LAPPING ONE OF THE COLDEST SKI LIFTS IN THE EAST
Today was another cold day in the East and, for that reason, I decided to head to Jay Peak to lap the Flyer Quad. Okay, I didn’t really head to Jay Peak to lap the Flyer because it was cold. I actually went because I was there last weekend, and the Flyer was on cold or wind hold, and I wanted to ski the terrain off it today, as it’s been a while since I've been in favorites off that lift like Beaver Pond. The lift started on cold or wind hold today (I’m not sure which), and I waited several hours to see if it would open before heading up there. At around 10:30, I checked the webcam and noticed it was spinning, though not yet open to the public. At that time, I decided to head up to the mountain and I got there at about noon.
Riding the Flyer Quad.
Beaver Pond.
I’ve not ridden all the lifts that get thrown into the lineup for coldest chairlift in the East, but I’ve ridden a number of them, and I’d say the Flyer Quad at Jay Peak is the coldest of the lot. I know it’s up for debate, but this is a lift where winds are often barreling down on you from basically start to finish, and that’s because the Flyer is not only one of the coldest chairlifts in the East, it’s also among the most wind-prone too, unfortunately. Strong winds plus cold temperatures equates to a long and frigid ride, which is exactly what it was today. It was the kind of ride where you’d get to the end and you couldn’t feel your toes or your fingers, and your face was extremely cold, despite having a mask and goggles on.
North Glade.
North Glade.
Bushwacker.
Deer Run.
The cold ride on the Flyer was well worth it after seeing the snow in the woods. There was a storm at the start of this week that dropped a decent amount of snow across the region, and the snow was very light and fluffy, translating to lots of fluffy powder in the trees. To my surprise, some of the glades, like North Glade, weren’t all tracked out either. You could get fresh tracks in some areas if you wanted. That’s the wind I mentioned earlier working in the skiers favor! All this to say, conditions were excellent. I even found the few groomers I ended up on to be fun to carve down.
Beaver Pond.
Expo Glade.
As mentioned, I lapped the Flyer today, so I never left the Tramside base area. With that in mind, my favorite glade today was probably Beaver Pond. The snow was, of course, great, very soft and, with the trees covered in a lot of snow, it was also very pretty to ski through. Expo Glade was once again just buried in snow up near the top. I’ve mentioned it before, but this is a glade that gets a lot of wind-blown powder, and it was deep today.
Nordica Enforcer 94.
Salomon QST 100 (left) & Salomon QST 94 (right).
There was enough fluffy powder in all the trees that I thought maybe I should’ve brought a wider ski with me. I was on 94s, but 100 may have been nice. I actually have no idea, because I’ve never had a ski that wide until this week, and I’ve still not gotten them on the snow yet. I don’t talk about my gear here, but the 100s I got this week were, along with a pair of 94-width skis, replacements under warranties for two different skis. My current ski quiver consists of the Nordica Enforcer 94, Salomon QST 94 and the Salomon QST 100. I also have a few pairs of rock skis, but these are the skis that will see regular use.
Never Quit Skiing,
Lincoln