Skiing Jay Peak

Skiing Jay Peak

Sunday, April 20th, 2025

Runs: 20

Distance: 13.30 miles

Elevation: 12,359 feet

Max Speed: 30.8 mph

Avg. Speed: 12.1 mph

Moving Time: 1 hour, 9 minutes, 50 seconds

Total Time: 4 hours, 55 minutes, 53 seconds

Happy Easter! Emma and I had a lovely night devouring a comical amount of barbeque from Mill River Brewing BBQ and Smokehouse, watched some some RuPaul's Drag Race, and had a delightfully early night to bed. Originally, we were supposed to wake up at some ridiculous hour to get to Jay for a sunrise tram ride, but due to winds and cold, that was cancelled (we were bummed, but NOT bummed to be sleeping in). It was looking like only lower mountain lifts were going to be running and it was WINDY, so I was in no rush. I dropped off the patrollers, found my parking spot, and read some of my book for the first hour of lifts. Sometime around 8:30, I went inside the lodge to get a breakfast sandwich, and was called fabulous for my sparkly crocs, which was a highlight!

Snow Report

April 20th | 8:30am

UPDATE: The Pond Skim is cancelled for today.

Due to high winds, only lower mountain lifts (Metro, Taxi, and carpets) will run.

Happy Easter. Rumor has it the bunny's been here. It's starting out chilly, with highs pushing 40 by noon and partial clearing. We're currently experiencing some pretty strong winds, so be prepared for wind holds today. The recent weather and temperature shifts will likely impact our trail count and conditions, and we'll know more once patrol is able to get out on the hill and take a look this morning. Stay tuned also for an update on lift operations.

Runs 1-2

Run 1: Taxi Quad - Boulevard

[0.45 mi; 1:51; 367 ft; 24.1 mph max; 14.5 mph avg]

Run 2: Taxi Quad - Queen's Highway - Perry Merril Ave

[0.4 4mi; 4:33; 364 ft; 22.4 mph max; 5.8 mph avg]

I started to rally just before 9:00am and comically saw Emma and Patrol Sarah riding the Stateside Carpet with coffees in hand. I figured I'd meet them somewhere at some point, but I was in no rush. My thought was I'd just hit every open run they had that day, since only lower mountain was open, anyway! My first run was up the Taxi and down Boulevard, which was in decent shape, with only a few cookies mixed in the slush. Once back on the Taxi I saw a text from the patrollers telling me to come to the patrol room for Easter Brunch, so I put my big morning on pause and had some more food, which was lovely! I got to see some of the patrol friends I made at last year's banquet, which was also fun!

Runs 3-5

Run 3: Taxi Quad - Rusch Park

[0.36 mi; 2:08; 364 ft; 24.2 mph max; 10.2 mph avg]

Run 4:Taxi Quad - Boulevard

[0.33 mi; 1:26; 354 ft; 29.4 mph max; 13.8 mph avg]

Run 5: Stateside Carpet

Eventually, it was time to get skiing again. Team Patrol mentioned to me their goal for the day was to ski every open run, which was super convenient, because that was my goal too! Patroller Kim joined us, we hit the Rusch Park first (which was extra fun for me becuase they have to keep two skis on the ground at all times), and then got another lap on the Boulevard. Run #5 was up the Stateside Carpet and back over to the Taxi, where the patrollers had to go into work mode because I kid sent themselves over a jump and apparently landed in the stratosphere.

Runs 6-7

Run 6: Taxi Quad - Rusch Park

[0.34 mi; 1:51; 364 ft; 20.3 mph max; 11.1 mph avg]

Run 7: Taxi Quad - Queen's Highway

[0.71 mi; 3:46; 518 ft; 24.7 mph max; 11.4 mph avg]

We went back into the park and my big job was to stand on top of the jump and hold up my poles so no one sent it over the child. Turns out the child was completely fine, but the mom was in distress. I guess it would be alarming to see your child attempt a self-propelled moon launch... Our patrollers got them on their way and then we got back on the Taxi and took it over to Tramside via Queen's Highway. The snow was holding up well so far!

Runs 8-10

Run 8: Metro Quad - Harmony Lane

[0.65 mi; 3:02; 528 ft; 29.6 mph max; 12.9 mph avg]

Run 9: Metro Quad - Harmony Lane 

[0.60 mi; 1:47; 528 ft; 30.8 mph max; 20.1 mph avg]

Run 10: Metro Quad - Interstate

[0.69 mi; 3:24; 545 ft; 24.7 mph max; 6.6 mph avg]

We got right in line for the Metro (it was so nice to not have any actual lines anymore, I love late season) and followed Harmony Lane (my first time!). Before we descended, though, the patrollers saw a family trying to go down the closed Deer Run, and they REALLY upset the father of the group when they insisted that it was, in fact, closed. The snow on Harmony Lane was DELIGHTFUL. Best snow of the day! We got a second run in afterwards at the second entrance just to enjoy it some more. The final pit was comically narrow, though - no more than 5 feet of skiiable snow left. Run #10 was down Interstate, past the slowly draining pond skimming pond that would go unused, and right to the bathrooms! The patrollers got a call that the mountain was working on opening up the Bonnie, which was super exciting! They were just grateful they were at the furthest point away from the Bonnie, so they were absolved of doing trail check.

Runs 11-15

Run 11: Tramside Carpet

Run 12: Metro Quad - Perry Merril Ave - Chalet Meadows

[0.56 mi; 2:20; 315 ft; 26.4 mph max; 14.4 mph avg]

Run 13: Queen's Highway - Grammy Jay

[0.79 mi; 3:52; 554 ft; 26.9 mph max; 12.3 mph avg]

Run 14: Village Chair - Chalet Meadows

[0.21 mi; 1:50; 125 ft; 17.3 mph max; 6.9 mph avg]

Run 15: Taxi Quad - Rabbit Trail

[0.38 mi; 1:42; 371 ft; 24.2 mph max; 13.4 mph avg]

We took a nice break where the patrollers had some ramen, I had a Waffle Cabin waffle, and they booked our rooms for next week's banquet (at an insanely cheap price of $60/night). Afterwards, we were going to head back to Stateside, as the only trail we still needed was the recently re-opened Rabbit Trail. We took the Tramside Carpet first, and then the Metro to Perry Merril Ave/Chalet Meadows. Something amazing happened at the Perry Merril/Queen's Highway junction though, a call came on the radio asking patrollers to open the Village Chair! My favorite run is the Grammy Jay, so I was  GOBSMACKED by the timing. The chair proper wasn't running yet, so we went back to the Taxi and took Queen's Highway before I watched them open it!

The thrill of hitting the Grammy Jay as patrol opens it is like none other. I imagine it feels similar to those big powder day rope drops out west, but maybe even better! From there, we rode the Village Chair up to Chalet Meadows (the on-ramp for the chair was in dysmal shape). Run #15 was just me and Patrol Sarah, since Emma had to drop off some signage. Rabbit Trail could best be described as a collection of rotting glaciers, which made a very flat trail almost comically technical (for me), which was fun! I only almost fell into one (1) crevasse. 

Runs 16-20

Run 16: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Upper Milk Run - Taxi - Lower Can Am - Kangaroo Trail

[1.36 mi; 7:30; 1,421 ft; 26.4 mph max; 10.9 mph avg]

Run 17: Bonaventure Quad - Goat Run - Green Mountain Boys - Perry Merril Ave - Chalet Meadows

[1.31 mi; 6:00; 1,421 ft; 26.5 mph max; 13.1 mph avg]

Run 18: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Hell's Crossing - Paradise Meadows

[1.32 mi; 4:54; 1,358 ft; 25.9 mph max; 16.2 mph avg]

Run 19: Bonaventure Quad - Goat Run - Lower River Quai - Perry Merril Ave - Chalet Meadows

[1.26 mi; 5:53; 1,417 ft; 28.7 mph max; 12.8 mph avg]

Run 20: Bonaventure Quad - Northway - Upper Milk Run - Taxi - Lower Can Am - Kangaroo Trail - Paradise Meadows

[1.52 mi; 8:53; 1,440 ft; 27.4 mph max; 10.1 mph avg]

We reclaimed Emma and it was time to get on the Bonnie! The wind had significantly died down, and I was excited to get some upper mountain runs in. Run #16 brought us down Northway to Upper Milk Run, where I performed POORLY. In fairness, the bumps were still partially frozen and had dirt patches here and there. We continued onto Taxi and then Lower Can Am, which was in fantastic shape! We snapped back to reality of springtime on Kangaroo Trail, which had some more open crevasses.

Next up was Goat Run, which was in... interesting shape! It looked like blue ice, but it was still carvable, and the entrance to the S-turns was no wider than a groomer, which kept things fun! We hit the upper Green Mountain Boys which was a little bare and bumpy, but overall fun, and then we scootched our way over to Perry Merril, which was just a glacier, to Chalet Meadows.

#18 was down Northway, which was the epitome of "variable conditions," to Hell's Crossing to Paradise Meadows, which was just a nice, easy run. We went back to Goat for #19, where the patrollers had to activate because a guy who didn't really know what he was doing got caught in some slush right at the fast part. Thankfully, two more advanced skiers were helping him out and told him to wear a helmet. We hit Lower River Quai, which was in excellent shape, before another run down Perry Merril and Chalet Meadows.

Patroller Bonne joined us for the final run of the day - another lap down Upper Milk and Lower Can Am. I did MUCH better on Milk, and much worse on Lower Can Am... oh well! It was a fun run and a fun way to end a very silly day.

Afterwards, we planned to have Easter Sunday hot dogs at the car, but someone (me) forgot to bring the propane-to-grill connector device thing, so instead we had a few drinks in our "Even Jesus said Jesus when he saw me ski" hoodies before heading home.

Map of Jay Peak