I didn’t plan on covering a local mountain in the blog, but I am for a couple of reasons:
a. it is relevant to our being socially distant. If you can’t visit Jay Peak because it is not local to you, you might consider visiting nature nearby that is new-to-you
and
b. i was so struck by the experience, it is worth my time to share with you.
Jay Peak is a mountain in the northeastern area of Vermont, in a town of the same name, Jay. We call this section of Vermont the Northeast Kingdom. Unless you live there, I’m pretty sure you’d only go for the nature…
A straight drive up I-91, you can easily travel to Jay from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and so on.
What I liked:
- The privacy of the whole place. This town is quiet. There is virtually nowhere to go except the ski resort, which has a massive indoor water park year-round. You have to get a hotel room or rent a condo. We stayed in a condo, that, had it been winter, would’ve been a ski-in-ski-out situation. Nice, right? I don’t even know that there are enough homes in town for some to be rentable. Like I said, it’s private because of the lack of folks and the individual-type accommodation options.
- The size of the operation. Jay Peak Resort is known for having the longest ski-and-ride season in the East (of North America). Jay Peak is pretty much guaranteed to have SO MUCH SNOW, which helps you choose dates for your ski trip without worry. Looking at all of their lifts and trail signs…I felt like I had to go back this winter. I am a skier, and I live in a ski town; but, I am not a diehard skier. It’s not my life (and I’m proud of that). I want badly to ski there, so that’s saying a lot.
- Feeling relaxed. I forgot about all of my worries and job duties (except for the video call I joined for work during one breakfast!). I honestly had such a fun time doing almost nothing. Our TV in the condo didn’t have any streaming services, so we either caught a movie from the TV Guide or just unplugged. Part of the reason I want to go back is to relax with no distractions around!
What We Did:
We took a walk around the resort. Like I said, no one was there. There is a golf course, a skating rink, a pool, all typical for a ski resort around here.
We hiked Jay Peak! The hiking trail was a steady incline the whole way, like a natural staircase. It was hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. People wore masks around their necks (mine in my fanny pack!) in case we had to pass one another going up or down.
The view was incredible! It’s about a 360 degree view, if not for the gondola drop-off building (I call it the floating boat garage. To each their own.). You can even peak around the building on a deck they have built to gain the rest of the view. The peak was rocky, but the rocks were smooth and easy to walk around and sit on. It was beautiful. You can see into Canada, across Vermont to Lake Champlain, and so on. These green hills, these silver waters… (Vermont state song lyrics).
We also played a “how well do you know your partner” game but that’s for us to remember.
I highly recommend a hike or a ski over here. Maybe I’ll see you there this winter.
