In Bounds at Jay

[riverc0il]

I suggest pushing out a little further in the Dip each time you try it. Eventually you will figure out the furthest you can go skiers right and still have enough vertical to traverse back

If you can traverse back, you aren't in the Dip...

...at least that is how I define a Dip run. Doing the Dip is going to 242, IMO. The rest is known by another name.

 

[snowmonster]

We've both got heavies, brother.

Rossignol Bandit Squads with Dukes and BD Factor boots. G3 Expedition skins. Side-country set-up too but it's toured all over. Saw a guy with Dukes on Moosilauke once. I said we both have heavy binders. He turns to me and says: "That's why we spend time at the gym."

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

If you can traverse back, you aren't in the Dip...

...at least that is how I define a Dip run. Doing the Dip is going to 242, IMO. The rest is known by another name.

Yes that is true. Just trying to give Abubob some advice on getting back and learning the terrain.

 

[Huck_It_Baby]

We've both got heavies, brother.

Rossignol Bandit Squads with Dukes and BD Factor boots. G3 Expedition skins. Side-country set-up too but it's toured all over. Saw a guy with Dukes on Moosilauke once. I said we both have heavy binders. He turns to me and says: "That's why we spend time at the gym."

Touring IS my gym!!

 

[snowmonster]

^ Amen!

 

[Abubob]

As far as Jay proper, no on map trail is going to have as good of snow conditions as the Dip regardless of time of day. So if you are comparing on map to the Dip, I'd say go for the Dip whenever you can because any on map glades are going to be packed down within 2 hours of opening.

And I'm not expecting it either. If I get some fresh snow in the first hour I'll be ecstatic. I'm not comparing the Dip or any OB to the inbound area and I'm not looking for an OB experience IB. Just looking for opinions on the in bound favs. I got what I asked for. I'll be fine and I'll have fun. Eventually when I want to get out of bounds it won't be with a lift ticket attached.

 

[crank]

I agree with River... if you don't end up on 242 you aren't skiing the dip. I love those days when the Tram and Freezer are closed and Bonnie is open... that's when you can get some nice, underutilized, inbounds snow with very minimal walking.

 

[fbrissette]

RiverCoil is right. The Dip/Orchard consistently has the best snow, followed by the Beaver. Canyonland is one of my favorite that has not been mentioned yet. No mention of Buck Woods aswell, an easy but fun run with varying gradient and lots of stuff to jump with easy access from the Taxi.

 

[riverc0il]

Canyonland? No kidding. Probably my least favorite glade at Jay. Rarely ski it.

Buck Woods is definitely underrated but it is hard to make a full run worthwhile and also hit Buck. The only thing that comes to mind is hitting Upper River first if you're going Tramside. Personally, I'm a big fan of Buckaroo, so I usually cut into there when doing Upper River. I may have only skied Buck Woods three or four times in almost a hundred days at Jay. Just in a weird location for the way I ski Jay.

But that is true for most of Jay's on map glades. There really aren't a lot of long glades except for Staircase, Everglade, Deliverance, and Vertigo. And all of these longer options get skied off pretty damn quick. To make the most of Jay, you really need to get off the map, then you can connect a lot of dots with pretty minimal time on trail excepting run outs and crossings.

Maybe it is just my aversion to Ullr's run out, but I have always found Beaver to be overrated. Or maybe that is just my elbow speaking. :lol: The great thing about Jay's on map options is that there is a lot of variety depending on your current mood. I don't know if I could pick one favorite, but I am really on map at Jay any ways. Vertigo to Buckaroo may take it for me, at least when Vertigo has good snow and coverage up top.

 

[BenedictGomez]

But that is true for most of Jay's on map glades. There really aren't a lot of long glades except for Staircase, Everglade, Deliverance, and Vertigo. And all of these longer options get skied off pretty damn quick. To make the most of Jay, you really need to get off the map, then you can connect a lot of dots with pretty minimal time on trail excepting run outs and crossings.

I guess this is subjective, but I dont feel that's the case with Everglades or Staircase, even though they're right smack in the dang middle. I think they're probably a bit harder glades than most of the other on-map Jay glades (also subjective) and thus lighter traveled. There's also some alternative entrance points that are very tight and so people dont bother with etc... Where there's a will (and creativity) I find there's usually a way to find some fresh snow.

 

[skiking4]

Some supertight lines in Everglade that are quite fun for the adventurous won't get skied until after it snows again... aka always fresh. But they are supertight and more maneuvering than skiing at times. But fun.

Canyonland is awesome. It get hits wtih tons of windblown, plus it has pretty much a good 1000 ft of entry points, so it's always got fresh snow somewhere along a dropin.


My friend just took a trip up to Jay a couple weekends ago. His stash of the weekend? Kitz Woods apparently.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Some supertight lines in Everglade that are quite fun for the adventurous won't get skied until after it snows again... aka always fresh. But they are supertight and more maneuvering than skiing at times. But fun.

That's exactly what I mean. Find an area where you have to grab a tree(s) just to enter, fun and fresh snow ensues.

My friend just took a trip up to Jay a couple weekends ago. His stash of the weekend? Kitz Woods apparently.

Hell's Woods (below Kitz Woods) is usually even less tracked than whatever Kitz is, because it can be more difficult to enter. Both of those are fun too. As I said before, pretty much all of Jay's glades rule.

 

[riverc0il]

I guess this is subjective, but I dont feel that's the case with Everglades or Staircase, even though they're right smack in the dang middle. I think they're probably a bit harder glades than most of the other on-map Jay glades (also subjective) and thus lighter traveled. There's also some alternative entrance points that are very tight and so people dont bother with etc... Where there's a will (and creativity) I find there's usually a way to find some fresh snow.

I see it completely differently. They might not get as much traffic as Beaver and Timbuk but due to their steepness and narrow nature, they get skied off SUPER quick! It doesn't take many hacks going down these trails (even the alt entrances) to beat conditions up very quickly. Steep and narrow are not good qualities of a glade when it comes to snow preservation. Deliverance and Vertigo (similar pitch, length, glade type, etc.) suffer the same issues. Hit em' first thing after a storm as they go downhill fast.

Then again, I'm kinda snobby about conditions and spend most of my time in off map glades at Jay which have better conditions than on map, so perhaps I am a poor judge. But I think I can be objective when I say that these trails degrade faster than your average glade at Jay.

 

[billski]

Fresh tracks don't last as long as they used to.

We blab way too much. We should charge lurkers $1 per message string

 

[riverc0il]

We blab way too much. We should charge lurkers $1 per message string

I think it has more to do with skiing culture. There is definitely a trend towards an appreciation for challenging terrain like glades. Newer gear also makes it easier for people to get into more challenging terrain without the best of skills to handle it on older equipment. But overall, I just think a lot of folks saw how much fun everyone else was having and wanted to join the party.