Jay Peak Thread (New owners, New Future)

[drjeff]

The Good Dr. has just stated a paradigm its taken me a lifetime to understand ( and I still have a hard time grasping it). Its all about perception, forget the facts. Pols know this, corporate media know this.

As I get older, just turned 54 last week and started my 46th ski season on plastic mats built on the roof and around the sides of a trash incinerator building in Copenhagen, Denmark (that was truly a memorable ski day with both my kids and my wife!!) I get that I have acquired a bunch of knowledge through experiences (probably closing in on 2000k skj days lifetime and 1k since I joined AZ!) on the hill and my desire to befriend and ask questions of many ski Industry folks (who often love to talk shop with you if you ask them!) and like to provide some of that insight... Whether folks want to listen to that reality view, (sometimes corporate based, sometimes weather reality) I don't know... regardless, everyone wants quality day on the hill!

 

[Zand]

Anecdotally, I skied Jay and Stowe on back to back days multiple times last year and found the snow to be far better in the woods at Stowe both times, and the natural trails skied similar. Not to say that I think Stowe gets more snow, it's obvious that Jay does overall, but of course the wind patterns are different and I think the clientele at Jay just hammer the woods more.

That said, I just saw a video of someone on CanAm this morning and it looked fucking deeeep. Just an incredible start to the season and no end in sight to this pattern.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Nah, Jay gets by far the most snow on the East Coast, and it’s not close.

Correct.

And there's a reason why Jay Peak doesn't have a snow stake webcam like everyone else. Both observations are true.

 

[BenedictGomez]

if one was interested in providing accurate information more than hype, would be to provide more than 1 snowfall total - at least summit + a base area, possibly a mid-mountain location as well if a resort has a particularly wide elevation range like Killington.

I don't expect to see resorts ever start doing this, but I'm just noting that it's not a difficult problem to solve.

Or, I dunno, just spitballing here, not even as complicated as that, maybe just a webcam of a snowstake like most ski resorts, or if not a "stake" some sort of similar depth perception barometer.

 

[AdironRider]

Correct.

And there's a reason why Jay Peak doesn't have a snow stake webcam like everyone else. Both observations are true.

You act like snow stake webcams aren't put in convenient areas for marketing elsewhere.......

 

[thetrailboss]

So having grown up near Jay and skiing there a fair amount, yes, I agree that it does get A LOT of snow. They market the hell out of that. What they don't say is that there is A LOT of wind and a lot of bad weather. Wind significantly impacts lift operations.

But Jay is THE biggest PR machine that I know. They have to be because they are in the middle of nowhere. So I would EXPECT them to have some kind of snowstake/snow camera to help market.

One legitimate reason I could see why they do not have a web cam snowstake has to do with the terrible wind. An official NOAA/NWS Snowtel site has a lot of very stringent requirements in order to be accurate. I don't know where the "official" reporting sites are at Jay.

 

[AdironRider]

So having grown up near Jay and skiing there a fair amount, yes, I agree that it does get A LOT of snow. They market the hell out of that. What they don't say is that there is A LOT of wind and a lot of bad weather. Wind significantly impacts lift operations.

But Jay is THE biggest PR machine that I know. They have to be because they are in the middle of nowhere. So I would EXPECT them to have some kind of snowstake/snow camera to help market.

One legitimate reason I could see why they do not have a web cam snowstake has to do with the terrible wind. An official NOAA/NWS Snowtel site has a lot of very stringent requirements in order to be accurate. I don't know where the "official" reporting sites are at Jay.

 

[urungus]

Jay was off the hook today !! Get out there !

First time ever down Sis-Boom-Bah:






Poma Line:


Valhalla:




Kokomo:

 

[snoseek]

I was there too! They are stacked!

 

[eatskisleep]

 

[urungus]

Looking for advice on navigating the entrance to Green Beret. Went up to the edge on Tuesday but I wasn’t feeling it and chickened out. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos and most people are taking a hard left after the entrance, going as far as they can in that direction, side slipping a bit, then cutting back right to go straight across the steepest part ?

 

[snoseek]

Looking for advice on navigating the entrance to Green Beret. Went up to the edge on Tuesday but I wasn’t feeling it and chickened out. I’ve watched a few YouTube videos and most people are taking a hard left after the entrance, going as far as they can in that direction, side slipping a bit, then cutting back right to go straight across the steepest part ?

Theres a big rock to the left that right now is easily skied around.

 

[SLyardsale]

wowsa

 

[AdironRider]

Finally was able to make it up to Jay, get my pass, and get to taste how great of a winter it has been so far.

All I have to say is anyone doubting Jay's snowfall this year clearly hasn't been. 100 percent open and conditions are all time. Even Upper Northwest Passage is open and skiing well.

 

[crippity]

Rolled into stateside yesterday with major angst as it was 840 and last year when i arrived that late on a friday it was blocked out. Yesterday, no problem, crowds minimal with walk on bonny and jet all day. A surprise 2-4 fell night before and the jay cloud is real right now. Mindblowing conditions for mid dec. entire mtn in play. Flyer being down is almost bonus as minimal hike gets you to everything on that side and stayed soooo fresh. ended the day with a tram ride as my son and his friend had never been. at 240 it was still a 30 minute ride, i really have no idea why anyone waits for that for the casuual skier.

 

[AdironRider]

Rolled into stateside yesterday with major angst as it was 840 and last year when i arrived that late on a friday it was blocked out. Yesterday, no problem, crowds minimal with walk on bonny and jet all day. A surprise 2-4 fell night before and the jay cloud is real right now. Mindblowing conditions for mid dec. entire mtn in play. Flyer being down is almost bonus as minimal hike gets you to everything on that side and stayed soooo fresh. ended the day with a tram ride as my son and his friend had never been. at 240 it was still a 30 minute ride, i really have no idea why anyone waits for that for the casuual skier.

Notably when you can hike to the summit from the top of the Bonnie in like 20 minutes.

 

[urungus]

Finally was able to make it up to Jay, get my pass, and get to taste how great of a winter it has been so far.

All I have to say is anyone doubting Jay's snowfall this year clearly hasn't been. 100 percent open and conditions are all time. Even Upper Northwest Passage is open and skiing well.

A few photos from Northwest Passage yesterday









Even with the current stellar conditions, this section still has ‘chocolate chips’ … never seen it fully covered

 

[urungus]

Notably when you can hike to the summit from the top of the Bonnie in like 20 minutes.

If the wait for the tram is 30 minutes like crippity said, are you really saving any time ? Even if you assume zero wait for Bonnie, the Bonnie Quad is slower than the tram and you have to take time to put on and remove your skins.

 

[AdironRider]

I just walk up. Its a low angle blue the whole way. I tend to prefer it actually because its cold as hell just standing waiting for a tram for 30 minutes.

And yeah, Northwest is going to have a few rocks poking out. That's part of the fun, but if this winter keeps on rolling, we might actually get to see it covered. I'm not sure it ever opened for more than a few hours last year, so we got a shot.

 

[1dog]

I just walk up. Its a low angle blue the whole way. I tend to prefer it actually because its cold as hell just standing waiting for a tram for 30 minutes.

And yeah, Northwest is going to have a few rocks poking out. That's part of the fun, but if this winter keeps on rolling, we might actually get to see it covered. I'm not sure it ever opened for more than a few hours last year, so we got a shot.

and from the downhill view- you wouldn't see most ( if not any) chips. Skied trees all dat yesterday- as fine a day as can be had- few places still unbroken from previous snowfall- and no snowsnakes that I found. Timbuktu skied in but far skier right- yes slightly beyond boundary- was really good. Kitz Woods- heck, it was all good even with just Jet chair. No complaints 9-3:30 no line after lunch. But its good to tell everyone they bloviate- keeps people away. . .