Some shots of the Youngs here. As in Chris and Meredith. Chris was Raised Jay and Meredith, by virtue of matrimony, has more than come along for the ride. The two of them parked their Young’uns (Callie and Jack who are Raised-Jay-Underway for sure) for a day of skinning/grinning all to themselves. While we aren’t open, we tend to applaud (rather than discourage) those that earn and then turn. Here’s what they looked like.
One happy benefit of hiring a new Head Chef for Alice’s Table is getting to taste test some of the potential candidates creations. On offer here is an Asian Inspired Burger. Locally grown beef marinated in Jay Peak Tram Ale and soy, topped with a locally grown and handmade Kimchee, Cabot Cheddar, pea shoots and Wasabi Mayo. Oh my.
Lots of new faces adding to the team here at Jay Peak these days. Our new coffee shop and bakery, Aroma (located inside the new Tram Haus Lodge), will have a steady, seasoned hand at the cup. Welcome Danielle Dolisie as Aroma Manager. Danielle originally hails from Montreal but is a Champlain College graduate and has spent the last several years owning, designing and managing cool businesses in the Johnson area (The Bad Girls Café and The Hub Pizzeria); both are heavy on style and substance and have all of us here at Jay Peak excited that she’s joining the family. Aromas will open before Christmas, so stop in and say hey to Danielle.
We’ll have more info on new jobs and local hires over the next few days as we add a Chef and Restaurant Manager to the Alice’s Table team and a General Manager for Tram Haus Lodge.
On February 11th, 2009, the Jay Peak community lost a beloved member of its family, Charles “Chuck” Peterson. To those who knew him, he was known as an eternal optimist who looked forward to enjoying each new snow fall or sunny day in the outdoors. Chuck and hi
s wife Jean had recently celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2008. Chuck was a long time member of the Jay Peak Ski Patrol, a registered patroller who was in his 13th year with NSP. He was father to two of our patrollers, Barrett and Eric, and his grandson Conor trained with the new candidates for a year, making it a three-generation family who patrolled together at Jay. When he passed, Chuck was less than two weeks away from obtaining his Senior OEC certification after training for it during the 2008/2009 season.
Chuck was an enthusiastic and dedicated patroller who was always ready and willing to help in any situation. He was often heard around the resort echoing through the radio frequencies, responding to any accident on the mountain because he wanted to do all that he could. He was often heard checking in with his sons with a quick “What’s your 20?” as he had to rely on hearing aids and wanted to ensure that he was at the ready. Chuck was awarded a Green Merit Star in 2005 for his help with an evacuation of Jay’s Aerial Tram lift. He was instrumental in helping customers stay calm and collected while they all descended to safety.
Chuck spent his last weekend skiing at Jay with his son Eric and granddaughter Ester. One of their “last runs” was Timbuktu.
This summer, several members of the Jay Peak Ski Patrol and local volunteers got together to restore the Ski Patrol shack at the top of the Jet Triple Chair, which was in desperate need of repair, in Chuck’s name. Working within the parameters of the existing structure and its historic role as a lift top patrol station, the building was renovated.
Jay Peak Ski Patrol would like to send out a special thanks to Barrett Peterson, Bill Mitchell and Gordon Gebauer for their hard work and to all the patrollers and friends of the Barretts who provided the financial means to make this project a reality.
Words & info provided by Peg Doheny, Rob Lunn, David Tepper
And so another season starts. Sort of. Lifts aren’t turning, there is (at best) half a run of “treacherous” man made snow to ski and yet we’ve got people so anxious to get their first day in that they spent time hiking to earn not-so-stellar turns (conditions-wise, anyway). It’s not for everyone, sure, but it’s hard not be a little inspired by (jealous of?) their dedication. These guys aren’t fair weather skiers. They’re not waiting for 6″ of fresh powder or the perfect bluebird day (although not only will they be out on those days too, they’ll be first in line at the Jet - thankyouverymuch). Their season starts in November and will likely go one ’til well after lifts shut down for the season. We should all be so lucky.
Below is a video by Dan Aucoin. I made that mistake of asking why he was moving so slowly and got a “Because I was skiing without poles and trying to see where I was going through a camera screen!” to which I replied “Fair enough”.
Pics are by Lenny Christopher (you can check out more at his site lennychristopher.com).
