Chris and his son, Luke.

Chris White, owning a NEK pedigree yet displaced to the big smoke of Boston, will be penning a blog about raising a skiing family, why he insists on doing it at Jay Peak and why, when it comes to picking the right resort to raise skiers, you might not get a second chance to make a first impression.

Check out his first blog post tomorrow, then expect future posts, with some degree of abandon, throughout the summer.  You can also follow Chris on Twitter at @cwhitesnow:

Though a flatlander by birth, I grew up in the Northeast Kingdom from age four, sledding in the back yard, or at Killer Hill when the boys and I felt especially rugged. Craftsbury Nordic Ski center was practically my backyard. But it wasn’t until I graduated to alpine skiing that I discovered the true joys of snow.

By tenth grade (and boarding school in Massachusetts), I was skiing mostly at Jay Peak, but sampled the kindness in Burke, Stowe, and other local areas before lifting off to Colorado for university and the slopes of Vail, A-Basin, and Aspen. But it wasn’t until 1997 that I took my one year as a ski bum, back home at Jay after Peace Corps, Thailand.

Then came the long drought. Ten years in Arizona, Thailand again, and North Carolina. When I finally moved back to New England, to teach at a boarding school on Buzzards Bay, I couldn’t wait for winter and skiing. And this time, I wasn’t alone. I was dying to turn my wife, Yupin, a Thai citizen who had never before seen snow, and our son Luke onto the sport.

For the past two winters, we’ve been learning together—for them it’s a question of how to ski, for me it’s how to help them catch up. Though our family may be somewhat unique, it’s not uncommon for an inexperienced spouse to marry into skiing, and it’s a universal pleasure to watch loved ones of any age learn the mountain arts. Raising a family at Jay gives skiing a whole new dimension, and it’s as if I’m starting anew—and all of our tracks are fresh.

Steven discovered a few patches of lingering snow last weekend on Exhibition.

Following the annual Homeowner meetings we asked Steven Collins, owner of a South Village townhouse for 5 years, to share a bit about his experience - how he ended up here, why he’s still here, and what he loves about Jay:

My wife and I closed on our unit in 2005, after renting a unit in 2004 on Raccoon Run with our friends (who are now Jay homeowners as well). At the time, our children were 10, 8 and 4. Our friends had three children of similar age. The convenience of being able to walk out the door and on to the slopes was awesome. The thrill the younger children experienced being able to ski actual glades like Moon Walk Woods and Bushwacker was worth the entire trip. The Mountain had made us believers!

During the building of our unit Andy Stenger handled the day to day project management duties. Andy was always available and courteous when we called to discuss details either with regards to the development or our unit. His kind and good natured Northeast Kingdom personality showed through. I would be remiss if I did not mention Jaime, Jason, Emilie, Joanie, Steve, Dennis, Moose, and the list can just go on and on. These people and many others are what compliment the mountain’s charm. And of course, there is Bill Stenger with his endless energy and enthusiasm, which will turn Jay Peak into a four season resort!

With our new unit also came many new friendships, including some of the locals who worked on our unit, as well as neighbors and other unit owners. During our five years of home ownership, we formed friendships which will stand the test of time. There is nothing like being out for first tracks with your family and meeting other like-minded people wanting to quench their thirst for POW (if there ever could be such a thing?). Or coming up in the summer to enjoy some golfing, biking and the local swimming holes. Or in the fall for some hiking or the fall foliage. Or in the spring to fly fish or just explore the Northeast Kingdom!

Bill’s vision and perseverance has finally taken traction and is evolving from a concept to reality. We are now vested stakeholders in Bill’s vision of Jay Peak’s transformation into a four season resort. These days, there are tough times upon us all, but we have put our faith and trust both in Bill and the Mountain and that together we will be guided in the right direction. Only time will tell, but if the next five years are similar to the last five years, then we are in for a heck of a ride!

It is, “all about the mountain”, because that is where the journey begins!

Steven M. Collins

Big day today. Especially if you’re into interior designs, interior designing and the mind-achingly specific world of floor, tile and granite samples. Seriously though, we’re taking this stuff seriously. Which sorts of woods work with specific sorts of metals? Does rubberized flooring say Jay Peak? Do we really have 407 miles of old Tram Cable to use as accent points across the entire building? These questions and more will be answered, after long hours of furrowed brows, wringing hands, and deep thoughts.

One of the biggest problems people have with putting is their alignment. The next time you are out on the putting green working your stroke have someone get behind you and check your alignment. Chances are you are set up to the right of the hole. To check correctly set up to the ball and when you are ready to stroke the putt have your partner come in and hold your putter still as you back away. Get six feet behind the putter and see where your putter is pointing. You’ll be amazed. It’s a process to correct this. You have to retrain your eyes. Be patient and keep making the adjustments. Once you overcome your alignment issues you are on your way to becoming a great putter.