much sunshine as yesterday but mild temps today.........

........got some more Seven Oaks apparel in yesterday.......will have new beanies next week.......

......just have a couple of shot to share with you today........more tomorrow.......absolutely love this pic taken at top of Drop Zone.......sooo coool........for sure he is ready to "drop in".......

here are a few of the food service team members..........say "cheeseballs"..........

.....some more team ..... here to help you have a fun time.......working in rental and instructors.....

rain and drizzle go away.......come again some other day..........like in April !

My Bad.......

.......yep, My Bad for forgetting to blog yesterday........but here is the story of Monday December 27 at Seven Oaks..........well, at least part of it..........it doesn't include pics of the folks from Nebraska, Chicago, Texas, Louisiana, California, Washington DC and North Carolina that I had conversation with yesterday.........all continuing to have a Merry Christmas with family and friends....... and my nephew from Indianola with his family and several of their friends......and our friends from Oskaloosa with three of seven grandkids tubing..........and Doc and his family.......wow.......the list goes on and on.........

.....here we go........

...is it legal to have this much fun at work??........it is at Seven Oaks.......we have a GREAT team helping all of you........

.....check back tomorrow..........maybe your picture will be on the blog.........

It's Picture Time......

.......First, let me tell you that the Drop Zone was opened this morning........made snow stating at about 4 pm last night.......yep, Christmas Day night.......and yep, after we got 7 inches from mother nature..........and it it great to have all the trails open for the day after Christmas.....

......several of you have asked for more pictures so here we go with what is planned to be more pictures on the blog each week.....these were all taken this morning........

.....ready for a great day..........bring on the snow.........

......some of the Seven Oaks instructors ready for the day.....and happy too......

.....one of our lifties on the way up for work........

...ready for the first of many trips up..........

......one of our Season Pass families ready to hit the slopes this morning........

.....Rail Yard........being mastered.......

happiness is being at Seven Oaks.....

See you soon..........

Twas the night before Christmas......

.....and it has snowed all day.....and still is.........beautiful.........

.....entire family has been here to celebrate our Christmas today........just got home from candlelight service .........very nice.......peaceful..........got to see a lot of folks I have not seen for some time........

........please remember our fellow Americans serving in the armed forces and especially those in harms way as we all enjoy our freedoms ..............

Merry Christmas everyone!

Guess What?

.....yep, after staying really late into the wee hours of this morning, Joel and Steve did a complete groom and Joel got Kenzies Korner open........so when you come to Seven Oaks today or on Sunday with your new skis and boards, you are gonna find THREE more runs open than when you were there this past weekend.....

......snow is forecasted to hold off for the most part til we close at 6 pm tonight.........travel safely......slow down a little bit........defensive winter driving is best.......and remember there are a lot more than just you heading somewhere of importance.......

.....looks like five inches is predicted for Seven Oaks........maybe more.........we will groom Sunday morning before we open.........see you then.........

It is official

......Willet's Way........and Elwood's Hideout.........and Central Park.......are now all OPEN.........yippee........

......and Kenzies Korner and the Drop Zone will be open for Sunday.........yippee again........

.......had our first school on site today........good snow........well behaved group too......

......got more new hoodies in.....very cool........

that's it for this time.......

Sunday

Made lots of snow Saturday night and all day on Sunday over on Elwoods Hideout and Central Park with some spilling over onto Kenzies Korner........On Sunday afternoon I did a rough leveling on Elwood and Central........let the snow air out and to get a good feel as to whether there would be enough to open those two trails.............and it was determined there was enough........

.......so on Tuesday, tomorrow, we will get the next two trails open........I haven't seen how much snow was made on Kenzies through the night so I can't comment on that one just yet.......

.......closed today, Monday, and tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday this week...........BUT WE WILL BE OPEN ON THURSDAY......HOLIDAY HOURS.........

.......do have a school here Wednesday........first for the season.........

........of course we will be closed Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day.......to make sure everyone........staff and you as well........can have ample time to enjoy your Christmas events with family and friends........opening Sunday December 26 for a busy consecutive eight days open....

.......speaking of Christmas events..........my wife and I joined our son and his family for the 9:15 am Christmas Cantada and worhsip service at the Hope Lutheran Church on Jordan Creek.......it was wonderful.......with a great message..........

.......I think several of you are wondering where Chairlift Tony is this winter...........well he would love to be on site as usual but has some health issues he has to get behind him first.........hope he is in his normal spot later in the season..........he has been a fixture helping so many of you and greeting all of you on the chairlifts for several years.......and who can forget the big fuzzy warm coats..........

.......I think it was Saturday or it might have been last Friday night that Vince and his pal Kevin were skiing again and this time brought their Russian foreign exchange student friend to experience the sport......

.......have a great week and we hope to see you on Thursday...........

It is a beautiful day.......

.....wow, is it a beautiful day or what.........sunshine........pure white beautiful groomed snow.......light west wind.......and the parking lot is filling with people ready to have a good day......

.......got the snowmaking pump repaired early this morning........so.......snowmaking in full force tonight...........gonna hammer Elwoods Hideout...........if temps stay down low we should have the three west trails opened with three nights of snowmaking.........stay tuned.......

.....and snow in the forecast Sunday night and Monday........as much as 2.5".......so say some.......great!

Wed, Thur, Fri

Got the snow pushed out ........pretty much......on tubing runs Wednesday.......plus pushed snow on the RailYard too.....then after 11 hours in the groomer, I called it quits for the day.....but it was cool to groom in the little snow shower at the end of the day.........

.....had company Christmas parties in the lodge Wednesday night and again Thursday night.......food smelled good.......but I didn't yield to the temptations.......

......then on Thursday, put the finishing touches to the RailYard so a crew could set features Thursday night.......which they did........and pretty much got the tubing runs leveled out ....... always makes me buggy trying to get that much snow leveled..........but pretty well got it.......better than years past when I handed it over to Joel to create the lanes........

.......got all set up to blow more snow on Elwoods Hideout.......and the pump went down......the main pump for the entire water system decided to die.........so shut everything down, wiped away some tears ......due to not being able to make snow.......and got ready to tackle it Friday.....

...Friday.......set another feature.......big box........in the Rail Yard and then did a complete groom today..........park looks good........snow was wonderful.........got a couple little snowfalls that helped freshen everything up.........

....then a service tech from Des Moines came to help diagnose the problem on the pump........and it looks like it is NOT a major issue......hope to have it back together Saturday afternoon.......so we can make snow Saturday night..........whew.......

.......good group assembling tonight.......we opened at 4..........crew is out putting the final shovel to the tubing load ramp and unload ramp.......so it will be ready tomorrow.........

......hope to see you this weekend........

How much snow.........

.......can Seven Oaks make running continuously from Sunday morning to 4 am Wednesday morning??.........answer>>>>>>>A LOT............Wow.......just arrived to start pushing snow on the Rail Yard and on snow tubing...........I won't be done soon.........lots and lots of deep snow to get groomed.........

......caught up on the water supply so we shut down........will turn everything back on Thursday so we can get Elwoods open this weekend.........

......better get to work...........

It keeps getting whiter and whiter........

Started making snow again yesterday about........well I don't remember for sure ........I think about 10 am but it might have been closer to 11..........but anyway........blowing snow on the Rail Yard and on tubing.........and it is getting deep............so here is the plan as it stands right now.....

keep the guns on the Rail Yard again all day today.......and all night tonight.........so we can have several features in place for next friday night...........and probably move one gun to Willet's Way to get started on access to Elwoods Hideout.........which we really........really want to have open for Friday night too........and if we miss Friday night........then have it for Saturday open........

.......and we will keep the guns on tubing til we can't make there no more........well that might be an exageration but it does take a LOT of snow on tubing.......and we have a great start on it too......we want to open tubing for Friday night as well..........

......so that's the plan........that's the hope........stay tuned for updates through the week.....right here on the Seven Oaks Blog.........

.......it really was great to have two cats on the hill Saturday afternoon when the temps dropped.......which allowed us to SAVE the snow.........yep........it is still snow.........NOT ice.......and the couple from Kansas City said yesterday when they were leaving for home that the snow on Sunday was awesome......they said there was NO ice to be found.........and for them to say that meant a lot to us...........

......work hard.........play hard

Wow....it was windy.......

We made the decision to shutdown last night at 7 pm as the wind was soooo strong we ran the risk of damage to the chair lift...........and let employees go home as the conditions were pretty tough.........and it was a good decision..........

......today, the wind is much less than last night, the sun is shining, it is cold...........and we are going to start making snow in a couple hours.........start grooming at 10 this morning..........and DELAY opening til 12 noon today..........

.......the Delayed Opening will let the roads get a little cleaner, the wind to settle down a little more and the temps to rise........although not much........but rise just the same..........

......we will only be operating the Valley View chairlift and the Slow Poke .......today.......which will still give access to all the open trails........

.......speaking of trails.......after we did the complete groom yesterday afternoon.......so many of you stopped us to say the snow was then GREAT and how much you appreciated the extra groom.........you are welcome..........we stand by our repeated statement that Seven Oaks will give you the best snow conditions possible..........it is important to us........and you.......

.....it was good to see Vince and Kevin friday night as well........and really neat they brought their foreign exchange student out to ski with them......!

......better get to work.........see you soon.......

Great opening last night......

.......it finally arrived........opening day for the season......and it went smooth........lots of folks came out to get the snow legs back under them.......snow was good........got to see a LOT of patrons that I hadn't seen for a while.......which was also good.......

......groomed everything this morning.........quite a mixed bag of weather that mother nature threw our way last night and today........had some light rain before we opened........didn't hurt the snow though......then a fast but heavy snowfall .......but didn't last long.......

......temps finally started dropping at about 3 so we did another full groom which will keep the snow being snow........

......even though we had a lot of different weather today............ still had a lot of folks come ski and ride today too...and more coming as I type........

......here is a pic taken during the light snow this afternoon when we did the full groom......

......takes a lot less time with two units.......uhmmm.......maybe we should get three ?? :)

About 24 HOURS AWAY........

........the new season is soooo close to beginning........about 24 hours from now. We open for ski and snowboard at 4 pm on Friday December 10..............snow tubing should be ready next weekend.......

.......here are some pics as promised........making snow Monday morning........

......shut the guns off and ready to start the grooming........

.......little Bombi taking a break after moving all the guns........

.....School Yard getting some snow moved and groomed.......

.....lots and lots of snow waiting for you to enjoy.........

And look what the team did to the rental shop...........we like it...........


.........boots on the right........skis in the middle.........snowboards on the left.......

.......we will groom one more time friday morning to get the fresh cordouroy......

...hope to see you Friday at 4 pm !

We are in COUNTDOWN.......

Weather has been pretty cooperative the last couple days and nights so we have made a LOT of snow.........pretty cool to see the white trails as you travel highway 30......

.......did a marathon snow push Monday and Monday night........so Abby's Alley, Carter's Crossing and School Yard are 98% ready...........meaning all we have to do is a final groom on these trails.......then on Tuesday we pushed out all the snow on the Freeway......and with the snow made last night........which I have not seen......there will be enough to open it as well.......and I think Friday morning we can PROBABLY get some of the Rail Yard open too........

.....had problems with the PB240 fuel system Monday night so I switched to the PB260 to finish pushing and grooming..........yep.......it definitely has more horsepower........which comes in real handy when you are pushing a twenty foot pile of snow up a 70% grade.........love it........ps......did get the 240 running again......thanks to Kris........

.......got some hoodies and long sleeve T's in, lots of retail stuff came in too.......and we got a couple pair of red or black sweats in with Seven Oaks printed on the rear end........just to see if anyone likes them.......or not.........

......last weeks FAF was a good time........WOW......what a bonfire the team put together for the sacrafice........and Frost did a great job with the "reading" during the event.........

......I promise I will get some pics on the next post......

......did I tell you what a rush it is to start pushing pile after pile of pure white snow that is piled about fourteen feet deep.........it is great.......

Joel and Ken held the food service team training Monday night........what a great group we have ready to serve you this winter.........

.....just wait til you see the changes we made to the RENTAL SHOP........even I can't believe it is the same place........and the new rental equipment is awesome.........

......So let the countdown begin.........two and one half men..........no ........two and one half days and we will open for the season........2010-2011.........we will do all we can to give you the best conditions possible........

......oh yeah,,,,,,,make sure you tell Ken you like his new ride........

Quick update

Yep, we were able to make snow all day Thursday.....Thanksgiving Day.......and Thursday night.......BUT then the temps rose and stayed too high......preventing any snowmaking on Friday and Friday night and Saturday and Saturday night and Sunday and looks like too warm tonight again........

......that's pretty normal for November.........pretty spotty on the snowmaking........but with what we did run for hours we have a lot of snow..........one more good night and the schoolyard will have enough.........probably two good nights and abby's alley will be very close to having enough......

......looking at the forecast we have some nights that the guns should run full on.........however there are also predicted lows that while we can make snow we will be throttled back to about 50% of full capacity.........

......but we WILL get there........don't count on this blog entry as date certain but if I were to guess right now, I would say we will open Friday December 10........but stay tuned........and we will certainly send out an eblast when we are sure........

.......got some new long sleeve T's and hoodies in stock..........more coming.......

.....have employee training this afternoon.........takes us about 5 hours of classroom and hands on to cross train all the outdoor winter employees......... it is thorough and detailed......but for the new team members it is a lot to absorb.......

.....have Friday after Five this coming Friday.......don't forget the offer we gave everyone at the season pass sale day for this FAF........and we will have the second annual sacrafice of skis and snowboard to the Snow god again.........it will be fun.........

think snow.......

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all our Seven Oaks friends a safe and happy Thanksgiving........we will be eating the traditional meal but also watching the snow guns all day as well. Got all the guns on again at midnight and are still running.........based on forecast we should run all day today and all night tonight before the temps shut us off on Friday........Yippee......and gobble gobble...........

Taken Tuesday morning after the first two hours

It's official !!

Snowmaking for the season started last night..........and are still blowing as of right now..........and away we go............

Time will tell......but

Time will tell......but the forecast would indicate that one week from today.......Monday, November 22........the evening temps should get low enough that we would start blowing SNOW......

.....Ready or not.......here we come..........

I am still here!

Yes, I know it has been a while since I posted........but been busy..........long days.........as is true with everyone else here at Seven Oaks........

......All the things on our list that we wanted to accomplish before the ski season are getting wrapped up.......

• new groomer has been completely gone through
• both approaches to the lodge doors that heave in the winter causing restricted door movement are being replaced today
• a roof over the drive terminal for snow tubing was started today
• new signs for each trail are about done
• the trail map sign has been modified to add Carters Crossing and Bella Bunny Surface Lift
• yesterday we started gutting the rental building so new counters and new shelves can be constructed over the next couple of weekends
• some of the new equipment for rental arrived Monday of this week
• canoes, kayaks, pfd's, trailers and buses have been stored for the winter
• the new rope tow is nearing completion
• a new fence has been constructed at the unload of the Valley View chairlift
• all the rental skis have been tuned up
• and a lot more.........

we are getting pumped for the upcoming season......

had what we think is our last wedding reception in the lodge for 2010........but still have a lot more bookings in the month of November........ranging from company retreats to retirement party........

and the paintball has been wildly busy the past few weeks.........cooler temps I guess........

getting ready to order winter Seven Oaks clothing too........

better keep moving or I won't be ready to drive the new snowcat when it is time!........just kidding.......I am always ready for that......

Like a Reunion and Christmas was early......

Sooooo, last Sunday was our annual Seven Oaks one day season pass sale and equipment swap and it could not have been nicer.......weather was great........the swap equipment was coming and going all day..........Waynes brought a lot of very cool new equipment to sell...........and a lot of YOU came to the event.......I couldn't help but think it was like a reunion.......having not seen so many of you since last March when we closed the season, it was good to get reaquainted......and I saw a lot of you seeing friends you have made over the years at Seven Oaks getting reaquainted as well........it was neat........and there were a lot of you that have recreated here in the past that decided it was time to get that season pass for yourselves and for your families.........

........now this next statement is going to sound like a real grandpa statement.......but.......more than any other year I was amazed at how so many of our youth season pass holders had hit their growth spurt over the summer making them almost unrecognizable now........keeping in mind I had not seen them for almost eight months.........man oh man a lot of you were tall........now I know I am not close to being the tallest guy around but when I go from seeing Katie and others that were knee high to a grasshopper last winter to looking me straight in the eye this year....well......it was somewhat shocking........

....and with regard to Christmas coming early........on Monday we took receipt of our additional groomer.......yep it is used...........starting in Deer Valley, then onto Mt Zion and most recently landing here at Seven Oaks..........but we think it is going to be so great to have two machines to lessen the likelihood of ever having a breakdown that would keep us from grooming daily and offering the best possible snow conditions............not to mention the fact that with two machines on the slopes we can cut the time any one of us have to spend in the groomer each day by half...... here are a couple of photos taken as it arrived ........

and as the Seven Oaks gang ........along with Paul who delivered it.........started the unloading process......by the end of the day it was reassembled and ready to be used..........cool....

......the 2010-11 winter season is getting closer and closer........got all the poles installed yesterday for the new rope tow.........will tune up all the rental equipment this week..........

Five and one half away........

.......yep, just five and one half days til our annual ONE DAY season pass sale and swap.......Sunday October 17 from 10 am to 5 pm........and Waynes from Mason City, we are told, will have more equipment and clothing for sale inside the lodge than ever before.........come one......come all........to this one day event.......and don't forget the Ski Patrol will be selling burgers from 11 to 3.........

......I think the fall leaf colors are maybe about as prime as they are going to get this year.........some areas the trees are already pretty bare........but then a short distance away is a wide range of oranges, reds and yellows.........probably will still be some color next Sunday......

......had ISU house parties in the lodge friday and again saturday night........some canoes and kayaks on the water every day too..........really mild temps for this time of year.......

......should know for certain tomorrow when the groomer we acquired will be here..........should be either Thursday or Friday of this week the last we heard.......but we'll firm that up with a phone call tomorrow........I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT......

......between tomorrow and Saturday we have three groups having company meetings in the lodge, one birthday party and a large wedding reception on Saturday........

.....drove down the new Carter's Crossing and again think the skiers and riders are going to like it......a lot........

......see you Sunday..........remember, those of you with season passes last winter can bring a buddy that did not have a season pass last year.......and you will both be given an additional discount......

Last Day of Sept and the Checklist

Well, today is the last day of September 2010 and here is where we stand with regards to winter readiness:

Snow guns ready - DONE

Chairlifts ready - DONE

Surface lifts ready - DONE (only have to put the rope on)

New surface lift installed - Not DONE - layout completed, will be done by end of October

Two snowcats ready - DONE

Additional snowcat purchased - DONE - Delivery second week of October

Earth work for Carters Crossing and Valley View - DONE

Rental Shop remodeled - Not DONE - Scheduled for November

Skis in rental shop tuned - Not DONE - Scheduled for November

Grass on all trails mowed - Not DONE for final time - will be in October at end of growing season

Winter advertising established - Half DONE

Additional skis, boards, boots and helmets for rental - Ordered - Delivery November 1

New feature(s) for park built - Not DONE

Sister ski area program established - DONE - posted on our web on ski rates page

Season Pass Sale & Swap scheduled - Yep, it's Sunday October 17 from 10 am to 5 pm

First 2010-11 season pass sold - DONE - Happened August 18

October Friday after Five - Yep it's tomorrow Friday October 1........see you then..........

Looks like it's going to freeze.......

According to a couple of forecasts I saw yesterday it looks like there is a good chance that some in northern Iowa will get to or below 32 either friday night or saturday night. Guess that's a good sign that summer is over and autumn has taken over.......

.....spent a couple days last week in the Duluth area watching the ships come and go; listening to the waves pound against the shore; taking in the awesome fall colors; .......and checking out another SNOWCAT.........liked what I saw and feel we are 95% certain this is the unit for us.......

.......OMG........the groups using the lodge is busier than ever.......keeps Carol hoppin working out the details of what each wants for their meeting, their reception, their reunion........

........the weather this week is incredible.........so we are taking full advantage working on a lot of outdoor projects.........

........annual ski swap and season pass sale is rapidly approaching..........Sunday, October 17........it's gonna be a great winter season.............

Snow is on my mind

How can you not be starting to think about the upcoming winter season with temps falling as they have the past few days? Crisp all day today........and cooler yet tonight........even saw some lows in the 40's coming up........wow......

.......got the layout for the second surface lift in the school yard done today.......I think the beginners are really going to like having two lifts in the yard........should make all the long lift lines go completely away........

.......also made a change to the unload on the Valley View chair lift.........built a flat ramp on both sides of the unload to give all the snowboarders a place to strap in out of the way of others unloading from the chair..........should make a nice drop off to start the run too.......

.......Monday and Tuesday of this week we got 20 truck loads of rock worked into the camp road........level.......flat.......well almost flat.........should be nice for the peak camp season next summer.........

........speaking of camping we got the additional camp site finished earlier this week too........and seeded just in time for last nights rain........this camp site will be for "quiet camping"........families, church groups, scouts, etc............we like it and hope you will too.........

......doing some negotiating on another snow cat........gonna have to move on this acquisition as the time is coming close to needing it..........it's going to be so nice having a second unit ........giving us more assurance we can always get groomed the way we like it........even if one unit breaks down........knock on wood.......

.....make sure you check out our web site for these all important dates......

• season pass sale and swap date
• the five Fridays we will be open all day for ski and snowboard in 2012
• the days and hours we will be open around the Christmas and New Years holidays
• our New Years Eve party........first ever........and alcohol free........

.........kicking off the annual Dragoon River Romp Saturday morning........lots of volunteers on the water and on the land along the river doing river clean up........great effort............thanks to all the volunteers........

........Kris is back from is honeymoon overseas..........he seems largely unchanged........now he can oversee the honeydo lists......

.....Lodge is going to continue being busy right up to winter season.........lots of fun things scheduled by a host of different folks.......

.......see you soon.......

Have just a minute.......

......been running hard today but I wanted to take a minute to post a quick update......

......the Friday after Five with the Blues band was a good time last night........lots of tent campers last night and some of the mountain bike riders started arriving yesterday afternoon.......

.....the wedding party for tonight has been here and gone...........what a neat couple getting married and celebrating with family and friends tonight..........lodge decorating is finished........band for the wedding just pulled in.............in about 20 minutes the 12 and 24 hour mountain bike race starts..........been a steady stream of bikers arriving this morning and getting their tents set up...........one paintball group in the field now .......with another one coming just after lunch........and we have taken four bus loads of people to the river for their canoe, kayak and tube floats.........

.........phone is active with bookings for tomorrow and Monday river floats..........we have some in inventory yet so get yours booked quickly.........gonna be nicer tomorrow and Monday..........wonderful Labor Day weekend weather...........

Summer ends with a bang

As we are rapidly approaching the end to the wet summer of 2010, things continue to be busy here..........had a great weekend last week and then went into a schedule for this week that is going to keep everyone on their toes.........

.......as many of you know the 2010 Farm Progress Show kicked off yesterday........just east of here on highway 30...........with West Central hosting a customer appreciation dinner in our lodge last night......catfish, steak, pork chops and lots of sides and appetizers ......smelled and looked wonderful........had a couple of hundred here for the night........great bunch of customers and also had the pleasure of meeting a lot of the West Central gang.........and they too were a great bunch to be with.............then the rain came in about 8 pm last night and dumped a couple of inches........

......I saw on the news this morning that the start time for the Show was pushed back a couple of hours to allow all the vendors time to get dried out and ready for today's crowd..........

.....if you haven't seen the location for the Show........it is BIG........looks like a city popped up.......and man do they have a lot of high dollar state-of-the-art equipment being shown and demonstrated..........it is amazing what technology has done to and for the ag industry.......

......this afternoon two more companies........Vetters and LTK........are hosting their customer appreciation in the lodge.........should be another good time........and you know the food will be great cause it is being catered by Seven Oaks........

.......we get Thursday off........kinda.......to get ready for our Friday After Five...........with a blues band from DSM that has played here a couple previous times..........and then Saturday noon starts the annual 12 and 24 hour mountain bike race.........with a large wedding reception in the lodge Saturday night............and the race finishes at noon on Sunday.........in time to get the lodge ready for an afternoon wedding anniversary party/celebration in the lodge............not to mention the people that will take advantage of the sunny weekend to canoe, kayak and tube.........and yep, there will be groups at paintball as well as campers in the campground too..........whew.......

.......if you have never witnessed our 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race you should stop out for a little bit to watch the racers.........and the entire lawn becomes a weekend community as well with all the families, friends and support staff that set up their tents and campers for the event........it's fun........and the racers are their own breed of animals to race on the technical track for that many hours.........awesome........

.........ski and snowboard season passes for the upcoming winter season continue to sell.........still time but don't let the cutoff date for the sale prices slip by...........October 17 is the Swap and Sale.....starting at 10 am and ending at 5 pm...........another big day with lots of friends coming to look over all the equipment........both new........from Wayne's in Mason City........ and used......as a lot of our friends bring their used equipment to sell as they upgrade or up size for themselves......there are a lot of good deals that day............

And the Winners Are.......

Congratulations to the eleven winners of our drawing for $25 Seven Oaks Activities Gift Certificates.........thanks to everyone for entering the contest at our booth during the 2010 Iowa State Fair........

1. Nick Hermanson from Story City
2. Rob Walker of Ankeny
3. Sheryl Zimmerman from Carroll
4. Drew King from Cedar Rapids
5. Terri Glandon - Webster
6. Michael Reuter - Perry
7. Peg Hoyt - Scranton
8. Sandy Martin - Pleasantville
9. Chad Tomlinson - Earlham
10. Stephanie Heath - Waterloo
11. Meaghan Kay of Des Moines

the certificates went out in the mail today.......hope to see you soon..........

Fair and Better than Fair

Well, the State Fair is over for another year......we have disassembled the booth and are ready to set it up on the ISU campus Wednesday for the 2010 ISU Welcomefest.........a place where all the freshmen can congregate to learn about the ISU community.......and we'll be there......

.....the State Fair was a hoot again this year........got to see a lot of Seven Oaks winter patrons........skiers, snowboarders, snow tubers........and many of the summer patrons that have canoed, kayaked and river tubed with us this year and years past...........had several stop to say they loved the lodge for their class reunions.........several of the mountain bikers stopped to say hi and to discuss the upcoming Labor Day 12 and 24 hour bike race..........our 8th Annual race by the way..........and even had some stop by and try to talk us into having motocross races again!!

.....the fair can be a long 11 days of 12 hours in the booth but the opportunity to see so many of you and to answer questions that a lot of Iowans have with regard to who Seven Oaks is.......what we do.........where we are located......is always a big reason we are there year after year.........in fact we have been at the state fair for nine years now.......time flies.......

.....and speaking of fairs.......the river and weather is better than just fair right now........perfect comes to mind.......great temps now......river has the sandbars exposed for floaters to use.....and lots of sunshine..........It's my opinion that the next two to three weeks will be better than we have had all summer........did you see the predictions for this coming weekend? ..........sunshine and 90 degrees...........Wow.......that is GREAT weather conditions........there is still time and still room to book your float that mother nature made so difficult for you to take in June and July.....call today to book your group.......or just yourself........

......even with summer still on our minds we are getting mentally prepared to transition into our winter fun..........yep.......some are already purchasing their season passes now.......

......in a couple of weeks I want to go to Minnesota to look for a second used snow cat........I don't like having just one as if it breaks down at the wrong time it leaves us in a situation we don't want to be in.......we take great pride in our daily grooming the the snow conditions......so we want to be sure we can always groom when we want to and need to......and a breakdown of just one groomer could jeopardize that........we'll keep you posted if we find what we are looking for......geez.........in less than three months we will be blowing snow..........hard to believe.........

........remember our FAF is September 3rd........

Fair, Swap, Sale

We have been busy at the Iowa State Fair since it started........seen a lot of you........met a lot of new friends as well. Numbers were reportedly down a little for the first couple of days but are rebounding nicely with the mild temps this week....

.....been asked a bunch at the fair when our Annual Season Pass Sale and Ski Swap is........so here it is........Sunday, October 17.........mark your calendars and look for a reminder from us when we get closer.........

....back on the river as of yesterday ........good numbers of reservations this week.......thanks to everyone for your patience.........if I could influence mother nature......I would do it.......probably daily.....

Yep, it's a pattern

It's a pattern of rain that has not deviated much for almost three months...........stops raining and the river drops and we get busy with full service floats........as was the case from Wednesday thru Sunday last week.........and then the skies open up as it did last night and down comes the rain........again I say imagine if this remains thru the winter and as you think about that remember one inch of rain equals ten inches of snow...........WOW.....

.......had a great FAF last friday night.........with our first annual classic tractor show, meals by Seven Oaks and Billy Club performing in the lodge.........here are some pics.......

.......and it was a beautiful evening to enjoy the patio............

.......this was the first time for Billy Club to perform at Seven Oaks..........great job........

Lodge, River, Paint, Fair

Lodge has continued to be a busy place these past few weeks. Last friday was a rehearsal supper, then a class reunion on Saturday followed by a 40th birthday party on Sunday. Had an ISU meeting with catered meal by Seven Oaks yesterday......today we donated the lodge to three local churches from Ogden to host their Vacation Bible School...........so there are lots and lots of little voices filling all the spaces inside the lodge and outdoors in tents as well............tomorrow is a group that is having a meal then going out on canoes, this Friday is our Friday After Five..........more on that in a moment.......and Saturday is another class reunion.........whew........Joel and Carol have been busy........

.....our Friday After Five on August 6............yep it is on for sure..........the Grand Times will not be serving this time as they had a change in active duty orders for their son........who now leaves this friday for overseas duty..........God bless him and all the other service men and women for serving the rest of us.......we Thank each of You........so.........Seven Oaks will provide the meal.......Oak Smoked Pork Loin, pulled pork......cheeseburgers........sides.......we'll take care of you. We will ask that you come to the winter kitchen counter to place your order and seat yourselves.........we don't have the servers available for this gig.........but it will be fun..........First Classic Tractor show on the lawn.........and some good Country Music as well.......by Billy Club......

......yep.......enough of the recent storms have missed us that we are going back on the river this weekend........should be fun........will be busy.........and going to be sunny and hot too.......

.......the paintball fields have been busy too with groups of all sizes..........glad we have this option available during the times our full service river floats were not available.........

.......and don't forget to come say hi at the Seven Oaks booth at the Iowa State Fair that starts next Thursday..........same booth location........against the north wall just west of the main entrance off Grand Avenue in the VI building..........so come on by and enjoy the air conditioned Varied Industries Building........

......enjoy summer.........and sweetcorn.......

Pineapple Express

Ever heard of the Pineapple Express?? Sounds like a desert.......or a drink........but it is not either of those. What it is........is.......the name of the system responsible for all the rain we have been receiving this summer.

We contacted Meteorologist Ed Wilson with WHO and he explained to us why we are getting and have been getting the extraordinary amount of rain that keep tracking across our state. He said........"We are in the pattern again this summer. There was talk of La Nina knocking out the rain and really ramping up the temperatures late July through August. It would be devastating if it happens while the corn crop is reaching full maturity. The jet stream is pushing the Pineapple Express from Hawaii. It pushes the storms right over the central U.S. High dew points are the problem this summer. We have had little to block us from the tropical moisture of the Gulf of Mexico. Usually we see fronts set up farther south and block the moisture plume to Iowa."

.......so first........thanks Ed for the explanation........no really........ we do appreciate it........
then I have to say I have lost some of my appetite for pineapple........and finally I guess for those of us who have never ventured to Hawaii...........mother nature has brought a little of Hawaii to us........geez.......

......river is again falling.........so looks pretty promising for this coming weekend to let the floats resume........yippee........let's hope so.........blast the pineapples...........

Krazy

This rain has been Krazy with a capital K........a couple short days ago the river was at near perfect level for our full service river floats........then the Ft Dodge area got about 5 inches of rain night before last.......AND.......about 3 more inches last night..........and it is all coming this way.......

.....so once again we have had to cancel all of our river floats for today, for tomorrow and for Sunday.........dang it.........

.....we'll continue to monitor the level and the predictions as we have been since Memorial Day (which means we either drive to the river or check the water levels via web about every hour or two......cause we are like that).....as we want to get all of you back on the books and on the river just as soon as we can.......

......because of the many cancellations and rebookings.......plus all the new bookings for August and September.........especially on Saturdays.........we are asking everyone to be flexible with your float plans (if you can) by considering a Friday or a Sunday for your weekend float........keeping in mind when the water level is good, Seven Oaks floats 7 days per week.......so even Monday thru Thursday works for us if it works for you.........thanks and we hope to see you on the water soon!

.........one group today that had to be cancelled on the river float, elected to play paintball for a few hours instead........glad they were flexible........ :)

Genie grants wish from yesterday

I said rain rain go away.........well it at least went south.......so that counts.......the Seven Oaks Genie must have granted the wish.........our full service river floats are in full swing.........canoes, kayaks and river tubes.........still some room this week and this weekend .........but don't delay as some weekends are booking pretty heavy.........come see us soon..........

......getting things in order for the Iowa State Fair.........remember to come see us on the north wall of the Varied Industries Building.........just west of the main entrance on Grand.........we're giving activity gift certificates away in our drawing........each day........

........reservations for the Lodge have gone wild.........team is keepin up but busy........lots of corporate meetings, meals and activities..........plus some picnics.........and the normal class reunions and wedding receptions.........in fact 2011 weekends are filling as we speak...........so if you have a class reunion, family reunion, wedding reception, birthday party, company retreat, picnic or whatever else you might have going on......where you need a unique quiet setting for several........check us out as the site for your gathering.........

Rain, rain go away.......

Had a sweet weekend on the river .......busy.......and with campers only to be greeted again today with rain and more rain........but, again I guess that's Iowa.

Up and Down

Here's the news from here.

Up.......temperatures are definitely up from what we have been having......wow.....was yesterday hot or what! Some have predicted we will have a lot of HOT weather for the balance of July and all of August........time will tell.......

Down.....every day the water level on the river continues to go down.........at this rate the sand bars will be exposing themselves in a couple more days.......hope it stays that way.......big weekend on the river starting Saturday........

If temps are up and water is down.......it is time for you to make your reservation for a relaxing river float.......

Have a private party in the lodge Friday night and another class reunion on Saturday night......getting everything mowed today for paintball and camping this weekend.......

We're back

Yep, we are back on the river with our full service canoe, kayak and river tube floats effective tomorrow.......Tuesday, July 13...........hope the really heavy rains are a thing of the past for a while..........we are ready to go and have lots of reservations on the books but there is still room for more.........

Had a family reunion in the lodge last Saturday and a double wedding reception in the lodge yesterday, Sunday........good times........

Paintball, tent camping and hiking/biking the 7 plus miles of trails continues to be available and used by several.............come on hot temps and sunshine........

Let's enjoy the rest of our summer...........

FAF; Classics; Haircut

Yesterday was a pretty busy day........in spite of the river flowing over highway 30.........

.......had our July Friday after Five.........and there were lots of folks out to enjoy the evening........as is evidenced by the patio population.........which was consistent with the lodge population........a good time........

........and the weather was pristine for the Third Annual Seven Oaks Classic Auto Show on the lawn.........lots of cars and trucks.........couple of jeeps......and a couple bikes too.........it was great.......

........and while all that was going on the ski trails were getting their summer haircut.........lots of folks commented they did NOT want to be riding in the huge tractor with the driver.......looks good.........we'll mow once more when the growing is done.........just before we start getting serious about making snow.......

........can you imagine..........in five short months we will be blowing snow??

.......let's hope the rain isn't too significant so the river will get back to normal and we can get some floats going........

Have a great 4th........