Jay Peak Conditions (2011-2012)

Wake up, SBR!

Been thinkin' the new Bacons would have been sweet in all that wettish pow pow you guys have been enjoying.

Up here in the "North" I am pondering whether or not I should cut cut the lawn one more time. Hmmm.

This is why I love Jay Peak. Truth in advertising:

Jay Peak Resort wrote

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 at a rough 60 degrees per minute.  Sounds incredible, right?  Well you're in for a treat because today marks the season premier of our one and only Green Mountain Flyer, spinning for the first time this fine Friday morning.  It'll haul you uphill to three fresh runs (Northway, Upper Goat, and Lower River Quai) which are all sporting about an inch of fresh powder and it hasn't stopped falling yet.   

Reminds me of the time Harv, rivercOil and I were riding the Freezer last March. Harv was huddling into his jacket, complaining about how "brutal" the wind was. RivercOil and I were cackling maniacally at his suffering, looking around, enjoying the view and reminiscing about the times it had been so much worse. Welcome to Jay Peak!

Love that tongue-in-cheek description of the Freezer.

This just in via the Jonny Jay Sno-Phone:

I am not there at the moment but just talked to relatives who have been there all week. My sister said, "We miss you but you are not missing anything."

My brother, one of the most dedicated skiers you could imagine (as in someone who will ski in just about any conditions and find some fun it), took one run on the Jet yesterday and went home. It was super windy, with all new snow blown away revealing boilerplate manmade. Woods not in play.

Given the probable lack of change in conditions today, they are all considering going shopping in Burlington. If you knew this crew, you would know that means things are not good on the mountain.

Having said that, there is snow in the forecast...

i chose to strip wall paper border the other day didnt figure it was worth the gas money

Sick Bird Rider wrote

Reminds me of the time Harv, rivercOil and I were riding the Freezer last March. Harv was huddling into his jacket, complaining about how "brutal" the wind was. RivercOil and I were cackling maniacally at his suffering, looking around, enjoying the view and reminiscing about the times it had been so much worse. Welcome to Jay Peak!

Heh! It isn't cold on the Freezer until you legitimately think that even a single cycle on that lift will result in frostbite. And that is just when it is starting to get cold.

The state of the union at Jay Peak:
http://jonnyjay.blogspot.com/2012/01/future-of-stateside-minutes-from.html

My brother was at Jay this weekend and sent this report:

"We skied Saturday and had some fun. I went into Beaverpond and Buckaroo Bonzai just for the hell of it, fun if you were on your toes. They still haven’t opened Green Mtn Boys and they had a pile of snow mounds on Exhibition ready to be flattened I suppose – so it’s coming, slowly but surely. Reports from Timbuktu etc were pretty good. We quit at lunch and on Sunday is was 18 below and the same conditions, so we decided to stay home and work on plumbing! "

Looks like Jay, Mansfield going to get some tonight.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=44.91295262704526&lon=-72.53356955945492&site=btv&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text

5" of light fluff on top of scratchy hard pack. Any other year, an average day. This year? Very nice. Hard to believe the amount of lines that still aren't ready for the first week of February.

Jay was good today. Not great but definitely good. Maybe 2" of fluff on hardpack, with more in certain places. As many have said, it's all about making lemonade and finding the right aspects. Plus, it's beneficial to have low expectations. I was shocked at how little snow there is in the valley but the mountain is in pretty good shape.  Steeper natural snow classics like Green Beret and Quai are super-sketchy at the top but much better after the first few turns. Lower-angle woods were quite good also. There is snow in there if you go looking. Groomers were very nice after I got tired of stick-dodging.

First run down Can Am. For those of you who haven't skied there it is a pretty steep wide open groomer. Fresh cord with 2" of hero snow on top. Schweet. Followed some rabbit tracks into the woods and was rewarded with a few stashes. Also sweet.

With fresh snow, warm temps, no wind and very few people, it was a pretty nice day at Jay today.

I'm liking that stash. Hope there be more in 2 weeks!

Raymo40 wrote

I'm liking that stash. Hope there be more in 2 weeks!

We all hope. It was pretty nice today after a little snow overnight. Sun, no wind, very few people.

I followed some rabbit tracks:


And found the rabbit hole:


Raymo, these pics are from that place we were discussing earlier. I took the low route, no hiking needed, just a little hop here and there.

With any luck there the forecasted snow will happen overnight and I will get to take pictures of another person. rivercOil has the day off. Hope I can keep up.

Sick Bird Rider wrote

With any luck there the forecasted snow will happen overnight and I will get to take pictures of another person. rivercOil has the day off. Hope I can keep up.

Especially if it is a powder day. I am really hungry.



No worries, SBR. At this point, I am also really outta shape.



I can't wait!!

Man I'm liking that rabbit. Does he were a top hat and say I'm late? I'm just hope it snows  an inch or two while I'm there.

JPR reported 1" this morning. The wind helped make it 6" in some places. rivercOil and I had a fun morning and I'm sure he had a fun afternoon after I left:

An unexpected berm on lower Green Beret:

HOLY CRAP IS THAT SNOW FROM THE SKY?

Raymo40 wrote

HOLY CRAP IS THAT SNOW FROM THE SKY?

Heck yea, it is!