Ski Trip!

This past weekend the Ski Guru and a dozen or so friends gathered at Jay Peak, VT. We were very fortunate. Our planed trip coincided with the best conditions New England has seen so far this season. Started snowing up on the mountain Friday afternoon and by the time it tapered of to flurries Saturday night Jay Peak had received well over two feet of powder.

The snow that fell was of the highest quality. It was dry and light. Perfect for powder skiing. The weekend conditions as a result were absolutely pristine, could not have scripted it any better. Epic!

S.G. in some Pow Pow!

Like anything else in life there was a little luck involved. I booked our slopeside accommodations way back in early January. (The Village Condos at Jay are off the hook) Obviously, at the time no one had any way of knowing that Jay would also have their biggest storm of the season at the same time. But, I also felt confident that in early March there would be plenty of great skiing up there.
Our group did a fantastic job of condo management. We had a spare key hidden outside. Which allowed people to come and go from our home base as needed throughout the day. We did not over or under stock on food and beverages. We only left a little OJ and milk in the fridge (perfect). Sleeping arrangements worked out just fine; there were plenty of spots to land in the evening. The slopeside unit served us very well.
The Skiing
I can honestly state that I have not encountered snow of such a high caliber in New England in many seasons. The mountain was in phenomenal shape. Everything was open. POWDER galore! The wind was blowing, so lines were covered up only minutes after they were tracked. Of course certain exposed areas were windswept, but everything else was powder or soft semi-packed powder. It was a point’em and go weekend. I am totally skied out after four days in a row on the snow.
Andy in the trees, still dumping on Saturday

The Breakdown
Thursday Night: Left Boston around 7:30. Caught a ride with a friend, it is a long drive to make solo. Two stops, the first was to pick up my skis in Salem, NH. I dropped them of the weekend prior at the Ski Haus for a tune. The second was for dinner and gas in Lincoln, NH (approximately half way). Hit sporadic snow squalls in northern Vermont. We checked into the condo by 12:30, made good time with the stops.
Friday: Bitter Cold! I invoked the hand warmers for the first time since my trip earlier in the season to Montana. However, discounting the sub zero wind chills, it was an enjoyable day on the mountain. Skied with a friend that I had never made turns with before, we had a blast (and got blasted by the howling winds). Skiing is a great way to get to know someone; the chairlift creates a captive audience. Short lived day, as far as runs are concerned. I think we only managed five before succumbing to the temperatures. However, I had next three days already allocated to the slopes. No reason to push it out of the gate, especially with fresh snow in the forecast.
A solid group of Day Glo at the Tram Base

By 9:00 PM on Friday night it was absolutely dumping and had been for several hours. I was concerned about the folks that were on their respective ways up north to the mountain. Thankfully everyone that was expected arrive did, and without incident. After unpacking the cars we took the short ride down to Montgomery for some dinner at the Belfry (never disappoints). The ride home was tremendous. Our two car caravan was slowly winding its way through a solid six inches of powder on Route 242 (no chance without 4X4 or all wheel drive). We were all smiles; everyone knew what lay in wait for us tomorrow on the mountain.
Saturday: Morning, still snowing and blowing. We were out of the gate fast. Just a quick breakfast and it was go time. We knew from a phone call that the Tram and Flyer were both on wind hold (and remained that way all day) so it was a beeline to Bonaventure. Although not the best lift option at the ski area (fixed grip quad) it services some great terrain. The longer ride up was also a much needed rest for the legs later in the day. We hit everything we could get from the lift and more, absolutely skied our brains out. We managed the mountain well and accessed some of the terrain on the Flyer side with a little hiking uphill (a necessary lift ride on the Metro quad to get back). The snow over there was virtually untouched. It was invigorating. The snow was superb on the trails and in the trees. Plus, the Jay Cloud continued to puke snow all day, dropping at least another foot on top of the 14 inches plus already on the ground that morning.
The peak came out on Monday

Lights went out around 11:00 PM (very unusual for this group). We were all well aware of the secrets the mountain still held. Neither of the top lifts had opened and the wind was reallocating snow everywhere. The forecast for Sunday called for warmer temps and less wind. Game plan = hit the Flyer or Tram as soon as the opened on Sunday.
Sunday: Rise and shine! People sprang out of bed and then quickly realized that the muscles were still a little tight from the prior day on the mountain. No worries… Another quick breakfast and the group were ready to charge. We were on the mountain earlier than most and reaped the rewards of some fresh lines in deep snow. It was still blowing and snowing up top. This meant no Tram (all day), but the Flyer started to spin around 10:00 AM. We were keeping an eye on it from the trails we were skiing, once the chairs were on the cable, we made our way over.
The high traverse out to Beyond Beaver Pond

I will not lie to you; the Flyer was a bitter pill to swallow if you do not like extreme conditions. About ¾ of the way into the ride the lift brings you over a ridge and you are utterly exposed to the elements. Sunday those included 35+ mph winds that were driving snow. Personally, I love this stuff. The terrain we got accessed from the Flyer was as equally tremendous as everything else we had been on. The snow was DEEP everywhere. The Flyer is a detachable high speed quad which allowed us to drop the hammer and get our vertical feet in fast. It was exhausting. There is no better feeling than being worn out physically from skiing powder all day.
Sunday night we lost some of the group, cutting our numbers down to six. The stragglers decided against going out on the town. We were all thinking the same thing. Weather reports for sunshine, warmer temps and much less wind on tap for Monday. We had the Tram and the untouched goods off of Peak in our sights. It was going to be another early start.
This group was top notch and settling into the condo by the fireplace was not exactly going to cut it… So, to pass the time (and get outside) we borrowed some sleds from the base lodge ($5 deposit) and hit the Racoon Run trail right outside our condo. Mind you these are the common garden variety sleds, hard red plastic. We also had a system (the brain child of hundreds of thousands of dollars of formal education). Four sleds + six people + one pickup truck + a few adult beverages = dozens of sled runs with a vehicle waiting to bring you back up the hill. We alternated turns piloting the truck; those who finished third and forth each run down were rewarded with driving duty. It was a dark and high speed (anything goes, Chinese style) four person event form the top of the run to the bottom (estimated 300 vertical feet & at least a half mile long). Racoon Run is a learning area that also has a double chair on it, which services the Village Condominiums. On skis during the day there is nothing special about the run. On a sled at night it becomes expert terrain. We were flying! It was intense; this was the best sledding I have ever done in my life.
The starting line

Monday: The morning came fast. Always does. The landing gear came down even earlier on Sunday night than it did on Saturday. For the first time in four days the sun was shining and the tall hardwoods seen from the windows of the condo were not swaying in the wind. This was it! Midweek skiing and the Tram will run. Needless to say, AWESOME! The mountain was spectacular! Tons of powder up top and it felt downright tropical compared to the previous days. The snow surface was mint, groomed to perfection in places and windblown fresh in others. Skiing was majestic. By noon my body was shot. Four days of charging logged into the books. Great turns galore…
Lucas at the Top of Green Beret
The ride home was mellow and uneventful. Four and a half hours with a couple stops for gas and lunch.
The old English proverb: All good things must to come to an end. Held true in this case, it was tough to leave. But the adult lives we all lead sent us on our separate ways. Everyone in this group loves skiing. We just experienced the best conditions anywhere in New England to date this season.
If you want to plan a long ski weekend in New England put Jay Peak Resort into the equation. The extra drive time is negligible compared to the snow bonus, which is the reward. To get there you take all highways from the Hub except for a half hour or so heading west from Interstate 91 to the mountain.
Think cold air and snow!
photos ~ S.G.
Me, hamminng it up in the trees