Jay, Vermont — This is why we can’t have nice things.
It could be argued that the snowiest ski resort in the U.S. so far this ski season has been Jay Peak. However, the ski resort hasn’t opened its lifts yet. Many have earned their turns, with social media posts garnering intrigue among skiers and snowboarders. Unfortunately, unprepared and frankly idiotic skiers are potentially wrecking it for the uphill community.
Jay shared two messages yesterday regarding questionable behavior. The first told skiers to avoid going into the Stateside terrain pod due to active machinery. That message wasn’t followed by some.
A few hours later, Jay Peak shared a very blunt message from Steve Wright, the President of the ski resort. He pointed out various instances of flagrant rule-breaking, which include two lift shack break-ins, the creation of two fires, two groups who got lost, and a season-ending injury. There are even people who were skiing on Stateside, which is currently undergoing winching operations.
I’m kind of surprised so many people don’t take the time to research the rules of skinning Jay. Ski touring requires lots of work and ultimately, planning, so why aren’t people looking up the rules? It goes without saying that you shouldn’t do dumb things like skinning up or skiing near a winch cat. Good on Jay for setting the record straight on this, because this idiotic behavior needs to be called out.
If you’re an alpine touring skier or rider who likes sharing content of Jay online, it may also be a good time to start spreading the word about the ski resort’s touring rules. Because it’s clear that people aren’t getting the message.
To be clear, there is only one uphill route open there right now: Ullr’s Dream. Even if you’re an avid Jay skier, you should check the weather and Jay’s uphill guidelines before going up.
Jay Peak will open its lifts for a preview weekend on November 22nd. Unless you’re an experienced uphill skier who knows Jay like the back of your hand, you should wait until then.
Image Credits: Jay Peak Resort
