Jay Peak Vermont

 In a posting on February 28th I commented about a recent ski trip I made to Stowe Vermont.  During my visit to Stowe I also skied a day at Jay Peak, Vermont.

  My visit to "Jay" as it is offered to referred to, was my first to the resort which is about an hours drive north of Stowe and is located just south of the Vermont/Quebec border. In terms of skiing, Jay Peak offers some challenging runs with 40% of the hills for those with advanced ski/snowboard skills while novice and intermediate runs make up the balance of the slopes at 20% and 40% respectively.  In terms of lifts, Jay Peak has the only tram in the east and they also have the longest quad chairlift which seems to go on forever.

  Jay Peak has seen a sizable cash infusion in recent years with the goal of making it much more than just a ski resort.  The major attraction of note is their huge "Pump House" indoor water park which makes Plunge at Blue Mountain look somewhat like a kid's backyard wading pool.  As recommended, I had pre-purchased tickets online for the water park which was very busy.  I hazard to guess that many of the water park patrons were not skiers or snowboarders and were their strictly to experience the indoor aquatic amenities.  After skiing on what was a sunny but very cold day, it was rather unique to spend the balance of the day in the somewhat tropical environment looking out at the mountain with skiers and boarders going past the windows.

  While I certainly enjoyed the day at Jay, I wouldn't rush back as I much prefer Stowe for a multitude of reasons.  Stowe offers a more diverse selection of runs.  Unlike Jay Peak which is somewhat out on it's own, the village of Stowe offers ample apres' ski things to do whether it's shopping, dining, visiting their ski museum etc. I was also told by some locals that Jay Peak can be cold and very windy and it's not hard to see why.. Unlike Stowe which is somewhat nestled into the Green Mountains, Jay Peak rises up on it's own with little around it to shelter it from the a strong prevailing wind.  I could easier imagine riding the longest quad chair in the east as being a very cold and unbearable ride on some days.
  For more photos of  Jay Peak including their very cool water park, see my Pinterest page.
  Next week I am off to Mont Tremblant with my son for 3 days of skiing and snowboarding via Porter Airlines from Toronto Island airport.  Look for my report on our father/son adventure in a future posting.