Jay Peak is a

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

located about south of the Canada–US border, in

Jay A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian m ...

and Westfield, Orleans County,

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, of which it is the highest point. Most of the mountain is in

Jay State Forest Jay State Forest covers in two tracts in Jay, Richford, Montgomery and Westfield in Franklin and Orleans counties in Vermont. The forest is managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. The forest is divided into two ...

. The mountain is named for the town of Jay, Vermont, in which much of the mountain except the peak area itself is located. The town of Jay is in turn named for

John Jay John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, patriot, diplomat, abolitionist, signatory of the Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served as the second governor of New York and the first ...

, the first Chief Justice of the United States and a local landholder. Jay Peak is part of the northern

Green Mountains The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada. The part of the same range that is in ...

. The mountain is flanked to the southwest by

Big Jay Big Jay is a mountain in the northern Green Mountains of Vermont, located on the border of Franklin County, Vermont, Franklin and Orleans County, Vermont, Orleans counties. The summit of Big Jay is the highest point of Franklin County. Big Ja ...

, and to the north by North Jay Peak (3,438 ft / 1,048 m). The mountain is in the watershed of the

Missisquoi River The Missisquoi River is a transboundary river of the east shore of Lake Champlain (via Missisquoi Bay), approximately long, in northern Vermont in the United States and southern Quebec in Canada. It drains a rural area of the northern Green Mount ...

, which drains into

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

, thence into

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Richelieu River The Richelieu River () is a river of Quebec, Canada, and a major right-bank tributary of the St. Lawrence River. It rises at Lake Champlain, from which it flows northward through Quebec and empties into the St. Lawrence. It was formerly kno ...

, the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connectin ...

, and finally into the

Gulf of Saint Lawrence , image = Baie de la Tour.jpg , alt = , caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec , image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg , alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...

. 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 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. The club remains the primary organiza ...

, a 272-mile (438-km) hiking

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

running the length of Vermont. The

Jay Peak Resort Jay Peak Resort is an American ski resort located on Jay Peak in the Green Mountains, between the Village of Jay and Montgomery Center, Vermont. Its vertical drop of is the eighth largest in New England and the fifth largest in Vermont. Alth ...

is on the mountain's northeast side.

History

On November 10, 1943, a

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

training plane crashed into the west side of the mountain near the top during a blinding snowfall killing one crew member. In the mid 1950s brothers

Ernest W. Gilpin Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman ...

and

Wallace H. Gilpin Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full nam ...

, both state legislators and newspaper men, began and achieved their campaign to construct a highway over the south flank of Jay Peak, to connect Troy to

Montgomery, Vermont Montgomery is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 1,184. In 1963, part of Avery's Gore in Franklin County became part of Montgomery, with the other section becoming part of Belvidere in Lam ...

. The Starr family of Troy donated portions of land for the right-of-way for the

Vermont Route 242 Vermont Route 242 (VT 242) is a state highway located in Franklin and Orleans counties, Vermont, United States. The route begins at an intersection with VT 118 (Main Street) in the town of Montgomery and runs through the Green ...

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 Jay Peak Resort at the highway. Jay Peak Vt seen from Big Jay

References

External links

* {{Authority control Mountains of Vermont Jay, Vermont New England Hundred Highest Landforms of Orleans County, Vermont

History

See also

References

External links