Jiminy Peak 2/7/04

[jimme]

It was OP Girls Learn To Ride day so my two daughters and myself went and the girls got some snowboarding lessons. Since we didn't make it in time for the 9am session, I pulled each of them up the tiny slope near the Doc Maynard Center while we waited for the 11am session to begin. Each of the girls seemed more at ease on the 'boards' than they did on skis. They'd slide about 50' and more often than not fall, but these falls were followed by smiles! (They had extreme fears of falling on skis.) My youngest even did that hop forward move I see so many boarders make. They got their hour and a half lesson- just the two of them and one instructor. What a deal! It just worked out this way.

Like a junkie getting their fix, I walked away from the ticket window $48. poorer with a 4 hour ticket that I had only an hour and a half to use. (Season pass was in my car and I had my wife's van. OK, I admit it. . .I have a skiing problem. )

Then my blood froze. The life force of Jiminy (Berkshire Express) was not even turning! What? No BE on a Saturday? I can handle six runs for the price of admission, but if I try to take the other lifts I might end up with only three runs at best. So, with a big sigh, I bit the bullet and headed back to the ticket window for a refund.

Question. Why is it you don't see the 'no refunds' sign until you actually want a refund?

To make the story short Jiminy recinded and gave me my cash back. I have to give them credit here as it is not their policy. Of course, most of the returned cash paid for lunch.

By this time it's near 12 noon so I head for the Cricket Slope, skis on shoulder. Make a run down Cricket. 15 seconds later I'm walking the slope to make another run. This happens four or five times.

As we're finishing lunch around 1:00 or so, the BE starts loading. It did not spin from at least 11 am to 1:00. Can't imagine what the lift problem was. But Saturday was really about my girls getting on a board to see how much they like Snowboarding, and I think I now have two boarders in the family! What ever method they choose to get down the hill is fine by me, and I'm looking forward to many more days with them on the slopes.

Jimme

[Joshua B]

Say, how were the conditions after the rain the night before?

[Greg]

Two thoughts:

• Jiminy used to stamp the time on your lift ticket, so a half day (4 hour) lift ticket would have a time stamped on it for when it "expired". This was one thing that always impressed me about Jiminy. As I usually ski there on comp passes I never check them, but this lift ticket from earlier this season has a timestamp on it. I think your pass would have been good for four hours from the time you bought it.
• I bet the problem with the BE was the rain/freeze from the night before. Was it below freezing at the mountain (Saturday was pretty warm)? I was there on 12/18 which was a relatively cold day (~25*F) after a previous day of rain. Apparently, the big wheel on the six iced up and the tires that drive it couldn't turn it reasonably. As the chairs detached, they tended to back up on top of each other. I'm guessing that as the day you were there warmed up they were able to sort this out.

You are right though. That 6 is the life of Jiminy Peak. Off that lift, one can get in a ton of skiing even if it's busy.

[jimme]

I can't speak for the skiing conditions except for the Cricket Slope. That was granular on hardpack. Actually not bad at all considering the rain the day before. I did stomp a bit in some of the snow that was on the sides and that had a slight breakable crust on it.

Yes it was a four hour ticket, but I needed the first 1.5 hours while my girls were in class. After that, I'd be with them on the cricket slope. I decided to get cash back and if the girls wanted to 'Board some more after class I could have gotten a beginner-lift-only ticket for much less than the $48. four hour ticket.

Jimme :P

[jimme]

It not my typical self to ask for a refund. I always thought that was for wannabes who couldn't hack the hill.

I realize that Jiminy does not actually revolve around the BE, and the Triple and Q1 were in operation. It was the specific plan that I had to ski about six runs during the 1.5 hours and the Berkshire Express was what would have enabled me to do so. If I had known the lift was not working, I never would have bought the ticket.

Jiminy has marketed the BE as the be all end all lift in Mass. I imagine that as well as myself, everyone who rides there really expects the lift to be in operation. Now, that I realize it runs about 13 hours a day, seven days a week, it is amazing it doesn't fail more often.

Jimme