Tucked away in Northern Vermont against the Canadian border, Jay Peak is known for collecting snow in feet, not inches.

They call it the "Jay Peak Cloud." It hovers over the mountain, and dumps a foot or more of snow on days when skies are clear just five miles away. Jay averages 355 inches of snow a year and that’s at least 100 inches more than others in the region. Some years, more snow falls here than anywhere east of the Sierras. One year, 571 inches blanketed the mountain. Even in a “poor” snow year, Jay receives several feet more than other resorts in the Green Mountains. If you're looking for (almost) guaranteed snow, Jay is your safest bet.

While it's a bit of a trek to get to here, it's well worth the effort. Most of the time, you will have the mountain -- and the prodigious snowpack -- practically to yourself. Even on powder days, you can find untracked snow all day long. During holiday weekends, you'll wonder why you ever went anywhere else.

People come to Jay for more than just the snow though. Many of the trails -- particularly the glades -- hold more challenge than you'll find at most Eastern resorts. Long before it was popular for Eastern resorts to cut glades, Jay's locals were sneaking into the woods to cut their own lines. After the resort president's son was caught skiing out of bounds, management cut some glades and opened them to the public, making tree skiing legit. Since 1987, the resort has cut 21 glades and two extreme chutes.

For this terrain, hardcore skiers and riders drive the distance to test themselves, and sometimes their friends. The focus here is the outdoors and all it has to offer, for better or worse. Come if you want to ski or ride your legs off, sink into a hot tub as the sun sets, then go to sleep early to get up early in the morning and do it all over again.

If you’re here for a week, you might want to consider taking a day or two to ski Quèbec’s Eastern Townships resorts, especially Mont Orford and Mont Sutton.

Summit elevation: 3,968 feet
Vertical drop: 2,153 feet
Base elevation: 1,815 feet

Expert: +++++
Advanced: +++++
Intermediate: +++
Beginner: ++
First-timer: ++

Dining: ++
Apres-ski/nightlife: +
Other activities: +

Address: 4850 VT Route 242, Jay, VT 05859
Area code: 802
Ski area phone: 988-2611
Snow report: 988-9601
Toll-free reservations:
(800) 451-4449 (outside Vermont) or 988-2611
E-mail: info@jaypeakresort.com
Internet: www.jaypeakresort.com

Number of lifts: 8—1 60-passenger aerial tramway, 1 high-speed quad, 2 quads, 1 triple, 1 double, 1 T-bar, 1 moving carpet
Snowmaking: 85 percent
Skiable acreage: 385 (plus 200 acres off-piste)
Uphill capacity: 12,175 per hour
Parks & pipes: 4 parks
Bed Base: 1,300 slopeside; 1,800 in area
Nearest lodging: Slopeside
Resort child care: Yes, 2–7 years; infant care for on-property guests available
Adult ticket, per day: $43–$59 (06/07)