thesnowway.com

Internet forums have been buzzing with chatter regarding the recent closure of Big Jay and the need for organization within the eastern backcountry community. The Big Jay cut and subsequent closure has been a catalyst for discussion on an issue that most skiers and riders would have dismissed out of hand previously. Organization could lead to public knowledge of hidden stashes and a reduction of cutting illegal lines. But it could also pave the way for legitimizing eastern backcountry/sidecountry tree skiing and allow for legal maintenance of official trees and perhaps some new lines to be cut legally.

Here are links to online forums that have sprouted discussion of the Big Jay issue along with discussion about the legality of tree lines and backcountry organization in general. Interestingly enough, almost without exception the entire skiing community (both backcountry and lift serviced) have come out strongly against the illegal cut (even those backcountry skiers that partake in skiing glades thinned out illegally). Green Mountain Club and the State of Vermont should take note that extremely few skiers and riders think this scar is a good thing. The threads from Time For Tuckerman and Telemark Talk entitled “BC Access…. Is this the time to organize in the Northeast?” are especially insightful.

AlpineZone.com Forums

• Can you “own” a line cut at the area?
• backcountry users beware!!
• Big Jay access closed from Jay Peak
• From KZone: Guerilla Trailblazers Arrested
• Benefit Film Showing of “PW07” in Boston

First Tracks!! Online Ski Magazine

• Jay Peak 12/15/07

NELSAP Discussion on Snow Journal

• State Restricts Access to Big Jay
• More Jay Illegal Cut News
• Jay Cut Update 10/10/07
• Pictures - Big Jay Illegal Cut
• Trailblazers Arrested at Jay

SkiVT-L

• Big Jay Access Closed from Jay Peak
• Enforcing Big Jay Closure
• winter impact… Re: Enforcing Big Jay Closure
• Re: Jailhouse Chute?
• Jail time for Jay cutters?
• illegal trail at Jay Peak
• BJ Massacre
• One honkin’ big pruning job

Telemark Talk

• Big Jay Closed from Jay Peak
• BC Access…. Is this the time to organize in the Northeast?
• 2 arrested cutting backcountry ski run
• PW07 Boston Raises $1500 for Big Jay Project!
• Big Jay update

Teton Gravity Research

• Big Jay closed from Jay Peak
• east coast backcountry users beware!!!
• Busted cutting trails in VT

Time for Tuckerman

• State To Restrict Skier Access to Big Jay.
• BC Access…. Is this the time to organize in the Northeast?
• Benefit Showing of PW07, Oct 17th
• busted secret stash…

The County Courier has posted an article by Jedd Kettler detailing discussion during the Big Jay Access meeting this past Saturday at the Stateside Lodge of Jay Peak Resort. The article includes pictures of the cut taken by the Green Mountain Club and a photo of the roped off Saddle trail that leads from Jay Peak to Big Jay.

The article features many quotes from both Jonathan Wood and Ben Rose as well as responses from the audience. Many of the direct quotes speak to the issues raised in TheSnowWay.com’s report from the meeting. There has been no follow up from Jonathan Wood or Ben Rose concerning the excellent points and valid alternatives discussed during the meeting.

• County Courier Article: Big Jay backwoods closure irks skiers

The Caledonian-Record has reported on the Big Jay access issue. Nothing note worthy that has not already been covered. Names of the two over zealous wood chucks charged with felony unlawful mischief are provided. The article makes note of the meeting held this past Saturday to explain the decision to the community and answer questions.

• Caledonian-Record Article: Vermont To Restrict Skier Access To Big Jay Mountain

A public forum was held at the Stateside Lodge of Jay Peak Resort on Saturday December 15, 2007 regarding restricted skier access to Big Jay. The decision to restrict skier access to Big Jay during the current ski season was made by a panel of organizations and managers including the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the Green Mountain Club, and Jay Peak Resort who were all represented at the meeting. Commissioner Jonathan Wood of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation conducting the meeting with assistance from Ben Rose, executive director of the Green Mountain Club. Jay Peak Resort President Bill Steiger represented the ski area showing strong support for the action. Approximately seventy-five to one hundred people attended the meeting including backcountry skiers, Green Mountain Club members, locals, Jay Peak Ski Patrollers, and Jay Peak Resort employees.

The meeting began with opening comments from Jonathan Wood who stressed the importance of sharing view points without criticizing the opinions of other people. Wood presented background information on Big Jay including a historical perspective about how how the state acquired Big Jay and integrated the mountain in the Jay State Forest. Details about the Green Mountain Club easement were also covered with assistance from Ben Rose. Another Green Mountain Club representative provided a multimedia presentation showing a variety of photos detailing not just the destruction involving “The Scar” (as the illegal cut was called) but also extensive thinning and cutting else where on Big Jay. The presentation concluded with a description and photographs of the trail work conducted in October shortly before the ski season began.

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A meeting to address restricted access of Big Jay has been announced for Saturday December 15th. The meeting will begin at 4:30 P.M. in the Stateside Lodge of Jay Peak Resort. Representatives from Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the Green Mountain Cub, and Jay Peak Resort will be on hand to review the access restriction and answer questions. Access will be restricted this season from Jay Peak Resort via the Saddle. Skiers can still earn turns by skiing or hiking up Big Jay from Route 242.

• Burlington Free Press Article: Access to Big Jay focus of upcoming meeting

Press Release from the State of Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources:

State To Restrict Skier Access to Big Jay

Action comes in response to illegal trail cut; public meeting planned for Saturday

WATERBURY, Vt. – The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, in cooperation with The Green Mountain Club, Jay Peak Ski Resort, and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board will be restricting winter access to Big Jay from the Jay Peak Ski Area for the 2007-2008 ski season. This action comes in response to an illegal ski trail that was cut on Big Jay this summer.

Officials will be holding a public meeting at Jay Peak Resort on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 4:30 p.m., to explain this action and to answer questions from the public. The meeting will be held in the “Stateside Base Lodge” building at Jay Peak Resort.

Big Jay is the highest peak in the Green Mountains without a maintained trail system. This property was acquired in 1993 by the State with the assistance of The Green Mountain Club and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to protect the Long Trail and important natural habitat. Big Jay is part of Jay State Forest and is a popular location for backcountry skiing. Though adjacent to the Jay Peak Ski Area, Big Jay is not within and is not serviced by the ski area.

In July of this year, the Green Mountain Club received a call from a tram operator at Jay Peak Ski Area, who reported that a large swath of trees had apparently been cut at Big Jay.

In following up on this report, it was determined the illegal ski trail was more than 2,000 feet long and up to 60 feet wide and that nearly 1,000 trees had been cut. The alleged perpetrators have subsequently been arrested for the trail-cutting and are currently awaiting trial.

“While we have been concerned about some light cutting in the past by backcountry skiers and riders at Big Jay, this new cut goes way beyond that and poses significant environmental and safety concerns,” says Jonathan Wood, Commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “We feel it is necessary to keep people off the illegally cut trail, for their own safety as well as to allow for restoration to occur.”

While skiers and riders will not be permitted on the illegal trail and will not be allowed to access Big Jay directly from Jay Peak Resort, backcountry enthusiasts can still skin in or snowshoe up into Big Jay from Route 242 and ski or ride down. However, the cutting of any vegetation in this area whatsoever will not be permitted and will be strictly enforced.

Saturday’s meeting at Jay Peak Resort will provide an opportunity for the public to hear more about this issue. Questions or comments can be directed to State Lands Director Mike Fraysier, VT Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, 103 South Main St., Waterbury, VT 05671; phone: (802) 241-3682, email: mike.fraysier@state.vt.us.

Backcountry skiers have rallied behind restoration efforts for Big Jay. A Green Mountain Club Press Release specifies that the Backcountry population has voiced their disdain concerning the illegal cut on Big Jay. The community has incorporated educational and fund raising efforts into four events including three ski movie premiers. Backcountry ski volunteers assisted with a restoration project held on October 14th to install waterbars and other errosion prevention measures on the cut under the guidance of supervising ecologist Jeff Parsons.

The Green Mountain Club has formed a sub-committee of the GMC Stewardship Committee to address and advise on the issue. This latest Press Release from the Green Mountain Club suggests that the cut was done using chainsaws and the width of the cut ranges from 20 to 60 feet throughout the entire length. The Green Mountain Club is calling the cut the “worst easement violation in the history of GMC’s Land Protection Program.”

Green Mountain Club Press Release: Trees Illegally Cut on Public Land at Big Jay

The Green Mountain Club is encouraging and requesting donations specifically to support the organization’s stewardship program. A press release linked to the Big Jay cut cites the need to raise $50,000 in the coming months for land preservation and stewardship. Green Mountain Club Stewardship Coordinator Rebecca Washburn estimates that almost 1,000 trees were cut on a swath that measures 900 vertical feet up to 60 feet wide.

Green Mountain Club Press Release: Support Restoration of Big Jay

WCAX is reporting Alan Ritter appeared at a status conference today regarding the legal proceedings. Paul Poulin was not at the conference in Newport, VT. The article suggests that both alleged cutters confessed to game wardens about the destruction of state property after initially denying the charges. Both men have plead not guilty to the charges. The damage is estimated at $48,000 not including labor. The men face up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines if convicted.

• WCAX Article: Alleged Trail Blazers Hit a Road Block

WCAX has picked up an Associated Press report regarding the two men charged with cutting trees on Big Jay. According to the article, Paul Poulin and Alan Ritter pleaded not guilty to felony charges of destroying state property. The judge ordered both men to stay away from Big Jay during the pending phase of their case.

• WCAX Article: Accused ski trail vandals ordered to stay away from Big Jay

Burlington Free Press has posted an online multimedia report depicting the damage done on Big Jay. The photos presented show a cleared trail approximately twenty feet wide in most sections. Pictorial evidence suggests that the cutting was done using chainsaws. Stumps as large as a foot in diameter are presented in the presentation.

Burlington Free Press Multimedia Report on Big Jay 

The Times Argus is reporting that two men were arrested for allegedly cutting a trail on Big Jay to be used for downhill skiing. Big Jay is part of the Jay State Forest. Skiers from neighboring Jay Peak Resort regularly access Big Jay via a ridge connecting the two peaks. The two men local to the area are charged with destruction of state property which is a felony charge carrying a maximum sentence of $5,000 fine and five years in jail.

Times Argus Article