I’ve gone to bat numerous times for Jay Peak defending them against attacks of embellishing conditions and snow totals. I’ve actually cited Jay Peak for solid and reliable snow reporting accuracy and transparency. But I am no homer and when something is amiss, I am going to call it out. It is time to unveil the Truth in Snow Reporting category and Jay gets first crack at it (emphasis mine):
Sundays are often a day of rest, but not for the skier or rider. Instead, they come from miles away with snow in their cross-hairs, itching to get a taste of the most snow in Eastern North America. Speaking of snow, Mother Nature thought we could use some more, leaving us with 4-5” in the past 24hrs. Post storm powder can only mean one thing, free-refills. Get out there and discover your fresh line today.
Smuggs was my primary destination when I left home. But I left the option of an audible. So approaching the Vermont boarder, I pulled up the snow reports on my smartphone to see if Jay got enough to call an audible. Jay reported 4-5″ and Smuggs reported 1″ so I called the audible. 242 never showed signs of snow but sometimes it is localized to the mountain. Approaching the lodge, still nothing. Taking a leak before booting up, another disgruntled skier in the restroom questioned the snow total. Where is the new snow? Maybe it will be out there?
Nope. At least nothing fresh. I found extremely limited pockets while bushwhacking deep in off map trees where yesterday’s skiers didn’t quite get every last turn. There was barely an inch or less new since last chair yesterday. If I ain’t going to see fresh snow on first chair, that 4-5″ should be qualified as having fallen the previous morning. Refills and fresh lines shouldn’t be suggested, specifically when in the past 24 hours should be clarified, and you shouldn’t suggest mother nature left some more for the Sunday skiers. Most ski areas, I read between the lines. I haven’t had to do that in quite some time with Jay Peak. It appears I got too comfortable and even good reporters can have overly suggestive days.
Rant over. I was so tired this morning, I couldn’t hack it. Skiing through the trees, I wasn’t making good turns. Twice I accidentally dropped my pole, once at a stand still, suggesting a lack of motor coordination. Mentally, my mind was all over the road. I found my mind drifting while skiing through some tight trees. It wasn’t good. I tried going in for sugary snacks but it didn’t help.
The snow quality was actually incredible (despite the suggestive report that it would be even better)! It was buttery smooth where there was a coating of fresh and the snow underneath was soft packed powder. No need to exaggerate at all, this was superb conditions for Jay Peak on all trails including groomers. Wow! All trails and glades had super deep coverage and the mountain looked amazing for late March. With more cold weather sticking around this next week, look for Jay to enter April fully open with deep wall to wall coverage and excellent surface conditions.
I only took a few runs before deciding to call it a day before I hurt myself. My last run was Upper River to some off map mid-mountain trees. Both were sensational, especially skier’s right of Upper River below the cliffs. I just stood in the middle of the trail near the Metro Unload looking back up trying to summon the will and energy for another run or ten. But the exhaustion was too much. It didn’t feel natural and I couldn’t push past it. I was annoyed to have driven all that way for just a few runs with such nice conditions. But I would have been more annoyed if I hurt myself and ended my season.
11 thoughts on “Jay: Forgetting to Read Between the Lines”
Ha, excellent call-out. At least they didn’t use the word “hardscrabble.”
It would be interesting to read the TR of this day from the parallel universe where, without a smart phone, you just thought to yourself, “hmmm, Jay or Smuggs?” – flipped a coin and ended up at Jay.
I lived in that parallel universe until last spring. And only twice this season have I relied on my new mobile connectivity to make a call from the road. If I didn’t have the ability to check from the road, I was absolutely going to Smuggs. If there isn’t fresh powder and both mountains are fully open, I like Smuggs terrain more than Jay’s.
I was at Jay the first weekend in March and it was as you describe. Little or no fresh snow but great conditions in the tree. I don’t remember looking at a report as it was one of the pre-determined 2 for 1 days with the Ski and Ride card.
btw – You really must be tired. You wrote “audible” three sentences in a row. Just sounds redundant. You must have dropped your writing pole. I don’t mean to be critical – – well, maybe just a little.
Yea, I was shot when I got home too. Sad thing is that I proofed the article for at least 30 minutes before posting. But my mind was still fried. I normally catch two redundant words, no idea how I let three go. I’m writing like I did three years ago up there!
I never proof my blabberings – I treat them as spontaneous discussions. Yours however will live in infamy. 🙂
Anyways, it’s a damn shame you had to cut short some of the best skiing of the season. Glad you are in one piece. The smart wo/man knows when to call it quits.
Before the interweb, “snow phones” were the only info we got, and it was dubious at best. We mostly relied on friends who had been there in the last week or two. Between audibles and the ability to self-analyze the weather instantaneously, it’s a wonderful advantage.
When I’m destined to someplace cold, I always dial up the MRG snow phone. Eric is always great for a good laugh at 7am!
While today’s tech is great, one downside is everyone has access to it. Whereas a dozen years ago, if you had the inside line… you might have choice lines to yourself all day. The internet is the great leveler, we all have the same information in real time.
I used to call at lift ops at 6am for conditions. If anyone is going to give you it straight, it’s them. Nobody in management had any idea I was calling ops!
ha!
Ha! I should of known that Big Wave Burke, I mean Dave, would have a good laugh at this post. 🙂
no harm my friend, the place still rocks- will be there this weekend- I remember the days when Jay was honest and, to boot, it wasn’t “above treeline” either (its amazing how much thinning they have done to that summit, back in the ’80’s it was evergreen to just below the ridge). Ah the jaded eyes of an old man!
now it looks like Mansfield and they average 80″ inches more a year than they used to claim…..
I can’t speak to what they reported in the 80s, old man. But if you have mistaken Jay’s ridge for Mansfield’s ridge, your eye sight has clearly gone for good! The two are simply not comparable. 🙂