Jay

[ILOVE2SKI]

Who has skied the Tuckermans Chute at :jaypeak: and how does it compare to tucks?

[kmrnskier]

Where exactly is that chute in regards to the tram? What side?

[Bannick]

I have hit tuckerman's at Jay a couple of times. I haven't done the ravine yet but I would think it doesn't compare. It is steep it is tight and gets skied off after about two or three skiers.

It is peppered with tiny wind blowntrees and has enough variation that you can find some snow depending on the route you take and how much you want to pick your way through the trees. It is defiately fun.

It is pretty much right under the tram line.

[M@]

I haven't been to jay since I could ski the ravine. I can't wait to get back, everyone says it's my kinda place. Whenever we talk about where to go skiing some joker always says, "how about jay" and one of these times I'm gonna agree and make it happen.

Next time I'm at jay I'll check this chute - I've done the tuckerman chute twice - and it was a petrifing hike up, but an awsome ski down. Wicked steep - jump turns both times I did it. Had a small spill but recovered immediatyl right near the throat - popped out of one binding and had to hop down maybe 20 ft to get my other ski, not as scary as the hike up.

Worst part of the hike up is the joey's above you doing nothing but slide scraping. (I didn't say snow boarders, I said Joey's... plenty of skiers doing the slide scrap down the chute that day)

Man: Having a major flash back now...

First naked skiier I ever saw in the ravine was coming down the chute right behind me... I wasn't worried about him behind me, after skiing the chute you're usually pretty puckered up anyway, and the shrinkage on the naked guy and all that... I mean... most people would abandon a post at this point - I need the numbers. I got my sites on Dave.

M@

[elwood]

I have hit Tuckerman's chute at Jay plenty of times. It is tight and hairy, but nowhere near as steep as anything at the real TUX. It is a lot of fun though. Like Bannick said it tends to get scraped off early...hit beaver pond.

[BerkshiresBoarder]

Speaking of Jay Peak, has anyone skiied Big Jay? I was reading about it in David Goodman, and he claims that its "one of the best backcountry powder runs in the northeast." It's a fairly short hike from near the summit of Jay, and doesn't sound it would be very crowded. I'm going up to Jay for a week in February and i need things to do when i get sick of the main mountain. Any suggestions?

[M@]

Friend of mine skiied the back of jay last year - said it was a blast. Told me it's pretty obvious and he'd show me if we ever get up that way.

M@

[ILOVE2SKI]

Are there any marked trails at Jay that compare and would prepare you for Tux

[NHski]

Tuckermans chute at Jay is the one directly under the tram. Nice trail.

http://timefortuckerman.com/members/nhski/nhskijaypeak122703-4.jpg

Big Jay, never done it but it looks real nice. My guess is that there has been some pruning.

http://timefortuckerman.com/members/nhski/nhskijaypeak122703-7.jpg

[pepperdawg]

Drool.......!!!!!!!

Great pix!!!!

[kmrnskier]

I HAVE done Tuckermans Chute and OHHHHHHHHHHHHH how nice it is!!!! Still, no comparison to Tucks NH, and I only climbed up 2/3 to the Lip (first time this past spring).

[TheOctopus]

Like everyone said, it's little like skiing in the Ravine.

Skier's right under the tram, though, things get pretty vertiginous in a hurry. There are several nasty lines with mandatory big air and not much to work with in the way of a landing. This is some of New England's finest in-bounds technical skiing.

Never got to do Big Jay before heading off for the Heartland(tm), but ohhhhhhh was it really, really high on my list. Check out Goodman's book, which has all the details on how to do it (along with a fantastic pic, IIRC). <Insert envy here.>

Edited to add: IMHO, if you can ski under the tram line at Jay in control and have fun doing it, then there are plenty of lines at Tucks that you'll love.

[M@]

Excellent pix!

BTW: in case anyone else needed to know:

ver·tig·i·nous ( P ) Pronunciation Key (vr-tj-ns)
adj.
Turning about an axis; revolving or whirling.
Affected by vertigo; dizzy. See Synonyms at giddy.
Tending to produce vertigo: “my small mind contained in earthly human limits, not lost in vertiginous space and elements unknown” (Diana Cooper).
Inclined to change quickly; unstable.

[Skilasnow]

mmmmm s-o-o p-r-e-t-t-y

[ILOVE2SKI]

Great Pictures!!!

[NH_tele]

I would have to say that Tuckerman's Chute at Jay isn't really comparable to Tucks... It's too small, and the Headwall at Tucks is steeper...

That being said, there are often more trees & rocks exposed at Jay than at Tucks, which spices things up a little. Then of course there's the stuff off the top of Jay (skier's right of tram). That is very extreme. I've skied a couple lines down it, on alpine boards... Hopefully this year I can get up there & try some tele descents (I did Hillman's & Tucks from the Upper snowfields on tele gear last year).

Also, I'm about 40-50% for a Feb 6th trip up to Jay... probably no room for people cause I'd be going with some school friends, but if anybody is up there we could ski a few runs together...

[BigJay]

HI!

I'm new to this forum and i'm looking for more experienced riders in the NE backcountry.

First off, i've been riding at Jay Peak for about 20 years. The line under the tram is "the face". "Tuck chute" is a bit to the right. It goes trough the trees and is ususally good after a big dump but not worth the vertical as you only have to follow a path down the hill on a regular day.

As for Big Jay, i've skied there countless time and it's great but you have to know where you're going. A friend of mine went last week and there was still water at the bottom and they had to cross it on skis... Needless to say they were wet!

I've never been to Mt Washington but i can only think that Jay' tuck chute doesn't compare to the real thing!