| Big Jay | |
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,154 m (3,786 ft) |
| Prominence | 120 m (390 ft)[1] |
| Listing | #93 New England 100 Highest |
| Coordinates | 44°54.91′N 72°32.44′W / 44.91517°N 72.54067°W / 44.91517; -72.54067 |
| Geography | |
| Location | Montgomery / Westfield, Vermont, USA |
| Parent range | Green Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Jay Peak |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | herd path |
Big Jay is a mountain in the northern Green MountainsofVermont, located on the border of Franklin and Orleans counties.
The summit of Big Jay is the highest point of Franklin County. Big Jay is flanked to the south by Little Jay (3,182 ft / 970 m), and to the northeast by Jay Peak (3,865 ft / 1,176 m), the highest summit of the Jay Peak complex. Jay Peak is named for John Jay (1745–1829) of New York, one of the "founding fathers" of the United States.
Big Jay stands within the watershed of the Trout River, a tributary 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 east and southeast sides of Big Jay drain into Jay Brook, which joins the South Branch Trout River in Montgomery to form the Trout River. The southwest and western sides of Big Jay drain into Hannah Clark Brook, and thence into the Trout. The northern end of Big Jay drains into Black Falls Brook, and thence into the Trout.
In the summer of 2007 two Northeast Kingdom men cut an illegal ski trail several hundred yards down the eastern side of the protected habitat. The charge carries a maximum $5,000 fine and five years in jail.[2] Access to the mountain from the saddle is now temporarily closed to skiers and snowboarders. Winter access can be achieved by climbing or skinning up from Route 242. According to a post by the Green Mountain Club's Director of Stewardship/Facilities Manager, the link trail is not closed to hikers.[3] However hikers, and skiers, should stay off the scar.
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