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

"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.

Tram stair mystery solved

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 between the Snail-bound beginners and pizza-toting Wallys exiting the lodge door below.
• These stairs look a lot narrower than the old ones. How will this affect the claustrophobic among us?
• There is a big puddle that forms there. Pudd hopes they thought about that.
  
• And so much for sitting in that corner of the deck.
• Sklinda reports with first-hand information:

  We saw it under construction. If you think the other stairs were steep, these look like a killer! I think we have to wait another year for the washrooms. Must be a part of the new hotel. The amount of money that went underground at the mountain this summer was phenomenal. The drains start half way up the hill to the left of Snail and go down beside the golf course.

  
  

DogSki

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!

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

The Green Beret drops in

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 through Hayes Hill at the bottom of Delirium Dive.

Going,

Going,

Gone!

jonny jay returns

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 top all day. And then the catapult ride on the Jet T-bar was always fun . . .
* throckmorton did an amazing job tracking his uncle (pudd) and great uncle (jonny) and now knows that at Jay Peak -- at least on the Upper Kwai -- rocks are as good as snow for keeping an edge! And we took him into Sno Free (an off-piste run so-named by a younger Green Beret) where after a major yardsale avoiding a tree or two he announced "I've never skiied in so much powder!" No excuses, no swearing, no tempers -- just the thrill of ripping through the glades and avoiding brush and sinkholes on the way and then taking a major faceshot.
* snow last weekend at Jay was not as expected but it started coming down big time on Sunday afternoon and then the wind. Going down this weekend to be joined by Pudd and family.
See you there. Hey whatever happened to Mr. Ski-ya?
Jonny Jay