Which area has the most interesting beginner area?

IBRAKEFORTBARS

Which place didn’t want to just sling a rope tow or magic carpet up a slight incline for the beginners? Someplace that put some thought to create a unique learning area with maybe multiple trails and a little challenge in spots?

newpylong

I will give Sunapee a mention, their Clipper Ship lift area has it all for beginners culminating to low intermediate right under the lift.

Shameless plug for Whaleback where we have tried to within our budget create a progressive learning experience from Magic Carpet to Tow to T-Bar all in one dedicated area.

IBRAKEFORTBARS

I will gladly second and salute your shameless plug for Whaleback’s beginner area!!! It simply cannot get any better than a brand “new” Hall t-bar install for great, varied beginner terrain.

IBRAKEFORTBARS

How many trails does that T serve: four?

joshua_segal

Lots of Ski areas have superb beginner terrain. Hard to beat the Snowshed at Killington or the South Branch at Saddleback. I agree with newpylong’s suggestion of Sunapee. The key thing all of these have: 1) A long wide slope of relatively uniform pitch 2) A lift dedicated to the beginner area 3) The area is protected from the rest of the mountain, so that a non-beginner doesn’t get on it accidentally not realizing to what they are transitioning.

sugarloaf

Catamount has a nice beginner area with some features on some of the greens to make things interesting. They also have some flat wide opened glades.
The triple chair also has a mid-station if you want to only ski the true beginner trails.

riverc0il

Burke. How many other areas have a HSQ servicing an entire beginner terrain pod? HSQs are a very beginner friendly first lift. Upper level skiers may occasionally buzz past but I think with the new mid-mountain lodge, that isn’t going to happen very often any more except for last run of the day.

Smuggs has a robust pod completely isolated from the main mountain which limits upper level skiers. I’ve actually never skied Morse despite Smuggs being a personal favorite mountain.

Treilly

Sunway at Gore is a great beginner run. It’s 2 miles long so they can get a rhythm going and when it’s starts to get just a little steep it gets pretty flat again

newpylong

> @IBRAKEFORTBARS said:
> How many trails does that T serve: four?

Yes 4, 1 being a good short glade!

IBRAKEFORTBARS

> @newpylong said:
> > @IBRAKEFORTBARS said:
> > How many trails does that T serve: four?
>
> Yes 4, 1 being a good short glade!

Wow, even a glade, too! What a perfect beginner area setup!

ADKskier

Anyone who has ever been to Smuggs has to give them a nod for one of the best in North America. I would also include Whiteface with their exclusive base and multiple lifts beginner area. Stowe is just too expensive, but they too have a great beginners area with the toll house double.

powderstud

From what I’m told, Cannon has done a nice job with the Tuckerbrook area. Not that I’ve skied it, but I trust the opinion of a friend who has a young family and said his kids loved it. It’s also somewhat removed from the main ski area, so it has the feel of a self-contained place just for beginners.

ADKskier

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“ADKskier”>Anyone who has ever been to Smuggs has to give them a nod for one of the best in North America. I would also include Whiteface with their exclusive base and multiple lifts beginner area. Stowe is just too expensive, but they too have a great beginners area with the toll house double.</blockquote>

I know some may question that Whiteface is just as expensive, I did some research a family of 4 two adults and two Children:

Comes out to 304 and Whiteface- 6 and under free and almost 400 and Stowe- 4 and under free

Treilly

The left side of Caberfae a Peaks north Peak has Smiling Irishman witch leads to many runs to the bottom

Chuckstah

Bretton Woods. My friend’s father could not believe I was skiing from the summit my second days on skis 40 something years ago. Perfect set up, as much of the hill is green pasture. Still like it today.

skirick

Hunter One. Nice pod with multiple lifts that keeps the advanced skiers away. Rentals are right there also and off to the side of the main lodge. The only problem is where to go from there? Hunter is trying to solve that with the expansion of Hunter North.

ski_it

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“powderstud”>From what I’m told, Cannon has done a nice job with the Tuckerbrook area. Not that I’ve skied it, but I trust the opinion of a friend who has a young family and said his kids loved it. It’s also somewhat removed from the main ski area, so it has the feel of a self-contained place just for beginners.</blockquote> It is nice, except for the people cutting across to & from Mittersill. And then there’s those of us that miss the cut over and add unnecessarily to the crush at the Tuckerbrook chair. On the way back it’s a little better segregated.

ski_it

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“skirick”>Hunter One. Nice pod with multiple lifts that keeps the advanced skiers away. Rentals are right there also and off to the side of the main lodge. The only problem is where to go from there? Hunter is trying to solve that with the expansion of Hunter North. </blockquote> Well they could go up I believe. Except when I was there midweek last year with lots of snow, it was closed.

Bill29

Ward Hill (Ski Ward). The whole place is a beginner area where, over the years, they have turned out some very good skiers.

z1000307470

Belleayre - Belleayre’s lower section has two 3000 foot long double chairs over 500 vertical feet, about 10 mellow trails, and its own lodge. It is separated from the main mountain. It is an oasis for beginners and novices.