AZ Challenge 2011: Steve Wright, Jay Peak

[Nick]

Steve Wright, VP of Marketing, Sales and Hospitality at Jay Peak, has agreed to participate in the 2011 AlpineZone Ski Area Challenge!

The AlpineZone Challenge is your chance to offer up questions, suggestions or praise to the people who run the mountains in the northeast. For more information on the challenge itself, please see the stickied post at the top of the forum.

We will pick ten of the questions asked here and submit them for review and response, and post them in the Challenge area when complete!

Caveats: we may edit/change your question for grammar, tone, or something similar. Questions may be merged. If we don't get to all the questions, we will encourage followup from the representatives, but no promises.

Please be respectful as well to those answering questions - please refrain from asking specifics about skier visit numbers, financials, demographic information, etc. as these may be confidential to the mountain.

Let er' rip!

Jay Peak Profile

2006 AZ Challenge Results
2005 AZ Challenge Results
2004 AZ Challenge Results

 

[mister moose]

Is the rumor true that the State of Vermont will be taxing the "High Snowfall" ski areas like Jay that are over 250 inches a year and sending a portion of those inches to the less snowfall areas like Mt Snow?

 

[Nick]

Is the rumor true that the State of Vermont will be taxing the "High Snowfall" ski areas like Jay that are over 250 inches a year and sending a portion of those inches to the less snowfall areas like Mt Snow?

Haha

Sent with Tapatalk

 

[deadheadskier]

When the Stateside Lodge is rebuilt, has any consideration been given to locating it somewhat where the current ski patrol shack is? A day lodge would seem best situated inbetween the Jet and Bonny chairs. Where it is currently located, it's not all that convenient to use the facilities at the lodge when you are skiing the Jet chair.

 

[jimmywilson69]

With all of the family friendly amenities being constructed at Jay, which are great in my opinion; how does the skiing experience change to satisfy what may be a totally different demographic of skiers than jay Peak has serviced in the past.

 

[deadheadskier]

How has 'the gash' been healing on Big Jay? Have most skiers and riders been respectful of that environmental damaged area being off limits?

 

[deadheadskier]

Does Jay or has Jay considered offering package deals on lift tickets with its neighbors to the North?

With Jay's proximity to Owl's Head, Orford, Sutton etc, I think partnering with one or several of those areas on transferable lift tickets would offer a very unique vacation opportunity not present at other areas in the East.

I used to ski Jay quite frequently when I lived in Stowe. Now that I'm in Southern NH, I don't make it up as often due to length of travel. Having the ability to cross the boarder and check out one of the Eastern Township areas on the same lift pass would make Jay a more compelling destination for me to travel to for a ski vacation.

 

[thetrailboss]

Jay has a reputation for lots of natural snow, but it is not really known for its snowmaking. I'm wondering what has been done to expand your snowmaking system, to tap more water, and to improve on what is made. Will Jay aim to open earlier than in the past considering the expansion that has been done?

Also, Jay is infamous for nasty winds. The wind scours the trails and closes the lifts. Has Jay done anything to help "windproof" the trails and lifts (that can be done)? Such as snowfencing, heavier chairs, etc?

 

[thetrailboss]

Come on folks!

 

[marcski]

When did Jay start hiring old, kind of washed up comics in their marketing department?

 

[from_the_NEK]

Has a ratio of open trails to glades been calculated for the future trail expansion in the West Bowl (I really think it should be named "Ullr's Bowl")? Obiviously more glades are better

 

[drew626]

What are the issues for an additional T-bar (ex. from the top of the Flyer or Bonnie) for additional access the summit? Has this ever been considered? It seems like the tram is often on wind hold or has too long of a wait. I assume a T-bar would be more affordable than a chair lift and if installed well could be protected more easily from the wind.

 

[thetrailboss]

What are the issues for an additional T-bar (ex. from the top of the Flyer or Bonnie) for additional access the summit? Has this ever been considered? It seems like the tram is often on wind hold or has too long of a wait. I assume a T-bar would be more affordable than a chair lift and if installed well could be protected more easily from the wind.

There used to be either a T-Bar or a double up there before the tram....look closely:

For a while they used to have early and late season skiing off that lift, and download via the old Bonaventure Double.

Maps courtesy of Skimap.org and are dated 1970 and 1971.

 

[dalecaluori]

There is a plan to replace the Bonaventure Quad with a high speed six passenger chair going up the Powerline. Given that the Flyer is a very cold lift, and that it is often on wind hold like the Tram, what makes you believe that installing another high speed lift is going to make the skiing experience at Jay any better? The Bonaventure quad is often the best option to ride on a cold day. Why torture skiers and riders with another freezing cold lift susceptible to wind closures? Is it not better to have a slow lift that remains open, then a fast lift that's freezing cold or closed altogether?

Jay Peak doesn't need high speed lifts everywhere, certainly if they're just going to be on wind hold all the time. How are you going to ensure that this new lift doesn't become another freezing cold ride like the Flyer and that it remains open even on windy days?

 

[riverc0il]

There is a plan to replace the Bonaventure Quad with a high speed six passenger chair going up the Powerline. Given that the Flyer is a very cold lift, and that it is often on wind hold like the Tram, what makes you believe that installing another high speed lift is going to make the skiing experience at Jay any better? The Bonaventure quad is often the best option to ride on a cold day. Why torture skiers and riders with another freezing cold lift susceptible to wind closures? Is it not better to have a slow lift that remains open, then a fast lift that's freezing cold or closed altogether?

Jay Peak doesn't need high speed lifts everywhere, certainly if they're just going to be on wind hold all the time. How are you going to ensure that this new lift doesn't become another freezing cold ride like the Flyer and that it remains open even on windy days?

Good questions from our friend from the north!

Here is a question: if there already is a Green Mountain Freezer... what becomes the nick name of the High Speed Six Pack when it goes in? Will Jay conveniently figure out a name that can't be hijacked to better detonate the experience of riding a high speed lift into Jay head winds?

 

[thetrailboss]

Good questions from our friend from the north!

Here is a question: if there already is a Green Mountain Freezer... what becomes the nick name of the High Speed Six Pack when it goes in? Will Jay conveniently figure out a name that can't be hijacked to better detonate the experience of riding a high speed lift into Jay head winds?

I nominate the nickname of "North Wind" instead of "Northway." :wink:

 

[Sick Bird Rider]

There used to be either a T-Bar or a double up there before the tram....look closely:

For a while they used to have early and late season skiing off that lift, and download via the old Bonaventure Double.

Maps courtesy of Skimap.org and are dated 1970 and 1971.

There was a chair called the Skyline Chair that went to the summit, roughly from the top of the Bonaventure Chair. There was also a Poma Lift (note trail called Poma Line) that went roughly parallel to the top part of Ullr's almost to the summit. Both would have been awesome for spring skiing. I have vague memories of seeing the Poma towers when I started skiing at Jay in the early 70s.

Pic of Skyline chair here.

I will ponder a question.

 

[thetrailboss]

There was a chair called the Skyline Chair that went to the summit, roughly from the top of the Bonaventure Chair. There was also a Poma Lift (note trail called Poma Line) that went roughly parallel to the top part of Ullr's almost to the summit. Both would have been awesome for spring skiing. I have vague memories of seeing the Poma towers when I started skiing at Jay in the early 70s.

Pic of Skyline chair here.

I will ponder a question.

Nice! Thanks. :beer:

 

[xlr8r]

With the Tram now roughly 45 years old, how many more years are in the Tram's life? Recently Jackson Hole completely replaced its Tram which was of similar age to the Jay Tram.

With all this new development and growth at Jay, does the low capacity of the Tram to the summit pose any issues in the near future? The Tram has a much lower capacity than say a triple chair. Is there any possibility of adding a second lift to the summit like the former skyline chair?

 

[riverc0il]

With the Tram now roughly 45 years old, how many more years are in the Tram's life? Recently Jackson Hole completely replaced its Tram which was of similar age to the Jay Tram.

FWIW, the tram cars were replaced within the past decade so I don't think they plan on retiring the tram anytime soon. :grin: