From KZone: Guerilla Trailblazers Arrested

[JimG.]

I had already rebuilt two chainsaws, a weed wacker and two push mowers by the time I was 20.


I only own one chainsaw now, but am in the market for a stihl 026 pro, if anyone is selling.

But you're a mutant farmer boy.

An old fart before your time.

That doesn't count.

 

[Marc]

Well. That backfired on me.

 

[kingdom-tele]

unfortunately I think you are right, but if the forest dept or GMC can act fast enough at least it would give people considering not skiing more reason to do just that, by at least getting some regrowth started it might deter most of those who give shit

 

[David Metsky]

Its done, it was stupid and should have never been but it is what it is.

NO! This is a stupid thing and it shouldn't be rewarded or you're just going to get more. That's what happened with the original illegal trail over to Big Jay, and this is the result. I think there will be a solid effort to rope this sucker off for revegitation.

Looks like there is a couple of good hits in there

There were plenty of good hits before these assholes cut this swath. It wasn't needed, the skiing was better before it got cut.

 

[riverc0il]

OK so who will ski it?

No one. Seriously, please do not ski this abomination. I know it looks tempting. Just pretend it is not there. I would like to see it made a crime to ski that thing. I will be skiing Big Jay this year but will be avoiding that section. Since most sensible backcountry skiers will be doing the same, I fear it will be considered even more worth it for some skiers will lower ethics. I would like to see it made a felony to ski this cut.

 

[awf170]

No one. Seriously, please do not ski this abomination. I know it looks tempting. Just pretend it is not there. I would like to see it made a crime to ski that thing. I will be skiing Big Jay this year but will be avoiding that section. Since most sensible backcountry skiers will be doing the same, I fear it will be considered even more worth it for some skiers will lower ethics. I would like to see it made a felony to ski this cut.

Could it really be made into a crime to ski? Anyway, there is no way they could enforce it. I think they best way about this is just planting new trees, then marking it off as a re-veg zone. Maybe use some construction barrier webbing to keep people out, though that might be just as much as an eye sour as the trail.

Maybe some of this in a less noticeable color.

Also, this thing does look like a very nice run. Probably a contender for best run in New England. Still don't ski it though, I know I won't.

 

[L2RAFO]

I followed this thread at the beginning, and just took a look at the end, but, as I just paid my Snowbird condo fees, I'm a little too weak at the moment to read the whole thing. So, if this has already been covered, I apologize, but would like to know how the cut could have gotten so far without anyone noticing. I'm not at all familiar with Jay, but is that spot they cut so far away that no body would've heard it?

 

[snowman]

You'd have to be careful- it'll be hard to hide the helicopter.

No biggy. I've got a buddy with one of those black CIA op's silent jobbies! lol :razz:

As I said earlier, doesn't look like they had to cut any more than a tree every 25 feet on average. 1 day job for some pros.

 

[MrMagic]

from 'snowjournal' pictures of big jay cut

from snowjournal.com, pictures/slideshow of trail cut on big jay, VT.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/legacy/slideshows/081007jay/index.html

all i have to say is whaaaaaat were they thinking?????

 

[snoseek]

wow. a little pruning is cool with me but that is quite the strip. plenty of stuff like that at the ski area.

 

[JohnGD33]

I didn't think it was that wide. A little overboard? All gladed runs need some work in the off season but come on? Did they think they were not going to get caught?

 

[JPTracker]

Here is Sundays article:
Article

It seems that Jay Peak employees were the first to report this.

 

[threecy]

Here is Sundays article:
Article

It seems that Jay Peak employees were the first to report this.

Can you imagine being the one they told? I can picture a manager..."a what? What do you mean you see a new ski trail on Big Jay? Have you been drinking?"

 

[wa-loaf]

Here is Sundays article:
Article

It seems that Jay Peak employees were the first to report this.

It's sounds like not only did they cut a trail but they widened the existing approach, which is where the 60' number came from.

 

[jimmer]

seems to me that if your a woods skier you should know that a few trees are going to get wacked, maybe they went a bit overboard, and if they left a few trees in the middle of the trail, maybe not so much stink, after all what do you think ski area glades looked like before they took ouy those trees. this stuff goes on all over the place, im sure alot of you have skied illegaly cut trails before.i know of a few places that took illegal trails and made them there own, on the trail map and all. lighten up theres alot worse things to get all worked up over.

 

[riverc0il]

seems to me that if your a woods skier you should know that a few trees are going to get wacked, maybe they went a bit overboard, and if they left a few trees in the middle of the trail, maybe not so much stink, after all what do you think ski area glades looked like before they took ouy those trees. this stuff goes on all over the place, im sure alot of you have skied illegaly cut trails before.i know of a few places that took illegal trails and made them there own, on the trail map and all. lighten up theres alot worse things to get all worked up over.

Certainly bootleg glades are cut all the time. But when was the last time a bootleg trail of this magnitude was cut in the Northeast? I have no recollection of anything even remotely close to this. "Illegal trails" usually involve folks thinning out some underbrush or perhaps taking out a few 1-2" diameter trees at most. Point usually is to make it an unknown tree run with a canopy. To say these guys went "a bit overboard" is a huge understatement. The kicker is that the damage actually decreases the special aspects of Big Jay because it was perfect as it was. This type of stuff is certainly not going on all over the place and the less of this type of thing that happens the better.

 

[riverc0il]

It's sounds like not only did they cut a trail but they widened the existing approach, which is where the 60' number came from.

The article is unfortunately deceptive in that 60' number which apparently came from "the state." Here is the exact wording in the article:

Access to Big Jay comes via a trail that runs along a spine from the resort's south side, and the usual winter descent begins east of that trail, just below Big Jay's summit. The top of that line is now cleared, in what the state says is a three-quarters-of-a-mile strip some 60 feet wide.

3/4 of a mile is what was reported as having been the length of the illegal cut. I think the 60 foot wide remark is attributed "the state" as the original estimate of the route cut by the two gentlemen in question. Perhaps the approach was also widened but I do not think that paragraph specifically states so and is rather non-specific about the numbers it throws around.

 

[David Metsky]

maybe they went a bit overboard, and if they left a few trees in the middle of the trail, maybe not so much stink, after all what do you think ski area glades looked like before they took ouy those trees.

No, this is not just a bit overboard. This is completely different then the previous glade trimming in New England. They didn't improve a skiing area, they destroyed it. What use to be a great tight tree run is now an open gash. Before they took out those trees it was a tree run.

 

[AdironRider]

whoa whoa whoa fellas, relax, take a deep breath, and chill for a second.

Destroyed a ski area ... hardly. Your telling me, that because of a 20 foot wide scar on Big Jay, that the area is ruined? Puhlease. Time will allow that to grow back, it has before and will do so again. It sucks that these morons did what they did, it was way overboard for what they wanted, but theres no way it ruins what Big Jay was, is, and will continue to be. You know this, I know this, everyones just a little riled up as noones skied in months and theres still at least 2 months to go.

 

[Greg]

at least 2 months to go.

:blink: kinda overly optimistic, aren'tcha?