Winter may not be for everyone, but in my family, winter is the best season of the year. With the snow that most people have come to hate, comes skiing that I have learned to love. Growing up in New Hampshire, skiing has always been a staple in my family fun. When my dad, sister, and I had the time, we would take day trips to GunStock mountain. It was there, where I first learned how to ski. Being a little kid around five or six, I had no control over my body, and most of those day trips consisted of my dad chasing me down the mountain as I struggled to turn. But, as my sister and I grew older, we gained more skills, and with more skill came more fun.
My favorite ski mountain is called Jay Peak, located at the northern top of Vermont. Our first family trip there was when I was around twelve-years-old, and ever since then, it has been our go to winter vacation. With perfect snow conditions, an ice rink, and an indoor water park, it checked off all of our favorite activities. The thing that excites me most about Jay Peak was the terrain of the mountain. With 81 total trails, you will never find yourself bored on the mountain. Snow conditions are almost always perfect, with a skiing season from mid-November to mid-May (which is ridiculous for New England winters). With this long season and an average natural snowfall of 359 inches, Jay Peak is a skiers heaven.
The thing that keeps me coming back to Jay Peak is the conditions of the glades. They are unreal, with a foot of fresh powder and perfectly spaced trees, the glades are the place to be on a windy ski day. I remember last winter, my dad, sister, and I were bombing down Timbuktu, an advanced glade off the west face of Jay Peak, when we stumbled upon a cliff, which was the only way down. I actually thought we were going to die. But with an excessive amount of sweaty turns, a few tumbles and screams later, we made it down the trail. Looking up at the face we just carved down was a surreal experience, and I will I will strive every winter to feel that again.
https://jaypeakresort.com/skiing-riding/mountain
To be honest, I have never been skiing, but I love to hear stories from people who do love the sport! It’s definitely something I would want to try before I die, so it was really interesting to hear about the thrill of skiing.
Sounds like such a fun family tradition! My family loves vacationing in New Hampshire in the summers, and I have always wanted to see it in the winter. I hope that you feel that every winter as you said!
I LOVE Jay Peak I go there every single year with my dad and my sister, this is the first year I am not going and I am so sad about it. When I was younger I would always look forward to the water park but as I got older, ironically similar to you, I am obsessed with the glades. I have been to many many resorts in Vermont and Jay Peak always has the best glade skiing.
I am not a big skier, but your dad chasing you down the mountain is such an impactful line! I kept reading it over and over again, I love it. The nostalgia and simultaneous thrill of skiing, made me want to give it another try.
I’ve skied a couple times in my life but if I lived in New Hampshire or near Vermont like you, I know for a fact I would ski all the time in the winter. My friends who have skied there have boasted about what a surreal and different experience it is so I definitely want to do it at least once. I will have to look into glade skiing though, never heard of it before but I’m willing to keep practicing so I can carve down Jay’s!