Inside Scoop on Greek Peak Mountain Resort with Jessica Sloma

It’s all hands on deck at Greek Peak as it ramps up for the 2017/18 season. Known for its family-friendly atmosphere and its authentic local vibe, the resort offers a wide variety of activities to cater to everyone. We caught up with Jessica who was in the thick of it preparing for this season!

SnowPak: Jessica, give us a very quick rundown of who you are and how you found yourself involved in the day to day running two ski resorts.

Jessica: I’m Jessica Sloma, VP of Sales & Marketing for Greek Peak Mountain Resort and have been involved with the resort since 2008. Back then, I was a partner at an advertising agency in New York and was brought onboard to rebrand Greek Peak for the grand opening of the Hope Lake Lodge and Cascades Indoor Water Park. I eventually transitioned from the advertising world to work directly for the resort – which was a big move, but because of my on and off involvement with Greek Peak over the years, it just felt like returning home. Which worked out great because my two boys also missed the mountain!

This is an especially busy year as I, along with the Greek Peak Executive Team (Wesley Kryger, President and John Pointek, CFO), have taken on the oversight of Toggenburg Mountain, a seasonal ski resort located outside of Syracuse NY. John and Marc (the owners of Greek Peak) purchased the resort in the fall of 2015.

SnowPak: Sounds like Greek Peak is your second home.

Jessica: It really is. There are a lot of things which make working at Greek Peak a great experience, but it’s the people and the team which make it special. We’re a family – and I think you’ll see that in our service and the vibe when you visit.

SnowPak: So tell me what a working day looks like for you?

Jessica: No two days are the same and that is what I love!I start my day checking emails, financial reports (fun), security reports and paperwork. We have a 9:00 am daily stand up at Hope Lake Lodge with the various teams (front desk, food & beverage, recreation, spa…list goes on) to run through the day’s events, groups and hours of operation. Most of my time is spent in meetings but sometimes there are days when I escape onto the property and the mountain.

Today was one of those days when I met with a group from I LOVE NY for a virtual reality video shoot at our Adventure Center, gathering footage from the Mountain Coaster and the Zip Lines. From there, I checked the progress of our snowmaking operation. We don’t typically make snow this early in November, but with the cold snap this week, we could not resist. We’ve got 64 snow guns pushing snow on our trails along with our tubing center. From there, I dropped by our Catering Department which was prepping for a wedding. Today was absolutely packed, with a full house between three soccer teams here for a college soccer tournament, a wedding party and a video shoot.

SnowPak: Sounds like there is a lot of stuff going on at Greek Peak this winter and plenty to be excited about!

Jessica: It’s extra crazy around this time – especially when we pull the trigger on snowmaking to kick off the season. It’s like Christmas for our staff. But we’re a four season resort so it’s pretty busy all year round. There’s something here for everyone: zip lines, mountain coaster, laser tag, euro bungee, lift access downhill mountain biking, spas, indoor water park on top of all the snow activities.

SnowPak: Favorite moments on the mountain? Any funny or embarrassing stories to share?

Jessica: Nothing too funny or embarrassing – my two boys grew up on the mountain so I usually hear a call out from the chairlift to “Mommy!” My youngest is also very social and loves riding the lifts and will chat with anyone that will ride with him. Its comforting to know that I have many caring eyes (our staff) watching my boys while they are riding the trails.

SnowPak: What do you think attracts people to Greek Peak?

Jessica: It’s a safe family friendly environment with an endless number of fun activities to keep everyone busy. The Greek Peak family is very welcoming – we pride ourselves in our service which adds to the authentic local atmosphere. This is probably why families are our primary demo. Interestingly, we also attract a lot of young millennials.

SnowPak: When we visit, where are the local hangouts to get the full Greek Peak experience?

Jessica: Trax Pub & Grill is the place to be – nothing beats relaxing on the 6,000 square feet deck at the base of the mountain on a warm bluebird day while wolfing down brisket nachos (fav item on the menu). At night, there’s live music every Saturday during the ski season to keep the fun going.