Jay Peak and Big Jay Hike

We decided to visit 2 peaks on the New England Hundred Highest which are way up North in Vermont. So far North, they are practically in Canada! It can be a significant drive for some members so we invited everyone to stay at the house for the weekend and use it as a launching pad. Jim and Richard took us up on the offer. From our house, it was a two hour drive.

Jay Peak lies along the Long Trail and is one of the finest high peaks of Vermont. The Jay Peak ski area blasted half the summit off to build a summit building on it so they could install a Tram. Regardless, it still has an open, rocky summit offering fine views in all directions, and is a pretty short hike of 1.7 miles and about 1,650 feet of elevation gain [one-way].

It's little brother, Big Jay, lies less than a mile away, but is not officially trailed. However, there is a herd path from near the summit of Jay Peak that leads directly to the summit of Big Jay that once upon a time was cleared with chainsaws. Not signed or maintained in any way, the herd path can still be easily be followed, though renown for its mud pits.

Our group of 7 hit the trail around 10:30 despite a planned start of 10. Good thing the day was supposed to be a short one and it was summer, with lots of daylight left!

The climb started under sunny skies and low humidity. The trail was wonderful down low. Good footing, steady but not steep grades, and we ended up making quick work of the climb. We never even really noticed the elevation gain, and before long we were at stairs to help us get over a snowmaking pipeline. We met many hikers on their way down during our ascent. No one else had gone past the summit of Jay Peak to our knowledge.

Here, three of our group turned and walked up the ski slope. The rest of us crossed the ski trail and continued using the Long Trail to reach the summit. In short order, we reached the summit after some scrambling. Views were spectacular! We went inside the summit building cafeteria for lunch where most of us had already brought our own sandwiches. Jon and I had to have a cold Jay Peak Tram Ale to drink along with our sandwiches.

After lunch, Fred and Jeff decided to turn around while the rest of us continued south on the Long Trail. We headed down the other side of the mountain, following the white blazes down a ski slope for a short distance. A steep one! There were some nice wildflowers on the ski slopes.

From the ski slope, the Long Trail turns through a boundary fence, and enters the woods. Very shortly on this stretch, an obvious herd path diverges left while the Long Trail goes straight. This herd path takes you to Big Jay.

However, said herd path is overgrown in spots, had a few blowdowns at the start, [not a big deal, and a fact of life with herd paths] and quickly gets muddy. We spent time tip-toeing around massive mud bogs [bushwhacking around the herd path]. About halfway, Jim B. had enough and decided to turn around. The rest of us continued and eventually reached the summit of Big Jay.

We got our picture taken by the litter basket. With a few bugs hanging out we took a quick u-turn., navigating back through the "swamps" where we met Jim who decided to wait for us because he was unsure which way to go. We returned back to the summit of Jay Peak.

We refilled our water bottles and knew we had a two hour drive to get home so we made good time on the descent. The descent was uneventful, said our goodbyes to Jim and headed back home. At the house, Jon grilled up a delicious lime chicken, sausage, green beans and pita bread. For sides we had cucumber salad, cole slaw and a garden salad. As we were eating, we enjoyed watching a full moon rise from behind the clouds.

Jay Peak is a great hike, just a looooong way for a really short hike. Don't bother with Big Jay unless you think you are going to do the New England 100 Highest! It's probably best to make it a camping weekend when doing a hike up to Jay Peak alone and be able to check out what the area has to offer. 

 A big thanks to everyone for making it such an enjoyable hike!

Join us for change of scenery by the Canadian border hiking up these New England 100 highest peaks!

The panoramic views from the summit of Jay Peak is superb! We can buy lunch and a beer in the summit restaurant. Jay Peak is 3,858 feet high and Big Jay is 3,786 feet.

Jay Peak is on the Long Trail but Big Jay is not. We'll be taking a herd path from Jay Peak to Big Jay during our hike. If you're only interested in going to Jay Peak but not Big Jay, you can feel free to skip Big Jay and return to your car on your own.

This is a round trip hike which doesn't require a car spot. Total mileage is 5.25 miles [3.4 miles if you only go to Jay Peak] with 2,500 feet of elevation gain. The Long Trail follows the main ridge of the Green Mountains from Masschusetts to the Canadian border and it crosses Vermont's highest mountains including Jay Peak.

The 1.7 mile section of the trail to the summit is a beautiful hike which climbs 1,526 feet up the back side of Jay Peak to the rewarding views at the summit. After reaching the summit of Jay Peak, we follow the Long Trail a few dozen steps further to find the herd path on the left side. This is the path we'll be taking to reach Big Jay. Herd path hiking won't be so challenging except for a section of boot sucking hungry mud! It might be a good idea to wear gaiters if you have them. Elevation gain is approximately 466 feet. It may take an additional 1.5 hours to include Big Jay into our hike. There is a canister at the summit of Big Jay with a logbook to register proof of our hike.

We take the same route back to the parking lot: herd path and Long Trail. We are planning on 5.5 hours to complete this trip.

Lodging Option: Since the trailhead is a two hour drive from our riverside house in Waterville Valley NH we suggest you spend both Friday and Saturday night with us. We can carpool from the house to the trailhead. We have bunk beds, it's $20 per night and includes breakfast/coffee in the morning. When we get back from the hike we can take showers and have a cookout from our deck with wonderful views of the Sandwich Mountain! We charge an additional $5 for dinner to defray our cost. Let us know you want a bunk and whether its for Friday or Friday/Saturday.