Sign In | January 2012
The Pump House at Jay Peak Now Open
Get ready to have your wool socks knocked right off your feet. The Pump House, a 50,000-square-foot indoor water park on the Jay Peak campus, is now open to the public.
Imagine giving a kid a box of crayons and asking him or her to draw the coolest place ever, and then turning that drawing over to an engineer, architect, and construction firm, and telling them to make it real. That’s what it looks like at the Pump House. Whimsical sculptures give the park a Willy Wonka–esque vibe, cabanas provide an island feel, and the 70-seat bar is perfect for viewing all the action.
You can now surf in Vermont, thanks to the Double Barrel, in which you can ride a boogie board or stand up and surf on miniature surfboards (about the size of a skateboard).
There are four water slides, including La Chute, which drops you 60 feet per second and tosses you upside down. But the other slides are fun too—you travel outside of the building, and it puts you in the dark for portions, so you don’t know what to expect.
A bouldering wall (a little challenging with wet hands) above a pool, “hot springs,” and the “lazy” river, which encircles the park, add to the fun as well.
The park lacks the chlorine smell because Jay is using about half as much chlorine as typical public pools. Non-odiferous UV rays help sterilize the water.
Admission is $35 per adult per day and $25 for juniors.
—Vermont Sports
Wintervale Days Celebrate Free XC Skiing in Burlington
For the past few years, volunteers have been grooming a 3-plus mile
loop in Burlington’s Intervale Center for free cross-country skiing,
whenever snow conditions allow. Support and use has been growing
steadily, and this winter there will be three specific festivals to
celebrate this community-focused activity. Wintervale festivities will
happen on Jan. 15, Feb. 5, and March 11. On these days you can head
down to the Intervale and demo ski gear for free, and enjoy food, as
well as volunteer-led lessons for beginners. Trails will be groomed
for classic and skate skiing.
Don’t need demo gear, or can’t make these dates? Check the Local
Motion Cross-Country Ski Facebook page for
up-to-date snow and trail conditions throughout the winter. You can
also join up with groups organizing for morning, after work, or full
moon ski tours.
It’s always free, but donations are encouraged. Major funding for the
Wintervale events has been provided by MVP Healthcare, with additional
support from The SkiRack, Local Motion, The Intervale Center,
Burlington Parks and Recreation, Catamount Trail Association,
RunVermont, and the Intervale Community Farm.
–Peter Wadsworth
260 Acres in Stowe To Be Preserved for Bike Trails, Natural Space
The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board has awarded $350,000 to the Stowe Land Trust to go toward the purchase of the 260-acre Cady Hill Forest, located in the heart of Stowe. The land is adjacent to the 60-acre Macutchan Forest, which is owned by the town of Stowe.
Cady Hill is home to about 20 percent of the mountain biking trails in the region and connects to the Vermont Ride Center, a 65-mile trail network that spans from Perry Hill in Putnam State Forest and Little River State park to Adams Camp and Cotton Brook area in Stowe. The property will be open to all nonmotorized uses, including hiking, biking, and hunting.
The Stowe Land Trust has a closing date on the property in May and is planning to raise the remainder of the purchase costs through private donations ($887,000) and by asking taxpayers for a $288,000 appropriation (which will be voted on at Town Meeting Day in March). Once the land trust closes on the property, it will turn it over to the town. The town is using part of its capital budget funds to build a 20-car parking lot on the Mountain Road across from PAR Springer-Miller Systems.
—Vermont Sports