Jay Peak sits in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, only about four miles south of the Quebec border. It has a reputation as the East's powder magnet. The resort's own trail guide lists average annual snowfall at about 358 inches. Its size is modest: 385 skiable acres, about 80 trails, nine lifts and a 2,153-foot vertical drop. Even so, it is surprisingly easy to get turned around here. This Jay Peak trail map guide explains how the two base areas, the Aerial Tram and the chairlift pods fit together, so you can plan your day and avoid long traverses back to the wrong lodge.
Why Jay Peak Is Hard to Navigate
The biggest surprise for first-timers is that Jay has two separate base areas, Stateside and Tramside. The resort's official first-timer's guide calls this one of the most important things to know before you arrive. Each base has its own parking, lodging and lifts. Tramside has the Tram, the Pump House Indoor Waterpark and Hotel Jay, and it tends to be the busier side. Stateside has the Stateside Hotel and Base Lodge, the Ski and Ride School, and the Clips and Reels climbing gym. If you park at one base and finish your last run at the other, you are in for a long and annoying trip back.
The second problem is the trees. Jay is famous for its glades, and its boundary-to-boundary glade policy lets you explore off-piste anywhere inside resort limits. That freedom is great in fresh snow, but it also makes it easy to come out of the woods on a run you didn't plan for. Some glades run right along the edge of the ski area. The resort warns that André's Paradise marks the ski area boundary and that ducking the ropes there can get you seriously lost.
Weather is the third factor. The summit is often wrapped in the cloud that brings Jay its snow. The upper lifts are exposed to wind, so wind holds can change your route options mid-day.
Understanding the Trail Map
The Jay Peak trail map makes more sense once you think of it as a few lift pods spread across two bases:
- Aerial Tram (Tramside): Vermont's only aerial tramway and the only lift to the summit. It was rebuilt with 45-person cabins and climbs to near the summit in about four minutes and twenty seconds. Experts head from here toward the Face Chutes and Valhalla. Intermediates can still ride it and take Vermonter (skier's right) or Northway (skier's left) down.
- Green Mountain Flyer (Tramside): A detachable quad that the resort calls the Northeast's longest. Locals nickname it the "Green Mountain Freezer" because the ride is cold and windy. It serves the upper-mountain trails and glades such as Valhalla.
- Metro Quad and the beginner area (Tramside): The Metro Quad serves beginner trails and the terrain park. The resort's trail guide groups Metro, the moving carpet, the Village Chair and a surface lift into a beginner zone. The learning area is called The Zone, with wide, gentle slopes and introductory glades.
- Jet Triple (Stateside): Reaches up into the southern part of the resort and serves a mix of intermediate and advanced terrain. That makes it a good hub for skiers who are building skills.
- Bonaventure Quad (Stateside): Serves intermediate terrain and connects the Jet area with Tramside.
- Taxi Quad: Built in 2012, it runs to the top of Lower Can-Am. It is part of the network that ties the lower mountain together between the two bases.
Use the Tram line as your landmark. Generally, the terrain toward skier's right brings you back to Tramside and the terrain toward skier's left feeds Stateside. Northway, for example, can be followed off the Tram all the way to the Stateside base. Ullr's Dream swings around the skier's-left side of the resort.
Navigation Tips for Skiers
- Pick your base first. Know which lot your car is in before your first chair. Plan your last run so it finishes at that base.
- Watch the flat runouts. Several runs, including Ullr's Dream and JFK, end in long flat stretches. Snowboarders should keep their speed up, or pick a different route. Locals also say the Taxi trail from Stateside back to Tramside is not snowboard-friendly.
- Head to the Jet or Bonaventure when it's windy. These Stateside chairs are the most sheltered. When the Tram or Flyer is cold or on wind hold, that is where you'll find the most comfortable skiing.
- Pick glades that match your ability. Quarter Moon, Half Moon and Full Moon near Tramside get harder in that order, so they work as a step-by-step introduction to tree skiing. Bushwacker and Stateside Glade are good intermediate glades.
- Respect the boundary ropes. Glades like André's Paradise sit at the edge of the ski area. Terrain outside it, including the Big Jay backcountry, is not patrolled resort terrain.
- Check where a glade comes out before you drop in. Many glades end on a groomed runout. If you know which trail you'll land on, you'll know which lift you're heading back to.
Having a live map on your phone helps a lot in the trees and in summit fog. The MountainMap app shows your position on the trail map, so you can tell which side of the Tram line you're on before you commit to a runout.
Planning Your Routes
Beginners: Spend the morning in The Zone and on the Metro Quad trails. When you're ready for a longer run, Interstate is a popular green with a mellow pitch and easy access from the base. Don't take the Tram expecting an easy way down. The trails off the summit are aimed at intermediates and up.
Intermediates: Warm up on the Bonaventure Quad, then ride the Tram for a full-vertical cruise. Take Vermonter down, or follow Northway toward Stateside, where more blue terrain branches off the Bonaventure Quad. The longest run at Jay is about three miles from summit to base, so give yourself time. If you want to try trees, add a lap through Stateside Glade.
Advanced and expert skiers: After a storm, ride the Tram or the Flyer and head for Valhalla, a steep glade off Vermonter that holds snow well. On the skier's-right side, Timbuktu and Kitz's Woods offer long, sustained tree skiing. On the opposite side are Bear Pond Glades and André's Paradise. Everglade is the resort's longest glade at about 1.25 miles. Many glades get tracked out quickly after a storm, so hit the popular ones early and the outer glades later in the day.
A sample full day: Start at Stateside on the Jet Triple while the upper mountain loosens up. Cross to Tramside by midday and ride the Tram for summit laps. Then work your way back toward your car's base for the last runs, so you don't end the day on a flat traverse.
Conclusion
Jay Peak isn't huge, but its two bases, single summit lift, exposed upper chairs and miles of glades make a little planning worthwhile. Learn which side of the Tram line feeds which base, keep the Jet and Bonaventure in mind for windy days, and stay inside the boundary ropes. For background on the resort's history and stats, see the Jay Peak Resort Wikipedia entry. If you're putting together a longer Northeast trip, compare Jay with our Sugarbush Resort trail map guide, our Stratton Mountain trail map guide and our Sugarloaf trail map guide.
