Jay
For the record.
Category: Vermont
Legendary: Jay
It was quite an unusual morning at Jay. There was no wind and the sun shined brightly. A warm light fell upon the Bonnie and Chair 50, recently painted black and emblazoned with a skull and cross bones plaque, dedicated to the legendary Michael Pfaff.
Pfaff is a reminder that anyone can make a profound difference in the lives of others. No one told him to put in the extra effort, he just did it. It is something that many of us aspire to, but few of us fully realize. It is something that is unique to legends.
Encouraging a legend to, quite literary, let their flag fly is a testament to the community and culture at Jay. The Bonnie was a special place to start a powder day. And due to the culture at Jay, it will continue to be so.
Jay: The North Way
Fair to say that I spent more time hiking than riding a lift today. Northway was the highway to untracked paradise. My touring rig was available if I decided to venture Tramside or to the summit. But with Can Am and River Quai skiing so well, why bother? A backpack and skins would just slow me down. The hikes were short, and the turns were deep.
Jay: Day Late, Fifty Cents Short
Work obligations prohibited me from making it to Jay before the warmup. Which is a pity, considering Jay had received over two feet of snow this past week. But in an ominous sign of things to come (three weeks in a row, now), mid-week powder is immediately followed by weekend warmups.
Around 8:00am, while driving north on I-91, I noted that the temperature at Sheffield Heights (similar vertical to Jay Peak’s base) was over 40 degrees. This was not going to be a powder day, warmer temps had arrived much sooner than I expected. True to its nature, an El Niño year means you have to be at the mountain immediately following a storm. Even more so than a normal year.
Those possessed by powder made the foolish decision to attack the natural snow trails, like U.N. Two feet of untracked mank was a poor option. The natural snow would ski better once it was worked over and tracked out. I wisely eyed a well groomed Jet and made laps on the groomer. Later, I would enjoy packed dense natural snow on U.N. and Kitz. Better than normal for this time of year, but a far cry from expected.
Jay: Nonroutine
At some point, ski seasons started becoming routine. Early season was commonplace and skiing before Thanksgiving was the expectation. Hike for natural snow turns and then upload on the Locke Triple when Sunday River opened. My posts at the time reflected a melancholy of going through the motions.
October 2018 was the last year I skied during October. Skiing before Thanksgiving has become more rare as climate change delays the first major snow event of the season. The early season players have not been as eager to blow early and have eliminated deals in favor of season pass sales.
It was not just the seasons that were changing, but also how I approached and thought about them. Perhaps I was changing more than the seasons themselves. And more change is coming this season. Even though the early season weather outlook has not improved, my relationship to the season has.
I am back at Jay with a season pass (with reciprocal at Ragged, for a close-to-home option). The mountain is covered in a firm and crusty snow (which will make an exceptional base layer if we can avoid melting).
Jay opened this weekend with the Jet groomed loose-granular and natural on UN, Haynes, and Derick. Haynes was rough, the bumps on UN were firm but appreciated.
Given the forecast, I expect rapid expansion next weekend. Count me in either way. Both for the season and for next weekend.