Category: 2007-2008 Season

2007-2008 Season, Jay Peak, November, Powder Day

Day Two of Amazing November Powder at Jay

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Best November Ever. Period.

Sunday continued where we left off on Saturday which was about boot deep in the trees. With only The Jet Triple turning again, the Stateside area was completely tracked out on both the open and closed trails. Conga lines formed to head for whiter pastures. The boot pack and skin track lines heading up Northway looked like a Highway to Heaven. It was no secret where the untracked powder was on the mountain but there was plenty to go around considering the length of time a round trip took.

Much to my chagrin, even Can Am and Upper River Quai had been significantly tracked out by my first run. However, I noticed that Vertigo had not a track. Obviously, the steep drop into the glade needed another foot or two to avoid bottoming out on the rocks and stumps that were hidden beneath the tempting white. Good thing for me that most people care about their ski bases!

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2007-2008 Season, Jay Peak, November, Powder Day, Video

Amazing Powder Day on Jay’s Opening Day of the Season

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It was not supposed to happen like this. Jay was supposed to open next week. If we were lucky, Jay would have had The Jet and Haynes covered with man made snow and groomed to less than desirable so called perfection. Instead, Jay got two feet of snow during the week before Thanksgiving and decided to open a week early. Thanks Jay!

The surreal feeling experienced while skiing through the trees during mid-November in what looks like and feels like mid-January conditions is not something I could ever get used to. Though I would certainly love to have enough such experiences that mid-November days become just as routine as the bi-weekly six inch refreshes that Jay usually receives during the winter.

Last week I ascended Jay Peak to the summit via earned turns on approximately 2-8″ of consolidated base depth. What remained of that initial shot of natural snow after the rains preceding this most recent storm is any ones guess. At the time of this writing, Jay has either under reported snow totals or have yet to find the magical “Jay Inch” measuring location. Sinking my pole more than halfway into the snow, many places in the trees were easily two or more feet deep. But the trees always receive blow in so that is not an accurate measurement. A more accurate measurement would be the minimum boot deep untracked found on the trails as the area opened for the first time this season.

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2007-2008 Season, Earned Turns, Jay Peak, November

Veteran’s Day Earned Turns at Jay Peak

Chipmunk on Jay Peak's Summit

Today was a sensational afternoon of turn earning at Jay Peak. Days such as today remind me that it often is all about “the tour, not the turns.” While the skiing was less than stellar, it was well worth the effort for the turns. But it was the other aspects of the tour that made the afternoon truly memorable. Having an overcast morning turn nearly bluebird, pushing past early season pains thereby miraculously inducing mid-season stamina, the crisp and cool air with just a hint of head wind, believing I had the summit all to myself only to be surprised to share the experience with a furry four legged creature. It was uplifting for both the emotions and the spirit.

When I arrived, snow guns were blasting up and down The Jet and Haynes. ample base had already been laid down around the Jet Triple Chair and Jay Peak looked nearly in opening day condition. A snow machine worked over the snow on lower Jet. I skinned directly from my car to Derrick Hot Shot which sported a few inches of natural covered by blown over man made from Haynes. Lots of tracks covered Derrick as it seemed to be a popular route of both ascent and descent. Base depths improved to well over half a foot by the mid-point and one foot deep near the top due to blow over. The whales on both Haynes and The Jet were substantial and should make for great wall to wall coverage for opening date which has been pushed up to next weekend!

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2007-2008 Season, November, Sunday River

Opening Weekend of the Season at Sunday River

Locke Triple Unload

Sunday River in Newry, Maine became the first ski area in the Northeast to open for the season this past Thursday November 8th, one day earlier than scheduled. The early November snow making push was rather surprising considering most resorts are eliminating many days of the “shoulder seasons.” However, two new players in the region, including Boyne and Peaks, seriously upped the ante. Sunday River and Sugarloaf of Boyne beat Mount Snow and Attittash to the punch, but just barely. Bretton Woods also opened this weekend servicing limited beginner terrain.

Last weekend saw TheSnowWay.com’s author skinning up Locke at Sunday River for two runs unassisted by lifts. Today marked the author’s third day of the season and first lift serviced day. Although I appreciated the repetitions and vertical assistance, turns last weekend were much more enjoyable due to no crowds and no snow guns. But for only $20.00 after a donation of three canned goods, I certainly was not going to look else where for turns, crowds be damned!

Sunday River essentially offered up three trails for sliding along with a connector linking the Barker Summit to Locke. Both the Barker Summit High Speed Quad and the Locke Mountain Triple were in operation with the Locke Mountain Triple allowing skiers to board at the mid-station. Upper Sunday Punch and T2 were open from the Locke Mountain Summit from which both trails dumped into Cascades to the base which featured a mini terrain park. Snow making was online on Upper Sunday Punch making for an unpleasant skiing experience despite the trail having the best snow conditions.

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2007-2008 Season, Earned Turns, November, Sunday River

Earned Turns at Sunday River

Steve at the Top of Locke

When American Ski Company dissolved and sold off its assets, no one could have predicted how many great things the new ownership would do in such a short period of time. Boyne USA Resorts stepped right up to the plate and began transforming its new Maine Resorts, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, from the neglected bastard childs of ASC to the impressive resorts they have the potential to be. Both Sunday River and Sugarloaf fired up snow making during the last week of October and Sunday River managed to open T2 on Halloween via uploading on Chair 4, thumbing its nose at the tight pockets of the former owners.

After this past Tuesday’s effort at Attitash, I was eager for some quality turns to make up for the desperate display of stupidity earlier in the week. With a planned opening date of November 9th and the snow making capability to do it, Sunday River is currently the early season leader to beat. The combination of less hiking and nearly enough snow to ski back to my car made Sunday River the obvious choice for turn earning instead of Killington.

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