The 2006-2007 installment of the “One run for the Price of None Tour” has begun! One week after a freak snow storm buried Buffalo under a few feet of snow during mid-October, an unrelated storm system slammed into New England bringing heavy rains and cold temperatures. I found myself scrambling to get to the ski shop to pick up my skis and boots Friday night as thunder, lightning, high winds, and heavy rains began. The Northern Greens were about to hit an October jackpot.
Reports coming in the previous night indicated most areas between Mansfield and Jay likely had received a similar amount of snow. Jay Peak was the closest and most accessible option and thus my destination. Friday night, I walked through my “night before” ritual as if the past four months off season had never happened.
The drive to Jay was much as I had expected. Almost no snow with exception of the high point of I-91 North which provided excellent visual stimulation with trace snow and caked trees. Even Troy, VT was completely without snow cover. But sure enough, the snow began just after turning onto Route 242 and increasing steadily as I ascended to the Stateside Lot of Jay Peak.
The wind was driving hard at the Stateside Lodge. Jay Peak Ski Patrol were assembling for a refresher and would not be partaking in the festivities. I wasted no time in booting and gearing up, clicking in, and beginning my skin. I opted for Paradise Meadows to Northway to Vermonter for my skin track to the summit. Not long after beginning the skin up Paradise Meadows, I realized my fear that I was horribly out of shape was to be proved true. No shame in sucking wind hard on the first skin of the year!
Snow depth was variable throughout the skin, but was generally a solid 5″ of consolidated moist and wind blown snow. Impressive considering the ground was not frozen! Vermonter featured much deeper snow depth with an average of approximately 8″ with deeper drifts and occasional exposed rock. The cover was excellent and promised worry free turns. Snow consistency on Vermonter was an interesting mix of mostly wind blown pack with a light layer of deceptive fluff on top. Yum.
After a brief stay at the Summit, I changed over to downhill mode, clicked in, and took my first turns of the 2006-2007 Ski Season. And I took my first falls of the 2006-2007 Ski Season as well! To say the snow was variable would be a huge understatement. After a few over the handle bar styled double ejections, I finally settled into a grove towards the bottom of Vermonter. The run out back to the Stateside Lodge from Vermonter would be fairly flat and boring, so at the bottom of Vermonter, I opted to re-skin and ascend to the top of The Jet Triple and see what snow the Stateside area held.
The skin up Montrealer to the top of The Jet was short and sweet. The wind was still howling but visibility was improving near the top of The Jet. The sun was also making more of an impact with warming which was not an issue on Vermonter. I decided either Haynes or Derick were the best options and I decided to give Haynes the rip due to less traversing back to the Stateside Lodge. The top section of Haynes was rather wind buffed making for some rather desperate turns. But halfway down Haynes I found a rhythm on better quality snow and enjoyed some fine turns. To avoid the traverse at the bottom of The Jet area, I opted to take Heaven’s Road back to Paradise Meadows to get back to the Stateside Lodge.