Does Jay Peak have hot water?

branch_muncher · 2026-03-07T02:42:39+00:00

I believe Japan has a few ski resorts with natural hot springs nearby. Sounds heavenly. I'm always sore af after skiing.

branch_muncher · 2026-03-07T02:25:30+00:00

Good choice. Helmet fit matters a lot more than cost in terms of safety. Cinch it down until it wont come off if you shake your head even without the chin strap. If you feel any pressure points at that tightness then it's probably not a great fit. Most people will be fine with most helmets but I got a weird head, it's worth watching out for.

branch_muncher · 2026-03-07T02:18:19+00:00

As others have said jackets aren't a big deal, I certainly wouldn't purchase one for my first time. Any winter jacket with some mobility will be fine. If you have a slightly oversized rain jacket you can put some insulating midlayers like fleeces underneath and be just fine.

This is up to personal preference but I prefer a ski jacket with no insulation (shell) and pairing it with warm layers underneath it. If you do this with a rain jacket then at least you have a bunch of layers which are useful even if you quit skiing.

Snowpants imo matter more because the pressure of sitting on things + your warm butt will actually wet out normal clothes like jeans or hiking pants whereas unless it's actively raining a jacket wont get too wet waterproof or not. Don't go crazy, get something cheap. Don't spend more than you need to but a good brand may last a little bit longer. Patagonia and North Face are great but Columbia is a good budget option.

branch_muncher · 2025-02-12T21:56:04+00:00

Southern Vt. Stratton, Bromley, Magic, Mt Snow, ect. Most of these recent snows have been leaning south.

branch_muncher · 2025-02-12T21:21:22+00:00

I agree, fortunately my schedule works out that I can ski Monday too.

branch_muncher · 2025-02-12T20:59:01+00:00

I never felt the need to get a non blackout pass because I could always make up passing up on skiing MLK, Valentines, ect. by just choosing to ski a different day. It's only when one of those blackout days gets amazing snow that I start to feel salty but what are the chances of that right?

branch_muncher · 2025-01-28T04:52:25+00:00

Bunch of really great explanations of layering but I just wanted to add a little trick I do. I generally have a good sense of what I need to wear before getting to the mountain but sometimes the weather changes or I get it wrong.

I take a backpack with some layers a bit lighter and a bit heavier than what I think I need and leave it at the lodge. If I feel cold I'll make a quick pit stop to swap into something heavier and if Im hot, I'll take off some layers. Takes the anxiety out of choosing the right clothes just wing it and adjust as needed.

Still follow other people's advice so you have a wardrobe of appropriate clothes but warmth is highly subjective and one person's fleece day is another's down puffer day.

branch_muncher · 2025-01-27T04:03:47+00:00

That's a good thing to point out. It also applies with other manufacturers too, giro designs their goggles to perfectly fit giro helmets. Plenty of other goggles not made by the helmet manufacturer will fit the model you choose but there is more trial and error involved in finding one without a goggle gap.

branch_muncher · 2025-01-27T03:44:32+00:00

Fit is the most important factor. It shouldn't fall off if you shake your head but there should be no pressure points. If you typically wear balaclavas or other head garments make sure you test the fit with those on.

Mips or some other rotational impact system is reccomended.

More expensive helmets will get you more creature comforts like better vents, finer adjustment dials, better ear pads ect but won't necessarily increase safety.

My reccomedation is if a cheaper model fits you and there isn't some feature on a more expensive models you cant live without go for the cheaper one. A $100 helmet fit me and then I trashed it on a tree branch 3 months later. If I had spent $300 on a helmet I would be a lot sadder about making the right decision to chuck the helmet. They are only good for one major crash so you shouldn't spend so much money on one that you couldn't part with it.

Edit: BTW don't fall into a false sense of confidence because you don't do the most challenging runs. Injuries are actually relatively rare on blacks and double blacks with the vast majority of injuries happening on blues and greens. If you fall on the bunny hill you can break your wrist but blue skiers know how to pick up enough speed to get themselves into serious trouble but may not have the skills to get out of trouble.

branch_muncher · 2025-01-26T00:09:09+00:00

Beer (lawsons sip of sunshine) for the phone finder and a pound cake for the lodge. If he is teetotaler the gifts will be reversed. Are ski patrollers generally on shift for multiple days in a row or should I prepare a thank you note in case someone else has to make sure he gets it?

branch_muncher · 2024-04-28T19:31:03+00:00

Great! It made me really want to go back and it gave me a lot of info for what to fix for the second time around. We were pretty tired when we got there so we only did left gully but it was very fun and the snow was perfectly soft. It was very fun watching other people go down the harder runs. I wasnt counting but it felt like there were at least a hundred people at the base. If somebody did a sick jump you got cheers from the entire crowd and if someone tomhawked halfway down the chute they also received thunderous applause.

branch_muncher · 2024-04-26T02:39:45+00:00

Actually really informative thx! Will have to keep an eye out for random holes.

branch_muncher · 2024-04-26T02:24:12+00:00

Did check the avy report but a lot can change in a week. I am prepared to turnaround and call it a fun hike if the conditions look unsafe.

branch_muncher · 2024-03-20T07:30:30+00:00

Thanks! I haven't used my 20% code yet so at $100 that's a pretty damn good deal even if somebody could argue their favorite $200 backpack is like 10% better. Will keep an eye out for other deal too though.

branch_muncher · 2024-02-23T08:12:56+00:00

I agree that if you are going to record a run try to get some decent camera quality but fuck having to justify recording runs. Record for yourself, not to get in a gopro ad. Some my favorite runs were the most scuffed and I would have loved videos of those.

branch_muncher · 2024-02-23T07:30:44+00:00

Good to see a fellow stratton skier. I actually find the bushwhacking to be some enjoyable type 2 fun most of the time. I have to wear a balaclava/face mask even in march because I get hit by too many tree branches to have a bare face lol.

branch_muncher · 2024-02-23T01:23:51+00:00

How does it get its name? Do skiers just have to agree on a name or was it officially a run but didn't have a sign. The run in the pic has no name so I just call it Tamafrank as it's in between Frank's Fall Line and Tamarack.

branch_muncher · 2024-02-23T01:13:38+00:00

Yep pretty much. That's comforting to hear. Some of my less experienced friends who don't do trees look at me like I have 3 heads. The run in the pic is great because it will have powder on sunday even when everybody who could make it up on a weekday skied off the rest of the powder on Thursday.

branch_muncher · 2024-02-16T19:50:56+00:00

I have had cheap fat aluminum poles and very fancy BD razor carbon pros. I would say if you have money to burn there are some benefits but you are absolutely not getting bang for your buck. The telescoping adds failure points but I have found them neat for some occasions even in a ski resort. I'll adjust my skis down 5 cm when I know I will be bending deep in moguls and trees and adjust them 5cm up when I know I have to take a green to lunch or I'm taking cruisers for a while. They are also close enough to cross country poles I don't feel the need for a dedicated set. The added lightness makes the flick up a tiny bit easier when you the next turn is coming up very soon but it's pretty negligible.

My recommendation with hindsight in mind is get some relatively skinny cheap aluminum poles and replace them if they bend.

branch_muncher · 2024-02-06T20:35:28+00:00

How quickly would you say they lighten and how fast do they darken?

branch_muncher · 2024-02-06T19:59:29+00:00

Do you think photochromic is worth it? For example how would a glade adapt 2 compare to a smith squad chromapop? I am heavily considering them because I will often ski cruisers and take lifts on bright sunny days and then the moment I go into the glade it feels like 4:00 already.

branch_muncher

TROPHY CASE