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Jay Peak (Vermont)
Encyclopedia
Jay Peak is a mountain
located about 5 mi. (8 km) south of the United States-Canada border, in Jay
and Westfield
, Orleans County
, Vermont
, of which it is the highest point.
Most of the mountain is in Jay Peak State Forest.
The mountain is named for the town of Jay
in which much of the mountain except the peak area is located. The town of Jay
, in turn, is named for John Jay
(1745–1829). It is part of the northern Green Mountains
.
The mountain is flanked to the southwest by Big Jay
, and to the north by North Jay Peak (3,438 ft / 1,048 m).
The mountain is in the watershed
of the Missisquoi River
, which drains into Lake Champlain
, thence into Canada
's Richelieu River
, the Saint Lawrence River
, and into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
.
The south side of the mountain drains into Jay Brook, thence west into the Trout River and the Missisquoi River.
The northwest side of the mountain drains into Black Falls Brook, and thence into the Trout River.
The north and northeast sides of the mountain drain east into the Jay Branch of the Missisquoi River.
Jay Peak is the northernmost major mountain crossed by the Long Trail
, a 272-mile (438-km) hiking trail
running the length of Vermont.
The Jay Peak Resort is on the northeast side of Jay Peak.
training plane crashed into the west side of the mountain near the top during a blinding snowfall killing one crew member.
The Summit of Jay Peak was originally higher, but was leveled to construct the Sky Haus for the Jay Peak Ski Resort.
In the mid 1950's Brothers Ernest W. Gilpin and Wallaca H. Gilpin, both VT state legislaters and newspaper men began and achieved their campaign to construct a highway over Jay Peak, to connect Troy to Montgomery. The Starr family of Troy, VT donated portions of their extensive land for the right-of-way for the VT Rte 242 construction.
The peaks across the highway to the south are named for the brothers Gilpin, "Gilpin Mountain," a stone monument was dedicated to them and sits at the main entrance to the Jay Peak Resort at the highway.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located about 5 mi. (8 km) south of the United States-Canada border, in Jay
Jay, Vermont
Jay is one of the northernmost towns in Orleans County, Vermont, United States, located on the Canadian border. The population was 426 at the 2000 census. Jay is named for John Jay, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The US Census Bureau estimated that the town's population had...
and Westfield
Westfield, Vermont
Westfield is a town in Orleans County, Vermont in the United States. The population was 503 at the 2000 census. It is the least densely populated town in the county...
, Orleans County
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the county...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, of which it is the highest point.
Most of the mountain is in Jay Peak State Forest.
The mountain is named for the town of Jay
Jay, Vermont
Jay is one of the northernmost towns in Orleans County, Vermont, United States, located on the Canadian border. The population was 426 at the 2000 census. Jay is named for John Jay, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The US Census Bureau estimated that the town's population had...
in which much of the mountain except the peak area is located. The town of Jay
Jay, Vermont
Jay is one of the northernmost towns in Orleans County, Vermont, United States, located on the Canadian border. The population was 426 at the 2000 census. Jay is named for John Jay, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The US Census Bureau estimated that the town's population had...
, in turn, is named for John Jay
John Jay
John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States ....
(1745–1829). It is part of the northern Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
.
The mountain is flanked to the southwest by Big Jay
Big Jay
Big Jay is a mountain in the northern Green Mountains of Vermont, located on the border of Franklin and Orleans counties.The summit of Big Jay is the highest point of Franklin County...
, and to the north by North Jay Peak (3,438 ft / 1,048 m).
The mountain is in the watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of the Missisquoi River
Missisquoi River
The Missisquoi River is a tributary of Lake Champlain, approximately 80 mi long, in northern Vermont in the United States and southern Quebec in Canada. It drains a rural area of the northern Green Mountains along the US-Canada border northeast of Lake Champlain, and an area of Quebec's Eastern...
, which drains into Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
, thence into Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Richelieu River
Richelieu River
The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
, the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
, and into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
.
The south side of the mountain drains into Jay Brook, thence west into the Trout River and the Missisquoi River.
The northwest side of the mountain drains into Black Falls Brook, and thence into the Trout River.
The north and northeast sides of the mountain drain east into the Jay Branch of the Missisquoi River.
Jay Peak is the northernmost major mountain crossed by the Long Trail
Long Trail
The Long Trail is a hiking trail located in Vermont, running the length of the state. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States, constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club...
, a 272-mile (438-km) hiking trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
running the length of Vermont.
The Jay Peak Resort is on the northeast side of Jay Peak.
History
On November 10, 1943, a Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
training plane crashed into the west side of the mountain near the top during a blinding snowfall killing one crew member.
The Summit of Jay Peak was originally higher, but was leveled to construct the Sky Haus for the Jay Peak Ski Resort.
In the mid 1950's Brothers Ernest W. Gilpin and Wallaca H. Gilpin, both VT state legislaters and newspaper men began and achieved their campaign to construct a highway over Jay Peak, to connect Troy to Montgomery. The Starr family of Troy, VT donated portions of their extensive land for the right-of-way for the VT Rte 242 construction.
The peaks across the highway to the south are named for the brothers Gilpin, "Gilpin Mountain," a stone monument was dedicated to them and sits at the main entrance to the Jay Peak Resort at the highway.
See also
- List of mountains in Vermont
- New England Fifty FinestNew England Fifty FinestThe New England Fifty Finest is a list of mountains in New England, used in the mountaineering sport of peak bagging.The list comprises the fifty summits with the highest topographic prominence — a peak's height above the lowest contour which encloses that peak and no higher peak.This list differs...
- New England Hundred HighestNew England Hundred HighestThe New England Hundred Highest is a list of the hundred highest summits in New England, used in the mountaineering sport of peak bagging. The list is a superset of the New England Four-thousand footers, with the same requirement that each included peak must have of topographic prominence .The...
- Jay Peak Resort