Jay Peak Tips

[John84]

I'll be visiting Jay Peak for the first time in February 2006 on President's Day Weekend from D.C. I'm comfortable on all the trails I've skied around the D.C. area (Timberline, Canaan Valley, Roundtop, Liberty, Whitetail) and have skied a little in the glades at Timberline. I'm looking for info on what trails will be least crowded, what trails usually have the best conditions, and what some of the easier black diamond glades are. Thanks.

 

[NHpowderhound]

Never skied Timberline, Canaan Valley, Roundtop, Liberty, Whitetail. But I'll bet Jays glades are a bit more interesting :lol:
Areas less traveled would be around the Jet Triple in the early morning, North Glade & the Jet Triple in the afternoon.
Jay has single black diamonds. Some are a bit more challenging than others. Some may get you hurt if you're not a strong skier comfortable with very steep, exposed terrain(Face Chutes). Try a warmup in Bushwacker(Green). Perhaps Bonaventure Glade or Show-Off Glade may be a good next bet. Some of the steeper glades would be Staircase,Everglade,Kitz Woods,Vertigo,Deliverance and a couple unmarked glades I wont elaborate about. :wink:
For dinner make sure you go to Montgomery Center and hit The Belfry for dinner.About 12 minute from Jay Peak. Best food in the Northeast Kingdom, especially after a day on the hill.
Nightlife is pretty scarce. Best bet may be The Lodge http://www.thelodgeatjay.com/ at the bottom of the mountain road has a pool table and may have a good band on the weekend.
Good luck and give us a trip report after you go.
((*
*))NHPH

 

[John84]

Another question, what can I expect as far as lift line wait times?

 

[NHpowderhound]

Presidents weekend is one,if not THE busiest weekend of the season. Luckily,with Jay so close to Canada that most of the big resorts filter out the skiers before they get to Jay. I would expect it to be busy but not ridiculously crowded. Avoid the tram after 10am. Ride the Jet,Bonaventure & Flyer during mid-day.
((*
*))NHPH

 

[thetrailboss]

Well, hope you will be there during a non-holiday, midweek time, 'cause that's when Jay is best (though I saw President's Weekend mentioned...)

Hope that the wind is not bad so you can ski the mountain...that is the one thing they don't tell you...more often than not the wind closes the place down :x

That aside...Jay is largely a Montreal mountain, so the crowds will be worst on Saturday. I echo NHPowderhound's advice in skiing Stateside first and foremost to warm up before heading to other areas. I really like stateside and the triple--steep, fast, great runs.

From there, it's all up for grabs. The main runs will get quite icy by noon, so hit the glades (assuming cover is good) and trust me, the terrain will be much tougher than those southern mountains that you list.

If you have time or if things get really bad, head to nearby Burke Mountain which has great glades, good snow, good variety, NO crowds, cheap tix, and great scenery. It's off I-91 about 45 min south of Jay (on the way).

Again, pray that it's not windy or icy up at Jay...otherwise, have a great time :beer:

 

[NHpowderhound]

Great advice from thetrailboss about heading to Burke on a windy day. Owls Head in Quebec is a good option too. About 45 minutes over the border.
I would say the upper mountian can get pretty hammered with wind and lift delays are a way of life up there. However I definately wouldnt say that the upper mountain is closed more than its open. If there is a Nor'Easter you can bet money the tram and Flyer will be closed the day the storm pulls out to sea. 60-80mph is not uncommon. However, all that wind scours snow and deposits it in the woods for us to plunder!
((*
*))NHPH

 

[thetrailboss]

Yeah, Owls Head may be smaller, but it's dirt cheap and has some interesting terrain from what I've heard. Two Express quads there...great views of Lake Memphremagog.

 

[Talisman]

In addition to Owl's Head, Sutton is another Quebec area about 45 minutes away that offers a lot of sous-bois skiing. Sous-bois is French for under the trees and it is open forest or glade skiing. The trail cuts at Sutton are unique as moving from trail to trail is easy and permits skiing a combination of trails each run. If it is windy at jay, I would hit Sutton first and then choose Owl's Head to avoid the wind.

 

[John84]

There's been a change of plans and I won't be skiing during President's day weekend. I'll be there the weekend after MLK weekend for 3 days (friday, saturday, and sunday). Any idea about lift line waits around that time?

 

[awf170]

There's been a change of plans and I won't be skiing during President's day weekend. I'll be there the weekend after MLK weekend for 3 days (friday, saturday, and sunday). Any idea about lift line waits around that time?

less lines and better conditions

 

[John84]

5-10 minute waits for the lifts?

 

[Talisman]

The time you wait at lifts will depend on the lift. After 9:45 AM the tram line will be ~30 minutes. The Freezer will be ski on most of the day unless it is a powder day. Jay usually has short waits with the exception of the tram and sometimes the Jet triple.