Resorts & Mountains > Jay Peak
This morning I had the opportunity to enjoy a sunny ski morning at Jay Peak Resort.
When I got out of my car, the wind whipped through the parking lot and I decided it would be prudent to throw on an extra layer. This layer would come in handy on the Green Mountain Flyer, which always seems to be blasted with wind at the top.
But by the time I hit the entrance to the glades, I had been warmed up by playing in soft powder on the sides of the trails. Then, there were some very nice powder...[Read more]
Friday, February 5, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak
Well surprise, surprise! Northern Vermont ski resorts are reporting up to 12 inches of snow has fallen on their slopes in the last 24 hours. Yippee!
We knew there was going to be light snow this week, but this is much more than expected.
Thank you, Mother Nature, for exceeding our expectations on this one!
Check out Vermont ski resort conditions here.
Photo courtesy of Jay Peak Resort.[Read more]
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
Vermont ski resorts are reporting a couple of inches of new snow this morning — with the snow continuing today in many places.
At the stake at the top of Mt. Mansfield yesterday afternoon, there was a total of 26 inches of snow. I'd expect that there are a couple more inches this morning.
Here are a few morning totals thus far:Bolton - 2 inchesBurke - 3 inches Jay Peak - 3 inchesKillington - 2 inchesSmugglers - 4 inchesStratton - 1 inchSugarbush - 1 inch
Check the snow reports links...[Read more]
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stratton, Sugarbush
As if trying to make up for the tropical weather we experienced in November, Old Man Winter is really putting the chill on this week. It will be cold again tomorrow but I'm hoping to get out in the snow for a bit. I'll do some kind of nordic to keep the blood flowing; probably backcountry skiing.
The cold temperatures have made for light, fluffy overnight snowfalls. The kind of snow that you can blow off your car with sheer lung power. This morning Vermont ski areas were reporting between one...[Read more]
Thursday, December 17, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Okemo
We're off and skiing in Vermont!
Have you hit the slopes yet? I plan to go on Tuesday; I'll be sure to let you know how it is. It's nice to see that occasional snow is in Vermont's forecast this week, as well.
This past weekend you could choose between Killington, Jay Peak, Okemo, Stowe and Sugarbush. Mount Snow opened today with a line of people waiting for their first lift ride, and Stratton and Smugglers' are opening Tuesday. More resorts are slated to open this coming weekend. Check my...[Read more]
Monday, December 7, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Catamount Trail, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Stowe, Sugarbush
Now this is more like it.
I'd like to welcome winter to Vermont. Oh, how we've missed you!
This morning Vermont ski resorts are celebrating new snow and the return of seasonably cold temperatures on their peaks. The word is that the new snow is heavy and wet, but that sounds like the start of a great base to me.
The resorts are also reporting that snowmaking is underway again as temperatures have dropped. Several resorts are targeting to open their lifts by the weekend of December 5....[Read more]
Saturday, November 28, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
I received a list of Vermont ski resort opening dates in my email, as reported by Ski Vermont. Of course, these may change, depending on the weather.
As you may know, Colorado's Loveland Ski Area was the first to open in the country. They loaded their lifts with skiers for the first time on Wednesday, October 7. (Can you believe it?) It was their earliest opening in 40 years. We're closing in on the 2009/2010 ski season, folks!
Updated 12/19/09 - Check resort Web sites for the very...[Read more]
Friday, October 9, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bromley, Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Magic, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch
The rumors are true; we've had our first snowflakes fall on Vermont mountaintops!
Twitter and Facebook are all a-twitter with excited skiers commenting on photos from their favorite Vermont ski resorts. Here are links to a few photos to get you psyched up, too.
Smugglers' Notch first snowJay PeakMad River GlenStowe snowKillington (video)
Remember, there are more ski swaps this weekend. See my Vermont ski swap post for the schedule.
Photo courtesy of Jay Peak Ski Resort.[Read more]
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Smugglers' Notch
We've hit a spell of cool, fall-like weather here in Vermont. Gets you in the mood for what's to come!
While I've been concentrating on passing along any info I get on on-mountain / skiing improvements at Vermont ski resorts, the Rutland Herald earlier this month spoke with the Vermont Ski Areas Association and some of the resort operators to file this news report.
The Herald reports that capital spending at resorts is down this year, not an unlikely thing considering the way the economy has...[Read more]
Thursday, August 27, 2009
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Filed in: Jay Peak, Resort improvements, Stowe
I’m sitting at my computer in a tank top and shorts, sipping a half-and-half (half lemonade and half iced tea). At the same time I’m fretting over the upcoming deadlines for season pass discounts and frequent skier programs at Vermont ski resorts.
This summer has zoomed by much too fast, and now we’re already planning our ski season. It’s a darn good thing that I love winter!
Many Vermont ski resorts offer the best deals on season passes and ski discount programs in the early fall –...[Read more]
Thursday, August 13, 2009
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
It may be springtime, but they're still churning out skiing news on the Internet.
In late April, the nefarious Big Jay trail cutters were sentenced.
According to the Burlington Free Press:
"Paul Poulin, 48, of Derby Line, and Alan Ritter, 47, of Jay pleaded no contest in Vermont District Court in Newport to felony charges of unlawful mischief.
The two received suspended terms of 18 to 36 months. They will serve 60 days with a pre-approved furlough community restitution program, to begin...[Read more]
Friday, May 8, 2009
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Filed in: Backcountry skiing, Jay Peak
Here's the latest on late-spring skiing in Vermont. The resorts are the usual suspects at this time of year...
Killington is still open. They hope to ski into May.
Stowe is open until Sunday, April 19, which is the Stowe - Vermont Food Bank day. Bring at least two non-perishable food items and ski for $35.
Jay Peak is still in operation. They have pond skimming this weekend.
Sugarbush plans to stay open through Sunday, April 26. Depending on snow and weather, they may re-open for May 2-3....[Read more]
Thursday, April 16, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Spring skiing, Stowe, Sugarbush
Mother Nature is not ready to let go of winter yet here in Vermont. On Saturday night and Sunday morning, northern and central Vermont ski resorts reported about 7 inches of new snow. For some resorts, such as Bolton Valley, this snow came in time for their final day of operation for this ski season.
Stowe, Jay Peak and Sugarbush ski resorts all reported about 7 inches in the last 48 hours. This morning Sugarbush encouraged skiers to hit the trails early today because "immature snow" (aka...[Read more]
Monday, April 6, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Okemo, Spring skiing, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush
Believe it or not, many Vermont resorts picked up a few inches of snow early this week. I skied in it a bit late Thursday afternoon in the Bolton Valley backcountry trails.
With the warm temperatures and sunshine we have been having it was like skiing through sticky mashed potatoes. But there continues to be a lot of snow in the woods at this higher elevation and we had fun making the most of it. Although, we had to cross a stream to finish our descent on Gardner's Lane. There's a lot of...[Read more]
Friday, April 3, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Ascutney, Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch, Spring skiing
OK folks, while our economic recession is still trying to find its bottom, here in Vermont we're in a rebound of sorts. After a warm-up around Christmas time, we've cooled off and enjoyed some significant snowfall. The base is growing and that makes me forget about the year-end retirement account report I received in the mail today. Well, mostly anyways.The word on the street points toward a bullish recovery:
51 inches of snow at the stake near the top of Mt. MansfieldAt Killington: 12 inches...[Read more]
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Bolton Valley, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Mansfield, Stowe
This week the temperatures have been dropping, making for some great snowmaking weather and natural flakes falling from the sky.
The temperature in Jericho, Vermont, has dropped to 10 degrees (F) today from a high of 56 degrees three days ago! The northern mountains here in Vermont received varying amounts of new snow. Jay Peak Resort reports they have received 9 inches in the last 48 hours while further south, Bolton Valley is reporting 3 inches of new snow. Mad River Glen is waiting for a...[Read more]
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Smugglers' Notch
The world is looking pretty white today. Ain't it grand?
Jay Peak ski resort is reporting 24 inches of snow in the last two days. Exaggeration? Not sure. I plan on hitting the snow tomorrow, when it will be downright chilly!
Down at Okemo, they reported that they lost power during the “Great Sleet Storm of 2008.” I hear it's a real mess in parts of New Hampshire. Lots of people without power because of ice.
Here's a timely snow video from a Vermonter who was on Church Street in Burlington...[Read more]
Friday, December 12, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Okemo
Ah, the little white flakes are making their first appearance here in the Champlain Valley of Vermont. It is just flurrying here, but the snow is sticking a bit in the higher elevations. Vermont mountains saw a bit of snow earlier this month, too.
The Burlington Free Press reports that some northern Vermont towns have accumulations of an inch or less. East Albany reported one inch of snow and North Underhill and Eden each reported 0.6 inches, according to the National Weather Service....[Read more]
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Jay Peak
Did you know Vermont has more colleges per capita than any other state? It's true. And all those students are now cramming for one of the most important assignments they will have this year: selecting a season pass from a range of college ski pass deals.
Here in northern Vermont, St. Michael's College students actually receive season passes to Smugglers' Notch as part of their tuition packages. Regularly Smuggs sells its college passes for $319.Champlain College provides full-time students "in...[Read more]
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
Ski Vermont, an advocate for the Green Mountain State's ski industry, is offering a limited number of Ski Vermont 3 Passes and Ski Vermont 5 Passes for the coming ski season.
I've never bought one, but here's the scoop: You can purchase this pass now and ski at three different Vermont resorts during non-peak days this winter. The participating ski resorts are: Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Bromley, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Magic Mountain, Middlebury Snow Bowl, Mount Snow, Okemo,...[Read more]
Thursday, October 9, 2008
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Filed in: Ascutney, Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Killington, Mad River Glen, Okemo, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
What's the most common mistake out-of-state visitors make when planning ski trips to Vermont?
This is the question that Budget Travel magazine put to a Vermont guidebook author this month, and I have to say he had a decent answer.
"The biggest mistake people make is the head right to the 'biggest' mountains with the biggest names—especially Killington, Sugarbush, and Mount Snow. While those mountains have earned their reputation for some of the most exciting and difficult terrain in the...[Read more]
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Ascutney, Burke, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Smugglers' Notch, Sugarbush
Ah, nearly Labor Day. It's about time to lock in to the best deals available on season passes and skiing discount cards in Vermont.
The Skimeister and I are planning to ski around Vermont resorts and the backcountry a lot this winter, but we also want to ski Smugglers' Notch at least eight times or so, so we looked into the the Bash Badge Plus. The best price is had when you bag the badge before Labor Day.
This discount card allows the holder to buy $25 ski tickets during the season. The...[Read more]
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Cochran's, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Season pass, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe, Sugarbush
Interesting news, eh?
The Canadian owners of Jay Peak ski resort in northern Vermont have sold the four-season resort to a group of American investors. The investors include longtime Jay Peak president Bill Stenger.
Mont St. Sauveur International Inc., based in Québec, has owned Vermont's northernmost resort since 1978. The ski area is known for its high annual tallies of snowfall, challenging glade skiing, and for having the state's only aerial tram.
Mont St. Sauveur International owns six...[Read more]
Thursday, July 3, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak
"It's not quite over yet." So says Sugarbush ski resort, which will open up on Saturday so they can say that they skied into May. The same goes for Jay Peak resort. Both Vermont ski areas are running a lift and a couple of trails for a spring-skiing ticket price of $25.
Sugarbush will run the Super Bravo lift for skiing on the Valley House Traverse, Stein's Run and Coffee Run. They say that skiers may need to walk a bit at the end of Coffee Run to get back to the lift. They'll be serving up a...[Read more]
Friday, May 2, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Jay Peak, Spring skiing, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
If you still haven't got your fill of skiing this season, this is your last weekend to hit the slopes in Vermont. Ski Vermont reports that these areas remain open:
• Jay Peak - Open Sat & Sunday, 4/26 - 4/27 for intermediate and advanced skiers
• Mount Snow - Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 4/25 - 4/27
• Sugarbush - Open through Sunday, 4/27
Check for links to their springy snow reports and driving directions on the Vermont Ski Resorts and Snow Conditions page.
In my inbox this morning,...[Read more]
Friday, April 25, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Jay Peak, Mt. Snow, Spring skiing, Sugarbush, Ticket discounts
Corn snow and creamees in one day—now that's what I call heaven.
The Skimeister and I and three friends hit the slopes of Jay Peak in the northern reaches of Vermont for a fabulous day of spring skiing yesterday. This week's weather is amazing, so we all decided to play hooky and make the most of the incredible late-season snow cover.
The high-speed quad wasn't open, so we took a handful of runs off the tram, which normally has a long liftline during the season. Not so this week.
The views...[Read more]
Thursday, April 17, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Food, coffee & après, Jay Peak, Spring skiing, Ticket discounts
A short list of things that are 30 feet tall or long:
1. A 30-foot-tall scale model of the Sears Tower built with Jenga blocks at Northern Michigan University: faculty.nmu.edu/ims/sears1.htm
2. The meat-eating dinosaur called Torvosaurus cf. tanneri, a "Savage Lizard" found in western Colorado; 30 feet long, standing 8.5 feet tall at the hips, and tipping the scale at about 5,000 pounds:...[Read more]
Monday, April 14, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Backcountry skiing, Jay Peak, Spring skiing, Stowe, Ticket discounts
This morning I saw a moose! At first I thought it was a horse, but quickly I realized it was a large moose and he or she was on the move.
Now you might ask why this is so exciting. Well I didn't see the moose in the woods or along a dirt road. This guy was crossing the four lanes of Kennedy Drive in South Burlington!
For those of you familiar with South Burlington, Vt., you know that it is highly residential. There are nice small chunks of woods but really there are a lot of condos and...[Read more]
Thursday, April 10, 2008
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Filed in: Jay Peak, Spring skiing
Don't you love it when the National Weather Service reports:
...PERIODS OF MODERATE TO OCCASIONAL HEAVY SNOW EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTH COUNTRY...
It's been snowing this week and things are looking white and beautiful again in the Burlington, Vermont, area. The mountains have received several inches of snow over the last few days. Yee-hah!
Burke Mountain Resort sent out a Powder Alert on Wednesday, encouraging people to play hooky from work. Would have loved to, but...[Read more]
Thursday, February 7, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Burke, Catamount, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Ticket discounts
When you live in the north country, winter is something you embrace. This weekend in Stowe, Vt., they're doing just that with the Stowe Winter Carnival.
Some of the country’s best amateur and professional ice carvers create frozen masterpieces on Saturday, January 26. The nationally sanctioned competition is one of many activities during this annual celebration with roots back to 1922.
Yes, ice can be nice. The chopping, picking, chain sawing and creative blow torching goes on between 11 a.m....[Read more]
Friday, January 25, 2008
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Filed in: Food, coffee & après, Jay Peak, Smugglers' Notch, Stowe
If those twits at Heavenly, Vail and Beaver Creek send me one more e-mail ...
Their multimillion-dollar marketing machine keeps sending me mouth-watering photos of the three to 10 feet (that is not a typo) of snow that has piled up on their totally fabulous resorts in the last week. A photo in a Beaver Creek, Colo., e-mail even showed a skier (or what you could see of him) with a snorkel.
Please don't laugh, it just encourages them.
Normally, this would not phase me, but we've been...[Read more]
Friday, January 11, 2008
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Filed in: Alpine skiing, Bolton Valley, Burke, Catamount, Craftsbury, Cross-country skiing, Jay Peak, Mad River Glen, Stowe, Western skiing
'Twas the day before Thanksgiving, and all through the house, people were looking for their winter gear, and starting to grouse.
OK, I've found my boot bag, long johns, hats and mittens, helmet, and even my balaklava. But where the heck is my ski jacket and ski pants? I'm going to need these things pronto!
There are at least seven ski resorts open in Vermont this weekend for early-season runs. And we've received natural snow in the mountains and even a bit down in the Banana Belt of...[Read more]
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
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Filed in: Fall & Early season, Jay Peak, Killington, Mt. Snow, Okemo, Stowe, Stratton, Sugarbush
One of the conundrums you face as a skier in northern Vermont is deciding where you purchase a season pass or discount card—or whether you do that at all. We have a bunch of ski resorts within an hour and a half from Burlington, Vt., plus an abundance of backcountry terrain that doesn't require a lift. What's a skier to do?
Part of the reason I stopped teaching skiing about six years ago was to allow myself the ability to enjoy several resorts each season—not just the one I was...[Read more]
Thursday, October 25, 2007
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Filed in: Bolton Valley, Jay Peak, Season pass, Stowe, Ticket discounts


