Monday, January 5, 2009

Storm Skiing on Jay Peak

I have to concur with the previous blog. New Years Day was probably the closest I will ever get to Everest. The wind was screaming and the ice was hard but I had a great time. The JKF was true eastern skiing.

Pudd

Sunday, January 4, 2009

"Run of the Day" on New Year's Day

What a crazy day to go skiing. The car reported that it was -20 C in the parking lot, the hill was reporting 60 MPH winds at the summit, which means the temperature was pushing -40 with wind chill. I had to borrow Max's scarf to avoid frostbite. I can't remember the last time I skied with a scarf. Tram and Freezer both on wind closure. Pudd and I skied in the afternoon and had a blast despite the arctic conditions. The best run was hiking off the Bonaventure chair to go over to JFK. Pudd found a sneak route to avoid the snow-less expanse of the upper JFK. Only at Jay will people hike for groomed hardpack. The run was fresh corduroy, ultra fast, no other skiers. At 2 pm we were the third and fourth set of tracks down JFK. Woo hoo! Then up Snail, down Perry Merrill, up the Bonnie again, do the hike, down Wedelmaster to Ullr's and Beaver Pond, where we found the odd patch of powder.