Author: Steve

2016-2017 Season, December, Jay Peak, Powder Day

Jay: Knee to Thigh Deep

Can Am

Despite Jay having ample snow to open 100% of its terrain, only the Jet spun today due to a variety of lift related issues. The tram had a cable issue and was undergoing repairs which took the Bonnie out of commission due to the overhanging cable. Adding insult to injury, the Freezer was awaiting an inspection before making its debut. Many people complained but they were looking a gift horse in the mouth. Today was not a day to complain that the lifts were down but rather to rejoice that only the Jet was spinning.

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2016-2017 Season, Cannon Mountain, November

Cannon: Gary’s, Rocket, & Zoomer

Gary's

Cannon showed off its snowmaking improvements during opening weekend. The new system has clearly allowed Cannon to shore up a critical shortcoming of the ski area. Cannon has always struggled to open terrain and connect its two lodges and summit building during the early season. When natural snow and consistent cold temperatures are sparse, the mountain can struggle to open up major routes before the New Year, let alone the important Christmas vacation week.

In recent years, Cannon has historically opened the Peabody Quad with one mid mountain route route along the narrow trails Middle Cannon and Gremlin. This created a super WROD and surface conditions that deteriorated rapidly. Despite the blue square ratings of Middle Cannon to Gremlin, solid intermediate level skiing was clearly not available during a typical opening weekend at Cannon.

This year, Cannon went with a different strategy spreading out open terrain for ALL ability levels between three lifts including the Brookside beginner lift. True beginner terrain on opening day at Cannon? Perhaps a first as long as I have been skiing there. And even some terrain park features. But Cannon’s grooming was not up to par compared to the new snowmaking system which meant that intermediates still would not be happy with the offerings. On the other hand, those of us that appreciate ungroomed conditions were delighted.

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World Cup

Womens World Cup at Killington

Killington World Cup

Walking towards the crowded finish line area, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. Which is a weird thing to feel when you have no skin in the game. Killington is not my home mountain; this was not my race. But it felt like my home and the crowd felt like my family. Even before I saw the crowd and the first racer, I knew this was a momentous day for every northeast skier.

The World Cup seemed destined to never return to the northeast. Bigger western resorts with more consistent snow conditions have hosted the World Cup for as long as I have been a serious skier. After a twenty-five year absence from the region, it was not an event I ever expected to see in my lifetime. Let alone in November.

But Killington brought it back to the northeast. And what a show Killington put on. Aside from some really long waits for bus rides to the lower parking lots, the event ran as flawless as possible. Major props to Killington and everyone involved for bringing the World Cup back to the northeast. We can only hope that Killington has incredible financial returns to pay off their risky investment and pushes to repeat as host.

Gazing out over the crowd, I noticed so many kids sporting race team jackets. Who knows how many future World Cup champions this race just inspired. We’ll find out a dozen or more years from now, and hopefully we’ll be cheering on another local hero to a win yet again sooner rather than later. Be it Shiffrin again or the next great racer this event may have inspired.

2016-2017 Season, Earned Turns, Jay Peak, November, Powder Day

Jay: Racer Ready

Steve on Racer

It was still snowing when I left Jay Peak yesterday and temperatures were forecasted to remain below freezing. So I had no reason to suspect conditions would deteriorate overnight. But I quickly discovered during my skin up Goat that the snow had been wind blasted into a crust. The snow was oreo cookie like: crust on dust on crust.

My plan was to ascend Goat and evaluate options including some combination of Poma Line, Upper Ullr’s, or JFK using Weddlemaster as a skin track back to Alligator Alley with a final descent down Green Mountain Boys (which had treated me well the day before). But the crusty snow only got worse the higher I went.

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