Jay Peak 3/3-3/7 2014

This was our third time to Jay Peak in the last 3 years. Before we stayed on the mountain, but due to a unforeseen new car payment we decided to look for something different.

There is alway that excitement when you see the mountain for the first time.

We found our destination a cabin on 242.

The pictures on the net looked good but this place I really liked.

As everyone knows you can't contol the weather and Jay hadn't had any real dumps in a while.
It was however cold. Like -16 below at night cold.
I didn't take a lot of pics skiing because of that cold. Sorry.
The snow was firm but you could set an edge. Glad I tuned the skis.

The new Stateside hotel,and as SBR stated there are 54 steps to climb from the parking lot. Not fun if your a little hungover.
Weather went from sunny one day to snow the next.



The trees were all open so we were glad because the tree skiing at Gore has been sporadic . After talking to a local at the new Bullwheel bar he drew a few lines on the trail map for us to find some fresh snow. It cost me a Tram ale.

Thin cover

Not so much

Untracked...almost

It did snow a little
 
Hey it may not be steep but it's tree skiing.


Sue helping to clear the underbrush.
Parting shots.


If you haven't been to Jay Peak please go because...........

See, I was not kidding about the 54 steps. Excellent report Raymo, too bad we did not cross paths (again), as I am heading there later this week. A beer is a small price pay for lines on a map.

I know that place you stayed (or at least know where it is). Did you sample any of the eateries in the Montgomery area, especially the new Big Jay Tavern?

Went by the Big Jay Tavern. Didn't stop in.
hit up the Belfry. Good food there.

Lots of snow up there!

This is a fun report Raymo. Some classic lines in it too:

Raymo40 wrote

The new Stateside hotel,and as SBR stated there are 54 steps to climb from the parking lot. Not fun if your a little hungover.

Skiing with a hangover, np. But the stairs....

Did you really count those stairs?

I like that cabin too. Must have been cozy.

Trees at Jay always look good to a Gore guy.

Ha. Yes I did count the stairs.
They had a lot of snow. When I pushed my pole in hard in the woods
It went in to the handle.
Tree skiing was great.  I love the glades at Jay.
As far as the hangover goes I blame this.
 b

Great report

Awesome that you found some Heady Topper.  It's sooooo hard to find

Love me some heady. I grabbed a stash of it when we were at Sugarbush earlier this year. I couldn't help myself and it was gone within a week:(. I should have done some research to find out where they sell it around Jay.

Great report. That house looks sweet inside. How far is it from Jay? Any chance you can share the link to it?

The house was three miles from the parking lot. It was really nice. Here is the link. http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/63985.html

I just got this season-pass announcement from Jay in my inbox. It includes Burke Mountain, so that's a pretty good deal in my book. As I raved in an article many moons ago, Burke is a pretty different kettle of fish from Jay (in a good way) and a lot easier to access from the south.

Wow, I just realized that I haven't been to Burke in nine years. Too bad I'm six hours away.




.

Thanks for the link Raymo! That place is priced perfect and looks great for a family.

James, didn't you go to Burke in 2010 for that article? Wonder what its like now that Jay built a new hotel at the base. Might be a good combo trip for president's week next year. A few days at burke and a few days at jay.

Danzilla wrote

James, didn't you go to Burke in 2010 for that article?  

That article was actually based on a trip in January 2004 and originally posted in Snowjournal several years before the New York Ski Magazine was created. Harv posted it in the Mag in 2010, so that's why the time stamp is from that year. At that point, Burke hadn't added the high-speed quad (which was installed in 2011), so the content of the article at the time of publication was more or less still accurate.

Danzilla wrote

James, didn't you go to Burke in 2010 for that article? Wonder what its like now that Jay built a new hotel at the base.

Whoa Whoa Whoa, hold on there. First, Jay doesn't own Burke, Stenger's partner does. Second, there has not been a new hotel built at Burke (yet) though it is on the agenda. The new high speed quad makes for less sitting on the lift and more skiing... but it also means people talk less on the lift, there is less of a friendly vibe, and conditions seem to deteriorate and get skied off faster because people lap them faster. Seems busier too, more people, probably because of the joint pass and joint offers and increased publicity and of course the quad itself. Just my observations from only skiing there twice since the high speed quad went in. Overall, I am not convinced that the new high speed lift has made the place better but like I said, I have only skied there twice since the install. I'm not against HSQs and I actually thought this would be beneficial for Burke. But it definitely (to me at least) has altered the experience...

riverc0il wrote

Danzilla wrote

James, didn't you go to Burke in 2010 for that article? Wonder what its like now that Jay built a new hotel at the base.

Whoa Whoa Whoa, hold on there. First, Jay doesn't own Burke, Stenger's partner does. Second, there has not been a new hotel built at Burke (yet) though it is on the agenda.

Ooops! I'll own up to being misinformed. Obviously I thought they were merged together. I also thought the hotel was built. I guess I must have seen an artists rendering - maybe at Jay this year. Interesting that a lift could make that much of a difference or maybe its just the increased traffic from jay passholders going over there to get something different. Does Burke hold up better on a windy day than Jay?