Best uncrowded, beginner mountain for holidays??

[bousquet19]

SO There ru confused enough now? -- we've all weighed in with a diversity of opinion . Whatever you decide -- relax - HAVE FUN , TAKE A LESSON , and above all just enjoy the experience . I didn't start downhill skiing till i was 50 so if i can learn and now love the sport you can too ----------ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!

Heed WarpDaddy's advice wherever you go. Sign up for lessons; you'll get to know the mountain, meet some people and improve your comfort level with skiing.

In terms of terrain, check out Wisp in Maryland. Nice beginner runs, especially those that connect the top of the main lifts with the North Camp Extension (e.g., trails such as Backbone Pass and Big Dipper). They are gentle and wide. Wisp is in beautiful surroundings, too. Consider a bed & breakfast in Grantsville, MD (e.g., the Elliott House) and be sure to eat at Penn Alps and the Casselman Inn.

Enjoy,
Woody

 

[mister moose]

One more suggestion. Not as far as Vermont, but full of things to do is the Great Barrington/Lenox/Sturbridge area. Butternut is a mini Okemo, with lots of greens and easy blues. They always get good marks for grooming. To break it up a little drive up to Jiminy Peak.

 

[trackbiker]

If you are a beginner and thought that Blues trails were long, you may want to check out some of the "off the map" places in PA like Skytop Lodge or Eagle Rock Resort. Skytop has a private ski area and Eagle Rock is semi private. Crowds will not be a problem at either and you don't have to drive 6 hours to get there. Save the trip to VT for when your skills improve. You'll enjoy it much more. JMHO

 

[arik]

I guess Holiday Valley in Western New York is close to the western part of PA, uncrowded, and good for beginners. Not sure where in PA our vacationer resides.

 

[Greg]

One more suggestion. Not as far as Vermont, but full of things to do is the Great Barrington/Lenox/Sturbridge area. Butternut is a mini Okemo, with lots of greens and easy blues. They always get good marks for grooming. To break it up a little drive up to Jiminy Peak.

Butternut can be as crowded as it gets though, especially on a holiday week. Long lines for fixed grips may be frustrating. Perfect terrain though - very gentle, and top notch grooming.

 

[Warp Daddy]

Butternut can be as crowded as it gets though, especially on a holiday week. Long lines for fixed grips may be frustrating. Perfect terrain though - very gentle, and top notch grooming.

I was originally going to recommend Butternut too , but the holiday crowds will be a real issue there . But u may want to make a trip there sometime this season and GB is a very pleasant area and u can do Catamount and Jiminy Peak too a real nice trifecta for you.

 

[zinger3000]

Belleayre

I think someone already mentioned Belleayre. I would recommend Belleayre for beginners, especially novices, though I'm not sure how crowded they get during holiday periods, and I'm not sure what the lodging situation is like in that area. Belleayre has 4 green (beginner) trails, - all super easy - all at the bottom of the mountain. The way the trails are laid out, those 4 green trails are essentially in their own section of the mountain and are generally only used by beginner skiiers, as the more advanced skiiers will only go as far down as the Superchief Quad. Basically, 2 of the trails run down one side of the lift line, 2 down the other side. There are 2 parallel lifts that serve this section of trails; they open both lifts during busier times. Unfortunately, those lifts are pretty slow. They cover about 550 feet of vertical, so the trails aren't too long. Also, you can try taking the Superchief Quad to the top and try the Roaring Brook trail - it's listed as a "blue" trail on the trail map, though I think most ski areas would consider it a green trail.
In any event, I'll be curious to find out what you finally decide. You can even post a review in the "Reviews" section once you come back from your trip. I'm sure you'll help other people out by doing so. I know I've used other people's reviews to help in my decision of picking a ski area which suits my own personal tastes.

 

[tequiladoug]

Windham, Okemo, Stratton would be better choices then Gore.

 

[mondeo]

I guess Holiday Valley in Western New York is close to the western part of PA, uncrowded, and good for beginners. Not sure where in PA our vacationer resides.

For western PA, this is a good suggestion. They should have most of their beginner terrain open, of which there's a decent amount. Crowds aren't too bad as long as you stay away from the Mardi Gras chair, even there they aren't terrible. Not that much vert (750') but a good amount of terrain, good at keeping the masses spread out over the entire hill. Plus Ellicotville is a nice little village.

It's where I'll be over the break, anyways.