The Future of Jay Peak

[from_the_NEK]

I was just curious if anybody has any comments on the plans to expand Jay into the West Bowl. I have tried to map the trails as they appear on their Master Expansion Plan. However, I have no idea what trails are actually going to be glades and which ones are going to be open. I have purely guessed at this. I mapped the glades with a green cross hatch and the trails are white. I figure this expansion would nearly double the total in-bounds acerage of the resort as well as open up a LOT of side country opportunities off of North Jay.:grin:

See more in my gallery:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=587

 

[thetrailboss]

It's so funny to see people getting all amped about this...and yet they forget history because the Jay golf course was like 20 years in the making and STILL is not done. So I figure that if things continue, then there will be no West Bowl for like another 20 years. Gotta get all the hype we can get out of it :roll: Besides, they have to revamp some of the aging infrastructure like the Jet or Bonaventure Chairs....or at least they said they were going to do that and there was rumors that it was going to be this season. Nothing yet.....

 

[from_the_NEK]

It's so funny to see people getting all amped about this

I have to do something to keep my sanity in August and September.:flame:

 

[thetrailboss]

I have to do something to keep my sanity in August and September.:flame:

Oh no, I wasn't commenting on your thoughts...just in reference to previous discussions here and in other places and how some people get either :angry: or when discussing this. If anything, the whole thing is a marketing ploy. "Look at what we are going to do............someday................maybe............." and everyone then begins to :argue: and give Jay attention. Some folks are already buying condos, houses, and passes now...even before the thing is permitted.

So it is not "build it and they will come," it is "hype it and they will come." :roll:

 

[from_the_NEK]

It may be hype but it is still fun to think about :grin: . By the time it goes in I will probably be using a walker to get around ;-)

 

[from_the_NEK]

 

[thetrailboss]

It may be hype but it is still fun to think about :grin: . By the time it goes in I will probably be using a walker to get around ;-)

You and me both...

:wink:

It is fun to talk about, but I was just posting my observations on this whole thing. :wink:

 

[from_the_NEK]

I my opinion they really do need to expand in htat direction. The weekends are getting REALLY crowded at Jay and they need somewhere to go. The open trails already get wind scoured and upgrading lifts may just make the ice worse. Jay has a reputaion of powder to uphold. Expanding into the West Bowl would help. I forsee first two lifts, one to the southern sub summit of North Jay and the connector back to the top of the Flyer. The remaining two lifts and trails would then come later.

 

[kcyanks1]

I think Steve Wright said either last year in Jay's challenge or on Jay's message boards that the trail layout given in that picture isn't necessarily the way it will be. I hope that's the case also, because the layout shown looks kind of plain. It would be nice to have some windier trails in there.

 

[skibum9995]

It would be nice to have some windier trails in there.

I agree.

 

[salida]

I agree.

Concurred

I hope this wouldn't raise lift ticket prices!

 

[from_the_NEK]

Originally Posted by kcyanks1
It would be nice to have some windier trails in there.

Me 2.
I don't need any new trail networks that rival the individuality of Okemo and Stratton :wink:
The expansion plan looks to have just generallized lines located in the vicinity of each potential trail. There is definitely room for improvement in my interpretation. :idea: .

 

[from_the_NEK]

Dream senario:
Turn the entire bowl into a lift served glade. The only "open" runs back to the base are the lift lines. :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea:

 

[from_the_NEK]

BTW...
Jay Just put up their new winter website :-D

 

[skibum9995]

Dream senario:
Turn the entire bowl into a lift served glade. The only "open" runs back to the base are the lift lines. :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea:

That would be sweet. I think that having such a large gladed area would help a little in preventing some lines getting skied out so quickly.

 

[from_the_NEK]

You could make your own windy path down the mountain every time. No two runs would be the same :beer:
How come there's no drooling smilies?

 

[Birdman829]

I am a University of Vermont student who plans on becoming a Jay skier this year (hope to get 10 days or so). This expansion plan sounds to me like the legendary Sugarloaf plan to expand onto Burnt Mountain. That won't stop me from drooling though. *drools*

 

[riverc0il]

i don't really buy that this is hype. jay is not going to receive any additional ski visits this year for "saying" they are eventually going to build something down the road. no more than loon probably did when they first cut the west peak trails and then proceeded to wait 10 years (or was it more?) to get the official go ahead. every ski area does this and i don't see the harm in discussing hypothetical future lay outs, i don't see how from_the_NEK (or any one else on the forum) has amped this no more than burke's pending development has been amped nor any other expansion project in new england. people like discussing expansion, that's cool.

the problem i see with the above layout is the lift to trail ratio. that is a lot of liftage to be built with each lift not serving a ton of trails. that would increase the amount of lifts at jay by at least 50%. i would love to see a lift put up at the base of BPG to the ridge under the face, but kiss BPG good bye as a nice powder glade once that happens (not that it isn't on the radar already, but it is kinda out of the way, imo). the amount of tree skiing that would increase jays total tree acrage to is mind boggling and that terrain would look to solve one of jay's biggest problems: nice groomed cruiser runs for the intermediate, upper intermediate, and advanced slider.

all that side, i am still amazed jay wants to push ahead with this type of expansion. the obvious question to me is will jay's potential increase in ticket, pass, real estate, and package sales increase enough to justify a huge expansion? for such a venture to be financially worth while, one would expect that jay would profit enough from the expansion to pay for it in the long term and increase short term and long term profits substantially. i am not convinced an area so far off most people's maps could do that with such a huge investment in expansion. time will tell. as a jay peak skier, i certainly won't be complaining about any aspect of that expansion.

 

[NHpowderhound]

I'd like to see baby steps in the expansion. Before they even think about cutting more trails and building lifts they need to concentrate on the infrastructure to support it.

((*
*))NHPH

 

[thetrailboss]

i don't really buy that this is hype. jay is not going to receive any additional ski visits this year for "saying" they are eventually going to build something down the road. no more than loon probably did when they first cut the west peak trails and then proceeded to wait 10 years (or was it more?) to get the official go ahead. every ski area does this and i don't see the harm in discussing hypothetical future lay outs, i don't see how from_the_NEK (or any one else on the forum) has amped this no more than burke's pending development has been amped nor any other expansion project in new england. people like discussing expansion, that's cool.

In my experience, they used the golf course as a carrot to entice people to buy condos. This is more the same IMHO. They're trying to build a base and interest level to support the investment. Not a bad idea since most places try to put the cart in front of the horse.

Nothing wrong with talking about it, but I don't want people buying season passes, condos, etc. with the expectation that this is going to be happening anytime soon. You'd be surprised how many folks I have spoken with who are talking about their new Jay pass or condo because of this plan.

FWIW I was told in 2003 by a Jay "ambassador" that the expansion would be "starting this fall." Good thing to share with guests on a chairlift ride....

And I don't know why you think this place is off the radar...have you read SKI or SKIING lately? Listened to the radio? Jay is EVERYWHERE. And A LOT of people ski there...and know about it.