Jay Peak 3/24

[NHpowderhound]

I'm sorry to say that this may be my last report of the year from Jay Peak. The fat lady is about to sing her last song.
I drove up thursday evening and got to the SNOWLINE about 9pm. I dropped my gear and headed over the notch to the Snowshoe for a couple libations. The place was hopping and they had an open mike night with a bunch of guys jamming. They sounded real good together. About 11:30 I decided to call it a night. As I was going back up rt 242 just below the Belfry I round a courner to find 8-10 fire and police vehicles extingushing a car fire that is freakin ROARING. The notch road is closed.
How am I going to get back to the Snowline? I head back to the Snowshoe and start enquireing how to get back over and I find out it will be a 40 mile detour!!!!!!!! Screw that! So I wait and try two more times to make it over the notch. Finally the third time I arrive just as the emergency vehicles are dispersing at 12:45. Yea!!!!!!!!!!! The car looked like a tin can as I drove by. Completely gutted. I sure hope nobody was in it.
Friday morning I met up with Rverc0il and Sledhaulingmedic on Stateside. Acouple real class acts and great skiers! I'm real glad we hooked up!
Conditions were very good. Like Riv said, it wasnt corn and it wasnt PP, it was good wetpack conditions without being mushy. The open trails were holding up well, I was actually kind of impressed. BUt the woods was where it's at. A few rocks and stumps here and there but they were easily avoided. UN has some AWSOME bumps right now. Nice ad soft.
We hit Buck Woods, Timbucktu, Kitz, Beaver Pond, Valhalla, North Glade and Stateside for Woods. Best IMO were Vallhalla, Timbucktu and Beaver Pond.
Get out there quick boys and girls. It's going fast. I heard rumors next weekend is going to be it for Jay Peak. They will have snow but I think they are going to lose alot of connectors this week and next.
Again, it was great to ski with Riv and Sled and I look forward to some BC with you guys!
((*
*))NHPH

 

[thetrailboss]

Get out there quick boys and girls. It's going fast. I heard rumors next weekend is going to be it for Jay Peak. They will have snow but I think they are going to lose alot of connectors this week and next.

I don't think they lose the snow...it's the skiers that they lose first up there and in general. :roll: I find them closing next weekend to be a bit soon. Burke and Cannon are done next Sunday I hear. Sunapee at least one more week beyond that. Loon is April 16th. Usually Jay tries to go until Mid April on weekends only (makes sense).

 

[loafer89]

The latest Jay Peak report from 2:30pm reports 2-3" of new snow since noon and it was dumping hard.

 

[NHpowderhound]

loafer 89 wrote

The latest Jay Peak report from 2:30pm reports 2-3" of new snow since noon and it was dumping hard.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Too funny to reply!
((*
*))NHPH

 

[riverc0il]

it must have stopped dumping hard because right after that report was posted, it stopped dumping. they are claiming 3-4" which is nice that they received, but they didn't waste any time posting about how hard it was "dumping" but they didn't update their website with new information until this morning, well over 12 hours after it stopped dumping. i am sure a lot of people are heading up today with the wrong impression.

 

[loafer89]

I was just reporting what I read on their website, since I am not there I cannot say if it is true or not. I was happy for the 3" of powder yesterday at Belleayre, they recieved another 1" last night making for 4" since yesterday.

 

[meat]

definatly did snow 3-4, I was in it. Jay does tend to update snow reports while it is snowing and then doesn't tell you when it stops, even if it stops 5 minutes later. it snowed real hard for about two hours total maybe, but it made for some nice turns while it lasted. I really doubt next weekend will be the last call, but may only go to weekends until easter

 

[redalienx11]

Yeah it was definetely 3-4" of the wettest snow you can imagine...softened things up nicely. The Bonny quad liftline was nice.

 

[kcyanks1]

I don't think they lose the snow...it's the skiers that they lose first up there and in general. :roll: I find them closing next weekend to be a bit soon. Burke and Cannon are done next Sunday I hear. Sunapee at least one more week beyond that. Loon is April 16th. Usually Jay tries to go until Mid April on weekends only (makes sense).

I hope Jay holds out till the 16th. I'm supposed to be going to SB that weekend (14-16th), but am thinking Jay would be the better option if I can convince others to take the longer trip.

 

[riverc0il]

i doubt the glades would hold out that long even if jay stays open that long. without the glades, jay isn't worth the trip as their groomers are a yawn fest with run outs. the jet is okay, but i bet the bush would have better late season skiing.

 

[NHpowderhound]

I agree with Riv. Dont get your hopes up for Jay that late in April.
If you want some classic spring skiing I would reccomend Wildcat sometime. I know it wont work for you this trip but keep it in mind for rthe future.
((*
*))NHPH

 

[kcyanks1]

i doubt the glades would hold out that long even if jay stays open that long. without the glades, jay isn't worth the trip as their groomers are a yawn fest with run outs. the jet is okay, but i bet the bush would have better late season skiing.

Thanks for the advice. I'll be checking the reports. I agree Jay's groomers aren't worth it much. I think they do have some fun non-gladed, non-groomed runs though (for example Liftline, Powerline, UN, Green Beret, River Quai), though I wouldn't put them on SB's level in that regard. All of those may be closed anyways by the time I'd be going. I guess my concern is that Jay's natural snow advantage seemed to be even bigger this year than normal years. There was more snow at Jay in December than SB in Februrary, at least from what I could tell. Even if they are open though I think getting to Jay would be very unlikely, so it's probably going to be SB or nothing. Maybe I should think about Stowe?

 

[riverc0il]

I guess my concern is that Jay's natural snow advantage seemed to be even bigger this year than normal years

jay might have gotten more snow than any one else as per usual, but they did not avoid the blowing and thawing conditions that the rest of new england experienced. i would estimate natural snow is likely below average at jay for this time of year since none of the big march dumps really "stuck" and it has been VERY warm this past week. not to say it won't be worth it this weekend, i think they will squeak by this weekend with most terrain still open (though today and especially tomorrow are going to do massive amounts of damage). by the 16th though, look for groomers only i would bet.

 

[NHpowderhound]

The connectors like Northway and Goat will blow out leaving lots of walking to get to trails like River Quai and Powerline. Green Beret,especially the top section will be mostly exposed granite after this Saturday. What hasnt blown out will have undermined conditions that wont be visible until you punch through the snowpack. Also, the lower mountain will blow out leaving lots of muddy walking to get back to the lift. As much as I love the place, Jay just isnt a very good spring skiing mountain IMO.
((*
*))NHPH

 

[riverc0il]

suddenly jay peak is reporting 100% open out of no where. it has been like three weeks since they have reported 100%, they have been missing one or two trails since. even some of the "open" trails had ropes across them a week ago when sled and NHPH and i were at jay. suddenly, after a super warm week, jay is now reporting in at 100% and bragging on their web site they are the only ski area in eastern north america fully open. for real?!?! HECK NO. don't believe the hype folks! things certainly could not have gotten better since we were there one week ago! no new snow and warm temps means if anything, things are starting to really open up. this is rediculous marketing playing with the trail count. any one that knows a jay peak patroller care to pipe in with some inside info? what up with the trail count fluxuations? lame. hype.

 

[thetrailboss]

Well, Burke dropped the ropes on East Bowl today. Probably has to do with ice flows thawing and now the trails are skiable mush rather than ice.

 

[kcyanks1]

jay might have gotten more snow than any one else as per usual, but they did not avoid the blowing and thawing conditions that the rest of new england experienced. i would estimate natural snow is likely below average at jay for this time of year since none of the big march dumps really "stuck" and it has been VERY warm this past week. not to say it won't be worth it this weekend, i think they will squeak by this weekend with most terrain still open (though today and especially tomorrow are going to do massive amounts of damage). by the 16th though, look for groomers only i would bet.

Well no need to decide now anyways, and as the day gets closer, if I think I have a good argument for the longer drive, I'll make an attempt. Hopefully there will be something left, because I don't want my season to be over now :-(

 

[kcyanks1]

suddenly jay peak is reporting 100% open out of no where. it has been like three weeks since they have reported 100%, they have been missing one or two trails since. even some of the "open" trails had ropes across them a week ago when sled and NHPH and i were at jay. suddenly, after a super warm week, jay is now reporting in at 100% and bragging on their web site they are the only ski area in eastern north america fully open. for real?!?! HECK NO. don't believe the hype folks! things certainly could not have gotten better since we were there one week ago! no new snow and warm temps means if anything, things are starting to really open up. this is rediculous marketing playing with the trail count. any one that knows a jay peak patroller care to pipe in with some inside info? what up with the trail count fluxuations? lame. hype.

Russ Ford (patroller) comments on this in the Jay Peak forum on their site (http://www.jaypeakresort.com/theforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=853). He mentions the ice on Staircase finally being soft enough. So it appears that thetrailboss was right in that regard. Russ also estimates that they'll be losing some trails quickly over the next few days :-(

[Edit: The link doesn't seem to be working. If you go to www.jaypeakresort.com/theforum, choose the [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]How about them trees. [/FONT][/FONT]folder and then the "Snow Report" thread, you'll see the post.]

 

[meat]

suddenly jay peak is reporting 100% open out of no where. it has been like three weeks since they have reported 100%, they have been missing one or two trails since. even some of the "open" trails had ropes across them a week ago when sled and NHPH and i were at jay. suddenly, after a super warm week, jay is now reporting in at 100% and bragging on their web site they are the only ski area in eastern north america fully open. for real?!?! HECK NO. don't believe the hype folks! things certainly could not have gotten better since we were there one week ago! no new snow and warm temps means if anything, things are starting to really open up. this is rediculous marketing playing with the trail count. any one that knows a jay peak patroller care to pipe in with some inside info? what up with the trail count fluxuations? lame. hype.

I don't know about the trail count fluxuations, I just never really pay attention to that stat. I can tell you that the spring skiing was great today and the mountain really hasn't lost a whole lot of snow. things didn't start really thawing til later tuesday, and most everything was wall to wall, today was the first really warm day around 60. A friend of mine skied the face chute today and said it was great. I did notice that green beret was roped on monday when I skied by it and today it was open, probably cuz it was an icy mess earlier in the week, maybe that has something to do with the trail counts or its marketing or both, i'm not sure. everything is great now, the problem will be this weekend when some wet stuff comes in, that could really take a toll on the snow pack

 

[hiroto]

I'm planning to go up there for a day trip with my son this Sunday. I just need to do some tree skiing with my son which we haven't got around to do any this season, so I'm making a long drive to find out how it is like up there for the first time. Will find out if it is hype or not.

BTW, am I correct that they don't have any reduced pricing which is common for other mountains this time of the year?