Category: March

2024-2025 Season, Jay Peak, March, Powder Day

Encore

After the least snowiest March that I can remember, we got one final storm before the big meltdown. During the past week, Jay was resurfaced an inch or two at a time. The storm topped things off with a half-foot of fresh, which was more powdery than expected.

Powder starved skiers came out in droves (despite poor driving conditions and “only” six inches). Parking lots filled to capacity for at least the third time this season, which was unexpected during the last week of March.

Perhaps Indy Passholders were running out of options as other ski areas closed. Many people were not regulars nor familiar with the resort. The Singles Line at the Jet backed up to the bottom of The Willard (three trails over from the liftline).

By noontime, the powder was well tracked out and I grew tired of the lines. If that was my fifteenth and final powder day of the season, it was a worthy encore for a season that I will remember quite fondly.

2023-2024 Season, Jay Peak, March

Jay: Outrageously Crowded

Off Map at Jay

The biggest multi-day snowstorm of the season wrapped up last night, but did not leave Jay the final foot that was expected. Overnight snow totals were a dusting to an inch, a total bust. But the word was out, the biggest storm of the season just hit Northern Vermont. And everyone too afraid to drive yesterday showed up today.

Lift lines quickly extended out past the queues and would soon form lines that I have only seen once before at Jay. For a meager inch on top of tracked up junk snow, it wasn’t worth it in the slightest. The crowds were over represented with decidedly lower level skiers. It was amateur hour. It was a shit-show.

When the lift line queues over flowed, I took off. But I had to push through hoards of folks still trying to get to the lifts hours after opening. The ticket line queue looked to be as long as the lift line queue. Leaving the Jet lot, cars were packed everywhere and still cars were trying to come in.

Employees were standing in the middle of Route 242 trying to direct traffic coming both ways. With all lots full, cars were being directed to the employee parking lot, busing guests back to the lodges. By the time I got home, JPR had long since posted an announcement online that there was no more parking, don’t come to the mountain.

All that for a dusting to an inch. Unbelievable.

2023-2024 Season, Mad River Glen, March, Powder Day

MRG: More More More

20th

Rumors of the season’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. While many skiers have called it quits due to a lack luster winter, the season is just starting to ramp up. Off map woods are back in business and ready for action. Crowds were minimal and it snowed hard all day.

After digging out from a foot and a half of snow, I slowly slid my way down to Waitsfield. It was the most challenging descent of Route 17 that I have ever had, averaging 5-10mph and still slipping despite Blizzaks and AWD. Route 100 to I-93 was a crawl. Snow was falling faster than the plows could handle it.

An astounding multi-day storm and a fabulous day of skiing.

20th

2023-2024 Season, Earned Turns, Jay Peak, March, Powder Day

Jay: No Lifts, No Problem

Deliverance

I knew the wind would impact lift operations. So, I brought my touring gear and I fully expected to use it. Upon arrival, the wind was howling and it was bitterly cold. The lifts would never run.

Today was a rare resort touring day when I took the full measure of risks and consequences before I started skiing. Moving was required to keep the cold at bay. An injury would likely result in frostbite.

Due to the wind, conditions were variable from hard pack groomers to thigh deep bottomless untracked. It was challenging to figure out where to go, given so much of the mountain was bare ground and thin coverage before the storm. I started up Northway and decided to start with Can Am skier’s right.

Deliverance

Jackpot! Boot to knee deep untracked, and a bit of shelter from the wind. Very nice. I skinned back up via to Northway and headed to the top of the Jet. I opted to ski the Jet where I found thigh deep drifts in between groomed hard pack. It was worth dealing with the intermittent groom as the dense powder was insane when I hit a drift.

It was so nice, I decided to head back up and ski Haynes. It was very similar with a bit less drifting but more consistent powder and fewer groomer breaks. My legs were getting tired and I knew that I only had one more run left. I headed back up Northway to the top of the Bonnie and dropped into Deliverance.

As usual, the trees are the best on wind blown powder days. I rarely ski Deliverance as its narrow upper sections get skied off really quickly most days. But today, I had it all to myself and it was sensational. The last three months have been brutal, no doubt. But knee deep days don’t happen every season. This surely makes up for things, at least a little bit.

Deliverance

2023-2024 Season, Jay Peak, March

Jay

Not much to say about today. The unseasonably warm and wet weather significantly impacted Jay’s snowpack. A few gullies had exposed water gushing down the hill and a few lower mountain waterbars were nearly completely bare. It was a disappointing sight to see.

I tried to ski a few glades that I normally avoid and find interesting lines on the periphery. I probably spent more time in the Canyonland today than I have in all of my over 100 days of skiing Jay combined.