Highlanders Hit the Slopes at Jay Peak

This year marked our seventh trip to Jay Peak Ski Resort in Jay, Vermont, located just 45 minutes from the Vermont-Quebec border at Derby Line. The resort, once owned by a family from Quebec, still maintains strong ties to Canada, with a significant portion of its visitors coming from north of the border. In fact, Jay Peak depends so much on Canadian visitors that it accepts Canadian dollars at par for hotel stays and lift tickets.

For chaperones, the resort is a dream come true. Our 94 KES students ski all day and then spend their evenings swimming, sliding, and surfing at the indoor water park. By the time the 10:00 pm room check arrives, we often find ourselves waking students up just to check on them.

The weather ranged from bluebird days with bright sunshine and clear skies to near-blizzard conditions on our final afternoon of skiing. There was no risk of snow melt, as temperatures remained cold, dropping to -30°C with the wind chill. At that point, many of our students opted to trade their skis and snowboards for a warm soak in the hot tubs.

Throughout the trip, Jay Peak staff consistently praised our students for their maturity and politeness. A big thank you to my co-lead organizer, Mrs. Shari Hadley, and to each of our chaperones for making this such a fantastic experience: Mrs. Magda Montgomery, Mr. Mike Montgomery, Ms. Vanessa Wade, and Ms. Kara Lister-Wade.