Big Jay
12.28.03 - It was 9pm Saturday night when Chaz first brought up the idea of an unprecedented December Big Jay run. But with 200” of snowfall this season and the best December in Jay Peak history, the quintessential back-country experience in the Jay area at least warranted an investigation. By 10am Sunday morning we were in line for the tram and highly enthusiastic about the adventure ahead. Temperatures in the mid to high 30’s, gear on our backs, and thoughts of previous Big Jay mistakes and triumphs clouded our minds while the tram brought us to “Elevation 4000’”.
Upon exiting the tram house, we took a few minutes to analyze the intended ski paths and mentally paint the Big Jay mountainside in our heads. A nice ski down, a decent boot-pack up, and one hour later we were standing on top putting our canvass memories to the test. After a few tricky turns off the summit, our core group of four spread out to look for indications of heading in the right direction. The rising temps turned the snow from powder to ice cream to mashed potatoes but it remained soft as we linked 2 or 3 turns in search of the main chute.
300 feet down the trees began to open up giving way to miniature, untouched snowfields. The 2 or 3 turns we were linking at the top were now 6 to 10. Ski alleys 15’ wide and 40’ long opened and closed and with a quick line adjustment, the next section of snow revealed itself. With the backside of Jay and the ridgeline to Big Jay in our peripheral vision, one could sense the end of the run as the pitch faded down into the forest below. The snow continued to gain water and weight as the run planed out. Our legs burned beyond control while aiming our skis out of the valley floor back towards the road and any more turning was nearly impossible.
The cross-country sludge back to 242 was the hardest of any I’ve done. The threesome who’d shared the main chute with me took off blindly into the thick and flat valley as I caught the higher traverse line. The wet slop beneath my boards prevented a quick escape but I was thankful for my poles as I passed Chaz and his posse of snowboarders. Arriving at the planned exit point drenched in sweat and done for the day, I spent the next 30 minutes waiting for the others and planning my next Big Jay adventure.
~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...