JF Trail Report 1/11/08

[poconoceancity]

Hey All,

 

I'm back from a wet day of snowboarding. After having off 16 days in a row for the combination of my xmas break/family sick leave, there was no way I was going to work 5 days this week. So Tuesday I put in for a vacation day, called the substitute teacher hotline and bought a ticket for $9.33 off of WMMRs website. I woke up at 4:30 to pouring rain, thunder and lightning in the OC, but decided to go for it anyway. I left the house at 5:45 AM and took the back way to PA, 50 to 49 to 55 to 322 to 476. It was an easy ride, as I crossed the Commodore Barry Bridge at 7:00.

 

I arrived at JF at 8:30 and parked in what used to be the season pass holders lot. I had a season pass there from 2000-04, before I had kids, which are not good for racking up mad steezy vert. I booted up in the lot next to a bunch of dudes in a pick up with eagle jackets on, I new they would be soaked before they even hit the slopes. I was a three layer player (under armour, fleece and Burton Ronin shell). I hit the ticket window and handed the cute girl a print out of my conformation number and she handed me a ticket. As I took my gloves off to put on my ticket I realized that BDK was smart for spending the extra $100 on the VIP pass, as it would be a PITA to deal with every trip.

 

I hit the snow on skiers left and took the far left green down to the far left blue trail. It was raining hard with a few wet snowflakes in the mix also. Even though it was raining I immediately realized today was going to be much better than my day at BC last week. There is no way that that place has a 500 ft vertical, JF which has a 600ft vertical seems twice as high and has such a better lay out. I worked my way over to the East mountain hitting Lehigh, Demattes, Tbolt, and challenge 5 times each. I was really impressed with the conditions, the grooming was excellent and the snow was fast and held a really good edge. The east MT. was also in great shape, I hit everything there at least once and Floyds had some nice small bumps. By a little after 12:00 my gloves were soaked and the visibility was not improving much so I called it a day. I did not hit the WMMR party, since I had a 3 hour drive back to the OC. I really wish I had a house up there and will be working hard to buy one by 2011. As for next year I am definately renting a place for part of the season.

 

All in all it was a wet, but great day. I still think that a high speed lift would be the icing on the cake for JF. On the way home I busted up McDonalds and had a Big and Tasty, chicken sandwich, fries and a coke. Round trip was 375 miles, but it was still better than babysitting 11 year olds.

 

Thanks JF and WMMR for the cheap ticket.

[Barb]

nice report. Man that ride really sucks. I don't think I could do a one day trip. Make sure you kiss your awesome wife tonight. I am sure she is up to her eyes in diapers and baby puke.

[deboarder]

How the heck did you make it to JF in 2 hours and 45 minutes. What is this route 49 to 55 to 322 business?

 

EDIT: Nevermind, thought you were talking about Ocean City, MD.

Edited January 12, 2008 by deboarder

[bigdaddyk]

... I still think that a high speed lift would be the icing on the cake for JF. ...

 

 

The only place a HS lift would be practical would be on East Mt.

 

.... I was really impressed with the conditions, the grooming was excellent and the snow was fast and held a really good edge. ...

 

 

Always top notch

[poconoceancity]

nice report. Man that ride really sucks. I don't think I could do a one day trip. Make sure you kiss your awesome wife tonight. I am sure she is up to her eyes in diapers and baby puke.

My wife is awesome...she also has the help of her Grandmother who is a pediatric nurse and is staying with us till the 26th of January. They went to story time and music class today at the community center.

[Ski]

I really wish I had a house up there and will be working hard to buy one by 2011.

 

I'll help you move, Poc!

 

 

Great TR!

[poconoceancity]

I'll help you move, Poc!

 

 

Great TR!

 

Thanks...how long has your PA house been your permanent residence?

[Ski]

Thanks...how long has your PA house been your permanent residence?

Ty was born 7/2/00...the day after. Up here, it's the teachers who live like Wall Street mavericks, btw...

[method9455]

I would not want a HS quad on east mountain, I used to think I would, but it would get skied off too fast.

[Glenn]

High Speed quads have a similar hour capacity than a fixed grip quad..the chairs are just spaced out double as wide. I hope Jack Frost gets a high speed quad or six..I bet you could do 15 runs an hour..

 

They also attract more people than fixed grips.

[bigdaddyk]

I would not want a HS quad on east mountain, I used to think I would, but it would get skied off too fast.

 

I thought of that also. But remember, JF has two double chairs on East, which still equals four people at a time. There are two triple chairs on exhibition, which makes the equivalent of a six pack. The quad is also between them. Then to the west there are two more doubles. All of these lift service the mountain very well, in my opinion.

[RidgeRacer]

Nice TR Poconoceancity...thanks

[poconoceancity]

I would not want a HS quad on east mountain, I used to think I would, but it would get skied off too fast.

On a weekend the east mt. gets skied off too fast regardless of the type of lift. I think it would benefit everyone who gets out during the week. You could get twice as many runs in.

[method9455]

On a weekend the east mt. gets skied off too fast regardless of the type of lift. I think it would benefit everyone who gets out during the week. You could get twice as many runs in.

 

Thats true. I never really hit JFBB on weekends so I wouldn't know, although on the holiday week I went a couple days and Rivershot got skied off practically immediately. How much shorter is the East Mountain lift than the minimum? I feel like that lift could be pushed down and back at the base and up and forward at the top a bit if it needed to be longer.

 

I wouldn't hate on faster laps mid week but I feel like if it was the only high speed lift it would attract too many people. If any of the lifts where to go to high speed, I would like to see it be Exhibition. I get much more antsy lapping the park than lapping East Mountain because the run is so much shorter in the park. On east mountain there are lots of turns, some time in the trees, and on the lift up its always more of the mind set, hmm which way should I go this time? It goes quickly. Over on exhibition it is just painful. Plus it serves more trails than the East mountain lift so it would keep a lot of people over there around it.

[poconoceancity]

Thats true. I never really hit JFBB on weekends so I wouldn't know, although on the holiday week I went a couple days and Rivershot got skied off practically immediately. How much shorter is the East Mountain lift than the minimum? I feel like that lift could be pushed down and back at the base and up and forward at the top a bit if it needed to be longer.

 

I wouldn't hate on faster laps mid week but I feel like if it was the only high speed lift it would attract too many people. If any of the lifts where to go to high speed, I would like to see it be Exhibition. I get much more antsy lapping the park than lapping East Mountain because the run is so much shorter in the park. On east mountain there are lots of turns, some time in the trees, and on the lift up its always more of the mind set, hmm which way should I go this time? It goes quickly. Over on exhibition it is just painful. Plus it serves more trails than the East mountain lift so it would keep a lot of people over there around it.

 

I agree, the high speed would be better if it was more centrally located. Hey Method, where do you go to school?

[method9455]

University of Delaware. It is in Newark, DE. I don't really know how far it is from the mountains but our ski club goes to Blue weekly. I know Bear is a bit closer. I live in northern NJ, work in NYC and ski Mountain Creek/JFBB/Camelback/Shawnee/Blue & head up to Hunter/Belleayre. JFBB is my favorite this year.

[Papasteeze]

University of Delaware. It is in Newark, DE. I don't really know how far it is from the mountains but our ski club goes to Blue weekly. I know Bear is a bit closer. I live in northern NJ, work in NYC and ski Mountain Creek/JFBB/Camelback/Shawnee/Blue & head up to Hunter/Belleayre. JFBB is my favorite this year.

 

good god.. over achieve much?

[method9455]

good god.. over achieve much?

 

Its a problem I pick up way too many responsibilities and never have time left for snowboarding. I had this whole winter break free for snowboarding and then my internship in the city wanted me to work so I'm there now, not sure how often, but enough that it is putting a damper on my riding. I guess I'm just going to have to start going on weekends as much as I hate the crowds.

[Papasteeze]

I guess I'm just going to have to start going on weekends as much as I hate the crowds.

 

 

Boulder has been very managable with the crowds however that might change as we get deeper into the season and as people find out that they still have a huge amount of snow and are 100% open

[method9455]

I went over the holidays and it wasn't as bad as Mountain Creek on the weekends there, but mostly because there are so many more lifts. Mountain creek has 1 lift per peak basically and the line is out of control. JFBB also has 4 separate park runs so you can get away from the crowds. I find One Park at JF to be very uncrowded most of the time.

[stever2003]

oh god, there was this poor girl in jeans and a black denim jacket at JF on friday. she was alone, about 17yo, i'm pretty sure she'd never been on skis, and she was getting down the bunny slopes at a rate of about 20 feet/hour. she looked miserable, and my sister gave her gloves since she had none. i saw her with some friends later, i'm pretty sure they thought it would be a great idea for her to come up for the $10 lift ticket and just left her alone when they got here. i'm pretty sure she'll never try skiing again.

 

 

i taught my girlfriend, sarah, how to ski. i'd say it was successful, as she seems to be one who would do better watching from the lodge all day than out on the slopes. she was not too happy early in the day when it was still raining, and i think that was putting a damper on things. she had some trouble getting down at first. No trouble getting on the lift, and only fell the first two times getting off the lift. after lunch, the sun was out, and she was happier. by the end of the day she had a few runs without falling under her belt. for some reason i couldn't get her to turn, which baffled me because every time she got off the lift she would make a perfect turn to the left to get back to the slope. i'll work on that next time she skis.

 

since i spent the whole day with sarah, i was unable to check out the rest of the mountain. i really wanted to check out the bumps on floyds folly, and i do enjoy the speed run down river shot. maybe next time...