Snow Business: The Left Side Can Be The Right Side At Jiminy Peak

HANCOCK, MA — Officials at Jiminy Peak have done a remarkable job in making an always-underrated part of the mountain a whole lot better.

OK ... let's get there. Take the main six-pack lift to the summit and hang a right off the chair. Look for West Way and stay on it (with an option to sneak into Azalea Park and visit the windmill) until an intersection that includes Grand Slam, Ace of Spades and John Hancock.

Yeah, yeah, on the map it seems like two uneventful green trails (Slam and Hancock) wrapped around a modest black diamond cruiser (Spades) that are serviced by an older, slower lift. In reality it's an option to three trails less-ridden on which families can hide from the masses and there is usually no waiting to head back up.

Let's face it, the signature main-face blacks and double-blacks like Jericho, Upper Whitetail and Wild Turkey define Jiminy. They are legit steeps that can make the 1,000-vertical-foot drop a challenge. On the right side, Widow White's Peak provides a playground for most aibility levels.

But there are days when you just want to hide, and the left side (looking down) can be just as good. Oh, by the way, it also tends to have the best snow.

Let's look at some of the highlights:

• The roadwork: Let's go way, way over to the left for a bit. In the past, inconsistent pitches could make it choppy over there for the kids in terms of getting them on a roll and working on their turns. The area has been contoured, shaped and transitioned into a consistent cruiser that the kids just love.
• The convenience: The area skis and rides right down to the Country Inn, which means guests can take a break in either their rooms or for lunch at John Harvard's restaurant (if the fish chowder is on the menu, don't hesitate to order it). The mountain coaster can also be accessed from that side of the resort.
• The tease: The outdoor heated pool is also at the base and it's oh so tempting to take a quick dip between runs.
• The "private" lift: There rarely seems to be a line over that way.
• The challenge: It's not all slow greens over that way for those who want to step things up. Though on the short side in terms of length, Ace of Spades does offer a nice cruise.

What's happening on the left side of Jiminy is another solid capital decision by its parent company, The Fairbank Group. Based at Jiminy Peak and co-owned by the father-son team of Brian Fairbank and Tyler Fairbank, the company manages and oversees a group of businesses that include Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, Cranmore Mountain Resort and Bromley Mountain, as well as SnowGun Technologies, EOS Ventures, Bullwheel Productions and other endeavors.

Jiminy is located in the Berkshire Mountains in Hancock, MA, 96 miles from Hartford and 137 from Greenwich.

Photo Credit: Jiminy Peak; Chris Dehnel

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Chris Dehnel is a Patch editor and a past-president of the Eastern Ski Writers Association. He has been writing about skiing and snowboarding for more than two decades. The Snow Business column runs during the season.