Big Monday
12.08.03 - I was awake long before my alarm clock buzzed Monday morning. You don’t sleep too well knowing the biggest storm to hit Jay Peak in years had departed Vermont leaving a blanket of mother nature’s finest. 20”-30” had fallen according to the Jay website and the chairlift had not opened the day before due to high winds. All five of us loaded into my Explorer giddy with excitement and wondering what exactly we were in for at the mountain. I was blinded by sunlight as I turned onto Rt. 105. Reaching for my sunglasses for the first time in months it finally dawned on me that bluebird skies would be the backdrop for this epic powder day.
The First Chair Online magazine staff completely failed in its mission statement, we were on the 13th chair. Hearts pounding, adrenaline flowing, boots buckled, jackets zipped, helmets snug; we were definitely ready. In typical Jay Peak fashion, not making the coveted 1st chair made no difference. As the inhabitants of the 12 chairs ahead of us dropped out of sight down UN, Haynes, and Derrick’s Hotshot, we went straight to the early season holy land known as Timbuktu.
As I traversed the top line of the glade I realized my decision to take my powder skis to the mountain would prove to be a smart one. A seemingly frozen ocean of wind-drifted snow lay below. Some of the ‘waves’ were over four feet in height creating a pseudo-terrain park of ever changing features. And with one big breath and a “woo-hoo”, it began.
Fresh powder everywhere we turned. Some spots were a foot deep while others consumed us to our waists. With an average snow depth in the boot to knee range, negotiating the trees was like playing a video game. The automated speed control of the wind buffed powder below our boards allowed for the effortless ‘point and shoot’ attitude that is typical of a deep snow day. And the rare treat of first tracks made the four-hour wait from the day before nearly negligible.
Our group of 5 made three runs in Timbuktu before investigating the snowfall in Kitz Woods and Hells Woods. Approaching the entrance to Kitz, we could see people hiking for eventual turns on Power Line and Can Am. We can only guess that some lucky skier was treated to 3 feet of fresh in Staircase and Beyond. Alternating between Kitz /Hells and Timbuktu became the protocol for the day (no other formidable lifts were open) as we compiled over 4 non-stop hours of deep powder skiing.
The day ended as all powder days at Jay Peak should, with a ‘Dip’ run. Some of the deepest and fluffiest snow of the day was found on this adventure trek down to Rt. 242. Admittedly, we didn’t exactly navigate the forest right but that didn’t take away from the joy of the first of many bottomless days in the out-of-bounds ‘huck n’ duck’ playground of Jay Peak, Vermont. Winter 2003/2004 is officially on. We’ll see you in the liftline.
~BP
12.07.03 - Over the past 24 hours, the NOAA (www.noaa.gov) weather radio station forecasted 16"-24" of fresh snow for Jay Peak, VT. When we left for the Belfry early Saturday evening the snow was falling at 3" per hour. The anticipation of the following day's powder filled turns sent us to bed early and stoked...
10 Ideas to
Kick the Pre-Season Blues
11.22.03 - Jay Peak may open December 4, 5, or 6. This is what I read on the Jay website today. Last week President Bill told us we could get our boards ready to go right after we finished our turkey dinner, November 28th. And before that, we were promised we could hit the snow on the 22nd. And so goes the waiting game we play every season.
Skiing, more than any other sport, leaves it’s participants waiting for the coveted ‘Opening Day’. From watching the weather channel to bouncing from .com to .com, we attempt to guess when Mother Nature will start up her snowmaking guns...
Tech Tip #1: Pre-Season Tune-Up
11.01.03 - Many skiers and riders drastically underestimate the importance of tuning
their equipment. Maintaining gear not only improves your day on the mountain
but also goes a long way towards prolonging the life of your skis and snowboards.
Dull, rusty edges and dried-out bases cause sacrifices in speed and control,
which are essential to beginners, intermediates, and experts. This first edition
of Tech Tips offers preseason advice for tuning your equipment. I will provide
basic approaches to maintenance and things to keep in mind early in the year,
leaving in-depth tuning advice for later discussions...
Tenney Mountain Opens – October 4th
10.04.03
- Tenney Mountain promised an early opening to the 2003/2004-ski
season and on October 4th, they delivered. Breaking Killington's
41year history of providing the first turns of the east coast
ski season, Tenney hooked up 200 skiers and riders with spring
corn snow. Incorporating
state-of-the-art Japanese snowmaking technology into this mid-
New Hampshire ski mountain, owner-operator Dan Egan built a
terrain park
worthy of the jib scene that converged on it...
FC Magazine Launches Online Winter Home
09.01.03 - As we look past the fall season and start gearing up for another winter, we're excited to announce the launch of our new ski and ride website: 'First Chair - On Line Magazine' (http://www.firstchairmag.com). This site will actively serve as an on-line epicenter of the 2003 East Coast powder movement, which exists at Jay Peak, VT. Our Boston-based ski and ride brain trust developed this site as a definitive resource for a multimedia, interactive destination to prepare for, document, and remember the 03/04-winter season. Full completion is scheduled for Nov. 1st, ideally coinciding with the first turns of the season...