The Real Jay Peak Snow Report

The future of Stateside: minutes from the meeting

2012-01-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

You can do a lot of thinking when you're out on the tractor blowing snow. First of all, in this lean winter, that's a good sign: I'm blowing snow. When I first started this blog, back in the dim days of 2007, I had no idea where it would go. It started as a fun project to play with on the Interwebz, a good way to encourage some luddite family members to get more comfortable with "life online,"

Someone is making lemonade at Jay Peak

2011-12-23T08:02:00.000-05:00

The RJPSR is much relieved to see that the highly developed sense of irony and optimism has returned to the Other Jay Peak Snow Report. This just in: Friday, December 23rd @ 6:30 am Picture this: You're suspended, in a chair, hanging off the western side of the northern most member of the green mountains while a howling wind shears right through your thermals, dropping your body temperature

Jay Peak opens this weekend

2011-11-23T09:10:00.001-05:00

Thanks to snowmaking and a little help from Mother Nature, fans of sliding down the White Ribbon of Death will be able to ski off the Jet Chair starting this Friday. Personally, I'm content to wait for a little more terrain to open before making the long drive to Vermont but it's reassuring to know that our favourite mountain is waking up. So, if you, like me, are not going skiing this weekend,

A new addition to the Jay Peak quiver

2011-10-05T19:27:00.001-04:00

It was a bit like Christmas in October today. Giddy as a five-year old looking at all the presents under the tree, I opened the plain brown ski box that arrived on the Purolator truck. And lo and behold, look what was inside: Yessirree, a shiny new pair of Line Sir Francis Bacons. And check out the base! That will surely inspire my inner Rasta... And yes, these skis have rocker, pretty much

Vermont needs your help

2011-08-31T20:09:00.002-04:00

p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }a:link { } Unless you have been living under a rock for the last week, you will have heard about Hurricane Irene, later downgraded to Tropical Storm Irene. Whatever you want to call it, a lot of wind and a huge amount of rain moved slowly up the U.S. eastern seaboard, made landfall in North Carolina and worked its way up through the New England states and

Trail work update for Jay Peak

2011-07-21T16:43:00.000-04:00

I may have to put JPTracker on the RJPSR payroll. The guy has a knack for finding things out. Here is a recent post from the AlpineZone Jay Peak development thread: Jay has submitted their ACT 250 permit application for trail improvements for this summer. They include: 1) Andre's Paradise - The exit trail at the bottom is going to be double in length giving easier access to more terrain. No

Is Jay Peak becoming McSkiing?

2011-07-02T18:28:00.001-04:00

Got your attention, didn't I? So, what is the answer? Personally, I don't think so, although I'm sure some Jay Peak regulars will disagree. I'm not sure who coined the term "McSkiing" but it is well described in The Death of McSkiing, by former Powder magazine editor Matt Hansen. In short, McSkiing is the situation a resort finds itself in when real estate, amenities, fashion and money take

The Steve Wright interview on Harvey Road

2011-05-17T07:51:00.000-04:00

Just when you had breathed a sigh of relief that I had stopped blabbing about the Northeast Ski Blogger Summit, here is one more installment. JamesDeluxe spent time chatting with Jay Peak marketing guy Steve Wright before, during and after the NSBS. The end result is full of interesting insights into why things are the way they are at Jay, and where things are going. Click the link for the full

How Jay Peak ended the season

2011-05-15T19:55:00.000-04:00

Correct me if I'm wrong but late spring skiing in Vermont is really for the locals. Commuter skiers like me are highly unlikely to get in car and drive seven hours to ski on one lift and two runs. All the more reason to give Jay lots of credit for keeping the Jet Triple running right up until there was no point in skiing anymore, and then some. This Tweet from today, dug up by my more tech-savvy

A unique perspective on Jay Peak

2011-04-28T22:59:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, you are not supposed to create web content that drives people away from your site. In this case, my loyal readers, it is worth it. Over on Harvey Road, a web site allegedly dedicated to ski news from New York State, some trip reports have emerged focusing on none other than Jay Peak, Vermont. And these aren't just your average "hey, I went to Jay last weekend" kind of trip reports

A weekend of classic spring skiing at Jay Peak

2011-04-12T22:03:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it is hard to believe you are going skiing. Sometimes you just hit the nail on the on head. A little air underneath the Aerial Tramway. Pudd and SBR left their respective hideouts in the Hinterland and headed towards Vermont last Thursday, each thinking that things were looking very promising. The stars had definitely lined up: lots of snow in general; fresh snow earlier in the

Happy first birthday, new ACL...

2011-04-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

April 2, 2010 April 2, 2011 Which was preceded by some earned turns: It's been a great winter, with lots of skiing at Jay Peak and elsewhere. And it is not over yet.

JJ update: Why is THIS the Real Jay Peak Snow Report? (Part Two)

2011-03-21T19:15:00.000-04:00

Jonny Jay checks in, as told to SBR. He apologizes for no pics. After the early March snow dump, that I of course had to miss in the interest of making a living, I was getting excited about a ski day planned for March 11 with a bunch of guys I hadn’t seen in many years. But Mother Nature was punishing me again -- with rain this time -- so after breakfast on Friday morning at the JJ Clubhouse, I

Seeing Jay Peak through new eyes

2011-03-20T23:54:00.001-04:00

Despite the twin-tip mid-fat skis, baggy pants, newschool poles and internet-based apres-ski activity, I am an old-school skier at heart. Or maybe just a little stuck in my ways. The experience of skiing at Jay Peak with five people I had never met, and living the "condo lifestyle" for the first time, gave me a unique opportunity to see a very familiar place from a variety of new perspectives.

NSBS backstory: A Blind Date at Jay Peak

2011-03-07T23:19:00.001-05:00

Bloggers ready for first run at Jay. Photo by Matt. When I told Blue Toes that I was going skiing with a bunch of guys I met on the Internet, she gave me a funny look. Not that this kind of Internet dating is a new thing. Since the early days of the Web, newsgroups, and then ski forums, have allowed like-minded individuals to find rides, ski partners, crash pads, ticket deals, mad parties, gear

NSBS Day 3: Nothing like a little hike to start your day!

2011-03-05T15:57:00.002-05:00

Posted live from a yellow picnic table in Stateside Lodge. Man, am I a geek! Yesterday, I did something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I have to admit, I'm a bit of a slave to the lifts at Jay Peak and have long wanted to get into the Vermont backcountry. Every time I drive up the Mountain Road, I stare at a certain hill and think, "I'd like to hike up there and ski down." It's not a

NSBS Day 2: Oh darn, the sun came out.

2011-03-04T00:48:00.000-05:00

Today was a day for exploring. Light winds, brilliant sunshine and cold temperatures. Not to mention a little leftover snow from yesterday. But where to go? With MadPat added to the collective, our fired-up crew now had three sources of Jay tribal knowledge for seeking out leftover powder. In doing so, we literally skied from one boundary rope to the other. There were even a couple of forays

NSBS Day 1: What a day!

2011-03-02T18:47:00.015-05:00

There was a little unexpected snow at Jay Peak today. You could even call it a powder day! SBR got a face shot on Upper Exhibition at 11:30 am, on the way to lunch. Unreal day, snow-filled everywhere. I did not take many pictures today but the guys I was skiing with did and have already written some great reports. How can I keep up? Check out Harvey Road, Ski=MC2, The Snowway and FTOL. Watch

Jay Peak in 48 hours: a guest report

2011-02-20T20:10:00.009-05:00

Here is the first "guest report" on the RJPSR, I hope there will be more. Will, Duper and Jer are three lads from Huntsville, Ontario who went to Jay for the first time earlier this week. Clearly, they have now been stricken with the Jay Peak bug. Duper was on skis, Will and Jer the single plank. This is their story, as told by Will: With two days off and snow in the forecast for the east, the

A first for the RJPSR!

2011-02-17T16:09:00.000-05:00

The other day, I stumbled upon a site called the Outdoor Blogger Network. Browsing through the blog categories, I thought: "hmmm, there is nothing about skiing here. Skiing happens outdoors and most skiers I know are outdoorsy-type people." So, what the heck, I signed up and suggested that they add a "skiing blogs" section to their existing "outdoor athletics" category. They agreed with my

Social media case study: hate VS debate.

2011-02-05T16:42:00.000-05:00

p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; } Disclaimer: In case you haven't figured it out, this gang of Jay Peak skiers live a long way from Jay Peak. That's why you aren't reading an account of how great the skiing is right now. So if like me, you WISH you were at Jay Peak right now, and need something to distract you from the powder stories, feel free to read on. Unless you have been living under a

Ahh, the life of the east coast skier...

2011-01-04T18:49:00.002-05:00

If there was a classified job ad for becoming an Eastern Skier during Christmas Week, it might read something like this: Eastern Skiers Wanted for Holiday Skiing: must have sharp edges, ability to make the most of any ski conditions, highly developed sense of irony and a deep yearning for soft snow. Must be willing to drive long hours and line up for ski conditions that would cause a western

Dear Santa: please send Jay Peak some snow for Christmas!

2010-12-16T13:22:00.000-05:00

This blog was started back in 2007 when we noticed that there were some discrepancies between what the mountain was reporting and what we were seeing "on the ground." After skiing at Jay Peak the last two days, all I can say is "the more things change, the more things stay the same." For example, today, the Jay Peak web site is reporting this: "Home of the most snow in the east? I think so,

Verrry interesting...

2010-11-24T18:00:00.000-05:00

For all you Jay Peak development-watchers out there, check out the video below and read this thread from the AlpineZone forums. Make sure you go all the way to page 2, where Steve Wright replies. In my recent chit-chat with Steve Wright, he let me in on some of those plans but I was sworn to secrecy. Arrggh, I've been scooped by a YouTube video with Vietnamese subtitles!

SBR's historical Jay Peak ski quiver

2010-11-11T13:05:00.001-05:00

Putting up pictures of your ski quiver seems to a popular topic for ski bloggers and forum posters. Hey, why not? You've done the thinking, spent all this money, made good (and possibly bad) decisions, so why not brag about it a bit. When considering a picture of my own quiver, I realized that I wasn't really sure where to draw the line between "quiver" and "collection," plus I knew that, for the

Jay Peak: a marketing guy's dream, or nightmare?

2010-10-24T21:58:00.001-04:00

Can the old and new coexist at Jay Peak? On my recent trip to the Jay Peak area, I had the good fortune to sit down and chat with Steve Wright, the self-proclaimed "marketing guy" at Jay Peak. Steve's official title is Vice President of Sales and Marketing but when you sit sit down to talk with him, he definitely seems more like the marketing guy than a resort VP. Dressed in Carhartts and an

A theoretically short hike on the Long Trail to the summit of Jay Peak

2010-10-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

The real reason I drove all the way to Jay Peak in October was to do some hiking on the mountain using the Long Trail, off the 242. In the many years I have been visiting this area, I had never actually hiked up Jay Peak. Sure, we had hiked down, after a cushy ride up the tram on Canadian Thanksgiving, but that isn’t quite the same thing. The drive up the Mountain Road did not fill me with

Jay Peak: construction junction?

2010-10-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

Waiting for the morning to warm up a little bit before starting my hike to the summit, I toured over to the resort side of Jay to see what was going on. I thought I take a few mountain photos from the Stateside parking lot, but a sternly worded sign and a lot of big machinery convinced me to stay outside the gate. There’s a lot of gravel going in here Here’s the bird’s eye view from the

The rumours are true! Maybe.

2010-09-20T19:42:00.001-04:00

Tired of reading people's theories about what lift is going where and whether or not a fixed-grip chair is better than a detachable one, I started scouting around on the Jay Peak web site, to see if maybe, just maybe, I'd missed something. Some blog post, press release (or as they now call it, a Social Media Release) or web site update regarding lift expansion. Nothing. What I did find was an

Jay Peak lift rumour hotbed, part two

2010-09-18T18:21:00.001-04:00

Well, it seems that what goes around, comes around, especially on the Hinterweb. Fellow ski blogger Harvey44 sent me an email containing a posting from the AlpineZone forums. He is way more web-savvy than I and seems to have time to follow all these various discussions. The thread there was started by a skier called JPtracker after he/she read my original post about new lift construction rumours.

Ski Shopping for Jonny Jay

2010-09-07T21:59:00.001-04:00

OK, enough about resort development, let's talk about SKIS. Jonny Jay has concluded that the Solly X-Scream Pilot Extra Hots may be a bit long in the tooth and that it is time for new boards. Since I, through my association with the Official Ski Shop, am the default ski acquisitor (is that a word?) of this crew, here are the SBR-recommended skis for our fearless leader. Since our humble blog now

"Land swap" deal makes Jay Peak development possible

2010-09-05T21:56:00.006-04:00

In an unusually investigative moment, Pudd discovered this article in the Burlington Free Press:Jay Peak land swap achieved Read it thoroughly, as this historic deal explains many things, including: 1) why the much vaunted West Bowl Development never seemed to be going anywhere (because all along, BS and crew were in negotiations with the Long Trail people):"The swap also sets the terms for

Alice's Table

2010-08-04T16:51:00.003-04:00

Dear Readers: Flying Linda and I are going to Vermont at the end of August. So thought I'd check out the menu at Alice's Table for a possible visit. The menu is impressive ... here's the link. However there is a tiny little problem; the Appetizer Item, "Selection of Cheese," says with accouchements ..... I defer of course to Claire and Peter but I but I believe accouchements refers to "delivery

Jay Tram continues to be hotbed of rumours...

2010-07-18T18:38:00.000-04:00

Now, this is interesting. Not that the last bit of news wasn't interesting but this is REALLY interesting. Throckmorton reports that intelligence gathered on the summer tram ride included some as-yet-unveiled-by-Jay Management plans for lift relocation and even, GASP, a new lift!!!! This does not mean that the fabled West Bowl Expansion is happening any time soon. We have concluded that

The things you learn on the Jay Peak Tram...

2010-07-12T09:37:00.001-04:00

Sklinda and Dogski were down at Jay Peak last weekend for a little summertime R&R. They probably never expected that they would learn a Jay Peak history lesson, including the fact that our Jonny Jay, while certainly original, is not the first John Jay! Jay Peak, like many other mountains around the world, is named for some politician who never set foot or even laid eyes on the hill. And I'll bet

The Hotel Jay is gone

2010-05-27T19:15:00.002-04:00

And frankly, good riddance. I'm sure the barn-like structure held some good memories for many Jay Peak visitors but really, it was a pretty non-descript building and will be replaced (in theory) by something far more groovy. My memories of this structure are limited to standing in line at the customer service desk waiting to get a ticket. Although the last time I was there, they were giving out

Ski movie arrives in mail, restores faith in humanity (for now)

2010-05-13T17:39:00.003-04:00

After participating in some ski movie chatter over at Harvey Road, I thought that I should finally track down one of my personal favorites, Sinners, by Bill Heath. Even with some thorough Internet searching, the only seemingly reliable location I could find selling copies was in, of all places, Jolly Olde England. And guess what, it was on sale. After a couple of glasses of wine, it did not seem

Spring sprang but winter returned

2010-05-09T14:39:00.001-04:00

Up here at Hundwalden, home of the Ravenscliffe Highlands Ski, Snowshoe & Country Club, we had hung up the winter gear and were busily getting ready for croquet season. Then, the weather changed. Yesterday, there was this mini-blizzard that left us with excellent grass-skiing conditions this morning. Utah checks the snow depth before we head out on the trail This morning I put on long pants for

Off topic but relevant spring stoke

2010-05-04T19:42:00.004-04:00

The Pudd-mobile in full playoff regalia. GO HABS!

Sadly, we missed it...

2010-04-30T15:45:00.003-04:00

This pretty much sums it up. His spelling isn't the best (and, yes, there are a couple of spicy words) but DoWork definitely found some stoke at Jay Peak yesterday: Wow Jay was amazing... Untracked lines all day long, just had to get a liiiiittle more creative each time but they were there in grand fashion. There was pow-a-plenty in the woods which we hit all morning (even had a few charging face

I have an excuse, why aren't you at Jay Peak?

2010-04-28T18:43:00.001-04:00

The Jet Triple chair today, taken by someone who was there

Throckmorton Sees a Moose

2010-04-07T10:11:00.002-04:00

Photo by Throckmorton: "Jay Peak Moose, I think she should be named Kokomo as that was her designated run." There has been much ado about the moose at Jay Peak. The hill managers have even given it a name, Jayne, and dutifully called the Vermont wildlife folks to come and check on it. There have been, to date, four posts on the official Jay Peak blog about the creature (and here they are in

When I woke up there were all these holes in my knee...

2010-04-04T13:40:00.001-04:00

Swelling is much reduced on post-op day three It is quite amazing, really. All the work is done with the arthroscope through the various holes poked in my leg. Five in front for the inspecting, cleaning and drilling, one in back for the hamstring collection. The blue smudge above my left knee is what remains of the surgeon's initials. If there could be a "best part" to knee surgery, this was it

SBR and Blue Toes' Run of the Year - 2010

2010-04-02T18:23:00.003-04:00

Waiting and Watching Thin boy takes stairs two at a time. Birkenstocky man ambles by ones. Pretty girl texts as she struts. Shorts with hairy legs is too cool to be cold, this grey afternoon. Gord’s in recovery, they’ve said but I’m still in the coffee shop, waiting to be beeped, summoned to see the results of knee-bone drilling and tendon macramé. Round, reddish woman sips her tea, hot pink

Is this really Jay Peak?

2010-03-09T11:40:00.002-05:00

JJ ski report for the weekend of March 6 & 7, posted by SBR who is feeling a little unhappy about his self-imposed "no more skiing before ACL surgery" rule.... Believe it or not: two weekend days of sunshine, perfect temperatures and great snow all in harmony! Saturday, no wind and a bit of a crowd (for Jay) and Sunday a little bit of wind and no crowds and fabulous skiing. First run up on

Jay Wins!

2010-03-02T11:54:00.000-05:00

Jonny Jay reports, posted by SBR: Having not posted a blog since my early season epistle, I thought it time to provide an update. How was the skiing this past weekend at the end of February? In a word – awesome! We went down Thursday evening since Pudd had informed me that there was some 24-30” of new snow being reported on the Jay website. Always torn between wanting to believe and the

A milestone in Jay Peak history

2010-02-23T21:21:00.005-05:00

In case you hadn't heard, Jonny Jay turned 60 on Valentine's Day. What better way to celebrate than gather the members of the Jonny Jay Ski Club (or at least most of them) for a Jay weekend. The hill certainly cooperated: gale force winds, whiteouts at the top, holiday crowds, wind-scoured groomers and occcasional excellent snow conditions made for a fun-filled weekend with classic "Jay

Same word, same season, different sport, opposite attitude

2010-02-10T14:56:00.001-05:00

These two slednecks were wandering around the store the other day, not spending money. Trying to be friendly, I ask them, in my hippest sno-mo lingo, "So, how is the riding?" Fully decked out in ninja-snow-warrior Arctic Cat team colours, one replies, "Oh the trails are a little rough, we need a little fresh so the groomer can get out and pack it down." Alrighty then, I give up. Though the

A fine New Year's week at Jay

2010-01-05T23:39:00.009-05:00

It's all about the.... bathrooms. Or at least that seemed to be the theme this trip. The much-vaunted New Year's Day Mega-Storm did not happen, the skiing was pretty good anyway, the company was wonderful as usual, SBR tweaked his knee (again), Claire tweaked her knee (again), Throcky and Gollum had a coming-of-age experience I hope they will relate, we drank a lot of wine, the wind howled, the

Eagerly anticipating the New Year's Powder Event

2009-12-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

SBR, BT, JJ, DC, Pudd, Claire, Throckmorton, Gollum & family are all joining Dogski and Sklinda for New Year's. If the weather forecasts are accurate, it will be an epic Jay Peak experience. If nothing else, it will be be better than last year. JJ and DC will be fresh off the plane after spending Christmas in Colde & Rainye Olde England, while the rest of us will be migrating from the wilds of

Why is THIS the Real Jay Peak Snow Report?

2009-12-13T16:43:00.004-05:00

Editor's note: This may be the Best Post Ever and I didn't write it. Still finding the Internet a bit of a boggle, Jonny Jay asked for my assistance in posting this trip report. Once I picked myself up off the floor after falling off the chair laughing, I decided that it must go up immediately, especially now that our new friends over at The Snowway have posted about skiing at MRG and not Jay.

How to deal with a "Snow Emergency"

2009-12-11T18:50:00.002-05:00

Make your own hill, then go ski it! First of all, this post has nothing to do with Jay Peak but it has everything to do with skiing deep powder. Here is the news story from Hunters Bay Radio: Mayor Declares Snow Emergency The Town of Huntsville is under a Snow Emergency today. Huntsville Mayor Claude Doughty declared the emergency this morning at 5 am and asked everyone to stay home

Run-in of the day, with no snow on the ground

2009-11-13T12:35:00.003-05:00

Every now and then, something happens to warm the heart of your inner skier. These experiences are really important when there is no snow on the ground and you know that other people are skiing, somewhere. Last night was Warren Miller movie night in Huntsville, presented by The Official Ski Shop and emceed by yours truly. This year's film, Dynasty, is one of the best from WME in a long time.

Run of the Year 2008-2009

2009-11-09T16:51:00.002-05:00

Dogski and Linski invited their 11 year old grand daughter to ski with them for a weekend at Jay. Typical February Jay colder than the hearts of jilted lovers and windier than Cape Storm.Allison one of our grand daughters hadn't skied for two years but was certainly up for the game getting better every run of the morning. In the early afternoon after lunch we decided to go up the Jet to ski the

Jay says no to septic renovations

2009-11-09T08:44:00.005-05:00

Sklinda and I visited the new Jay Peak Lodge and the twin pad & amp; water park facility a short while ago. Holy awesome, you won't believe how upscale the lodge is and how huge the ice facility is. I think we'll all need to invest in skates now. We looked in vain for a sign that the State Side Septic Renovations were under way but that seems but a dream.

OMG! Someone beat me to it and it's not even snowing.

2009-10-25T21:08:00.007-04:00

Dogski, not annoying at all! It's reassuring to see that our humble clan has not forgotten about the JJ blog. I was gearing up for a post tonight and was stoked to see that you were already on top of things. Well, game on, as Pudd would say. So, new skis for a couple of us this season... Throckmorton, through the assistance of the official ski shop, has obtained a pair of Salomon Lords. I have

Just to be annoying

2009-10-22T09:45:00.002-04:00

Hi all wanted to be the first to add to the JJ blog this ski season. (The season has started because A) it has already snowed at Jay and B) our skis are at the house in Montgomery and C) it feels right. We are planning our first weekend at Jay on Dec 5th assuming it opens. G.O.D.

Our report is better than their report

2009-04-04T18:40:00.004-04:00

SBR here, signed in under Blue Toes' account. This is a groundbreaking moment. We're camped out at the JJ clubhouse, blogging away on a poached internet signal.BT and I have joined JJ and the DC for a a possibly final weekend of skiing at Jay. The drive down was a bit wet. This morning, inquiring minds wanted to know: "What is the snow report?" Snow report, we don't need no snow report: it will

Jonny Jay digs in to the archives for six degrees of separation

2009-03-31T18:48:00.009-04:00

As you might imagine, the tragic death of Shane McConkey caused some chatter on the Jonny Jay sno-phone. Turns out that, back in day, Jonny himself went skiing with Jim McConkey, Shane's dad, while Jonny was doing the ski bum thing at Whistler (as it was known then, only as Whistler).Among other things, Jim ran the ski shop and so was Jonny's boss at Whistler. As a reward for all their hard work

Storm Skiing on Jay Peak

2009-01-05T09:05:00.002-05:00

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

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

2009-01-04T11:56:00.002-05:00

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

Tram stair mystery solved

2008-12-16T10:17:00.006-05:00

A few points and questions are raised by this picture:Will there be a roof? Imagine the grumbling while standing on those stairs exposed the elements. Not to mention the huge potential for wipe-outs induced while climbing snow-covered wooden steps in ski boots.Can JJ and the posse handle the change from left to right? Imagine also zooming to catch the end of a tram line, navigating at high speed

DogSki

2008-12-01T15:47:00.004-05:00

SBR very nice new lid but think perhaps you need new mirror type sun spectacles to set off the lid? We are off to Jay Friday with plans to ski Saturday and Sunday and returning to a show in Cornwall Monday. Jay's Peak is saying there are 15 of 75 open. I'll dish the real dirt when we're there.

SBR is ready for winter!

2008-12-01T15:07:00.003-05:00

All you need is a new lid and a little snow to completely adjust your attitude.

The Green Beret drops in

2008-04-24T13:44:00.007-04:00

Our elusive young friend sent a few pics from his continuing adventures at Sunshine Village. I don't think this can beat the epic spring skiing we experienced last weekend at Jay Peak but I'm sure he was having fun. I'll get pictures up and a report on the weekend soon.He writes:Hey Guys,Just wanted to let you see what it is like at Sunshine on April 23rd!!!!!!!!!That is yours truly skiing

jonny jay returns

2008-02-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not Jonny Jay is back!A few things here:* I am one of the few no doubt who actually did ride the Poma lift that is now the trail called Poma Line running down the side of Ullers to Beaver Pond. It was a practical lift because it allowed you to ski in November on a half decent run. Of course we also had a chairlift that serviced the upper section as well -- imagine just skiing the

Just testing....

2008-02-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've got name back!

Becoming a Man

2008-02-05T20:54:00.000-05:00

I got the chance to go to Jay for 2 days with Grandmom, Grandad and Pudd. I had an amazing two days and I did 8 new runs that I had never done before. Best of all , Timbuktu in the sun and powder. Ill also never forget the tree in kitz woods that both pudd and I thought was a drift and turned out to be pudd's grindbar. It was cold but it didn't matter as the conditions were great. We were joined

Good Weekend At Jay

2008-01-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of introducing my nephew to the real Jay Peak on the weekend. We went down about 7 runs he had never been on before. These include Kitzwoods, Power Line and Canyon Land to name a few. He also had the pleasure of touring Cat Walk (one of the "lost runs")There were multiple crashes and smiles. On day two we were joined by the legend... Jonny Jay!After a long day of skiing powder

The lost runs of Jay Peak

2008-01-13T16:09:00.000-05:00

Telemark Dave, one of our faithful (and perhaps only) non-family readers, recently commented to me that while he enjoyed the last two posts, he was concerned that the Jonny Jay blog was veering off in a decidedly non-Jay direction. Realizing the need to address this, I went and sat in the thinking room and perused this year's Jay Peak magazine (there's fuel for a rant...) for inspiration.While

Yin, yang and yoyo skiing

2007-12-29T08:46:00.001-05:00

The Green Beret has a tough life. He called the other day (on the toll-free # of course, in true dirtbag style), reporting that it was his day off and he couldn’t decide whether to go skiing or not. Quel dommage! On my day off I have to decide what other things won’t get done if I do go skiing. For example, yesterday, I thought I could go skiing AND get a little renovating done. Well, the

nOVEMBER IS OVER

2007-11-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

Well Hello Again To all the readers of this website!This may be my first blog of the year, but it is not the first ski report as I have been on the boards since Nov. 15th. But I figured I would give a report today as November is finally over. I'm still running with the Volkyl's, its my second pair now as I busted the top binding on my last pair, this pair are a lot slower but actually have some

Welcome back - winter is here!

2007-11-16T09:40:00.000-05:00

How do I know this? Let me count the ways...1) The Green Beret has left the East and has already started his ski bum dream job on the Sunshine Trail Crew. Check out the new link in the sidebar for the Sunshine web cam.2) It's Warren Miller film night in Huntsville. Woo Hoo! Off to see Playground and dream of helicopters.3) Our friends at Jay are are reporting that the Jet and Upper Haines will be

sPrInG sKiiNg

2007-04-24T11:12:00.000-04:00

Jay Peak Weather... a weather system that you can never rely on.Just last weekend, I was skiing in knee deep powder with my buddy (who wants to be known on this website as the Powder Pirate). We were skiing in great snow conditions, wearing full winter gear. It was a mild day but it dumped snow all day long!Just a couple of days ago, Saturday April 21st, Jonny Jay and I were up at Jay skiing in

Comparative snow reporting

2007-03-31T11:46:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm back in the great not-so-white north, I can check the Jay on-line snow report. Here's the report for today, which would summarize the conditions Telemark Dave and I experienced this week:Conditions are ok. Much closer to winter than spring. At least until early afternoon or so. Even then, conditions will be firmer than you expect for most of the day. This is either good or bad.

Blog it if you can...

2007-03-29T11:34:00.000-04:00

Well, faithful readers, I'm sitting in the base lodge at Mad River Glen, beside a big pile of "ski it if you can" stickers. What a great hill! I feel like it is 1972. Conditions are fast on the two runs that have been groomed. Everything else is rock hard and/or suffering from a lack of snow. We skied Jay yesterday. Windy, sunny, cold and the snow stayed hard as concrete all day. In fact, it

Jonny Jay steps up

2007-03-14T16:09:00.000-04:00

SBR here, I'm posting this on JJ's behalf:Ok I’ve tried three times to put this on the blog and I NOW GIVE UP.Well boys and girls, if you're not pulling my leg then I am really envious! Sounds like the snow finally stuck on the mountain. While you were blowing up the powder, DC and I were running through the Philadelphia airport, heading for the sun.Rather than snorkeling through the pow-pow we

Who has the ruler?

2007-03-11T09:38:00.000-04:00

And I quote:"We're 100% open, have had more than 14 FEET of snow since February 1st and are poised for a long run into Spring."Hey, didn't we have trouble finding the fabled five feet snow? Now we have to go looking for 14. I sure hope it's out there, as SBR and Telemark Dave will be headed for Jay the last week of March.

Mother Nature Gave Me A Present

2007-03-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

Military Day........ March 4Th ................Pudd's BirthdayI just read Green Beret's post and I could not have said it any better. Best run I had all year including Cat Skiing. Face Shot after Face Shot.Thanks for the present Mother Nature.PuddPS I took a mouth shot from a 2 inch diameter branch........ but came out of it unscarred.

Military Day - the General and Skiers favourite day

2007-03-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

MARCH FOURTH - 2007This is a day that will be remembered all season. JJ and DC were sitting on a plane on their way to Jamaica, while I was eating oatmeal and preparing for one of the biggest ski days of the season. I wanted to get up to the hill at 8:00 for first trax on the blue chair, but I felt my little Chevy just couldn't make it up that hill, with the reported 12 Inches. No problem of

While we're waiting, here's the local report...

2007-03-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to some excellent reports from this weekend, assuming you all made the epic drive through the blizzard.SBR had to content himself with night skiing at Hidden Bump, which is always entertaining. Conditions were very good - lots of tracked up loose snow and very few people. The skiing was fun too, except when the 8 year kid straitlining the big hill launched off my rear twin

Much to report...

2007-02-27T14:26:00.000-05:00

The Jay Cloud in actionLet's start with a quote from Monday's snow report, probably not much different from the weekend's (no mention of wind, though):Expect primarily machine groomed and packed powder conditions today with the odd spot of hardscrabble and/or windblown in those unprotected areas you love so much. Base depths are running to 4' in spots, 2' in others.What is it with the

If you can't go skiing...

2007-02-21T19:46:00.000-05:00

You might as well read about it. If you haven't seen it yet, look for a new (and pricey at $14.95) ski mag called The Ski Journal. It is a classy and well done publication, printed on heavy paper, with a wide range of editorial (from new school to the Spademan binding in issue # 1) and has very few ads. They claim that it is a "reader supported" publication. Good luck to them!

Maybe I should change the name...

2007-02-21T18:37:00.000-05:00

With all this talk of hardscrabble, I'm considering changing the name of this blog to The Hardscrabble Times, or something like that.SBR and BT are headed for Jay tomorrow, with a quick visit to the secret headquarters of the Jonny Jay Ski Club. Nestled on the side of a side road in deepest rural Canada, this stone and wood fortress sees few visitors, but those that find it are well rewarded with

Crowded Week-End at Jay

2007-02-19T18:48:00.000-05:00

What a crazy week-end at Jay Peak. Never in my life have I been there with it being so crowded. The official Jay website was emphasizing the fact that they picked up 5 feet of snow. I'm not too sure where all that snow went because when I was standing on the top of River Quai looking down on one of the best pitches Jay's got to offer. My eyes were shocked when they came to realize that there was

Today at Jay

2007-02-18T20:13:00.000-05:00

Today's weather at Jay was followed by this comment on that other Jay report:"Powder with some packed powder. We wouldn't rule out the odd windblown, hardscrabbled piece of trail either, though, so ski and ride with good care."Hardscrabbled?!The so-called writer concludes with a jovial "Hope to see you." I hope not.Sincerely,Blue Toes (aka JC)

Back from the West

2007-02-15T10:28:00.000-05:00

Just Returned from the west. It was the best skiing I have ever done. Very steep and very deep. I think I represented the east pretty well. It took me a while to realize that there was not going to be ice or a snow gun around every corner. It had not snowed in two weeks but we got fresh tracks every run. The westerners were whinning about no new snow in two weeks but that seems to be the way they

Epic storm headed for Jay Peak

2007-02-13T09:53:00.000-05:00

Here's the forecast from Dr. Weather: TOP 10 HISTORICAL BLIZZARD TO BRING 2-3 FEET SNOWS TO SOME NEW ENGLAND SKI AREAS--SOME PLACES NEAR 4 FEET?And the Jay area forecast:Orleans-Essex-Caledonia- including the cities of...Newport...Island Pond...St. Johnsbury 310 AM EST Tue Feb 13 2007 ...Heavy snow WARNING in effect from 1 AM Wednesday to 7 AM EST Thursday... .Today...