Day number nine for the season and my first December ski day was rather depressing yet filled with optimism. For every negative aspect of the afternoon, I was able to come away with a juxtaposed positive. The same lift and same trail as the previous week was open today with slightly less coverage but better snow conditions and less quality deterioration. The previous week saw The Jet open edge to edge for the most part with moguls and natural features under the Jet Triple Chair featuring soft loose snow. However, today there was no snow under the lift forcing a higher volume of sliders onto a smaller patch of snow.
Despite marginal and variable conditions ranging from scraped to soft piles to soft bumps to good cruising packed powder, conditions deteriorated much slower than the previous week. The Jet Triple was ski on all morning which would suggest low crowds, but even with ski on lifts, with only trail to choose from, The Jet quickly was over run with too many skiers. I was not happy with the lack of elbow room. Many skiers and riders were borderline out of control and the occasional slider crossed well passed the control line. One humerus incident involved a snow blader that slid face first down two hundred feet of The Jet.
Seeing snow guns firing on Lower Haynes and the connector trails towards Tramside was a welcome sight. Additionally, Jay Peak was caked with two inches of white stuff from the snow Saturday night. With cold air finally taking hold in New England and snow in the forecast, things are finally looking up in New England. After one of the worst early seasons in modern New England ski history, it is safe to say that the season has finally begun in earnest.