Intermediate trails that are now labeled as beginner trails...

[Jully]

Just the upper section, because that first section is not really beginner friendly. Wish the rest was like that, lol.

You're right. The upper section is more interesting / not beginner friendly. It just sucks there is no way to cut back to the rest of the mountain after that part!

 

[slatham]

They also got 2 more trails out of it "Snowdance Pitch" and "NE Time".

The air lines are still active on trails with fans but using the Kids over there makes more sense. 3 phase is a lot easier to haul through woods than hose and they'll only need a couple for that stretch.

While I doubt adding to the trail count was the goal, I am sure it wasn't lost on them when they did this. Was this just done? I certainly didn't notice it when I was there last year.

I am also not sure I buy it. But I guess if you make enough snow to flatten the undulations and groom it up it could be a green. And I am sure a motivation has to be to get families to Canyon side and maybe off Long John, which is way too crowded on busy weekends.

 

[xwhaler]

Oddly enough, the beginning of Blueberry Patch from the Ski Patrol shack up to the turn before the flat gives beginners a lo of trouble. Often too much traffic at varying skill levels and it gets chopped up. I rarely go that way because I do not like the flat part of that trail.

Early season this will likely be our only option unless they decide to get Upper/Newfound Ridge going opening day (I'd much prefer this!)
We will find out 12/2

 

[fbrissette]

When I'm by myself though, I find even the triple-black upside-down diamond trails littered with ice waterfalls and the sun-bleached bones of those not as awesome as me to be moderately challenging, assuming I am on a monoski. If I'm on my old school Kneissels 210s, everything is so stupidly easy. It's the time I use to scrapbook.

Highway Star, is that you ?

 

[BenedictGomez]

Highway Star, is that you ?

After the Olympics, everything looked so damned easy.

 

[dlague]

Upper/Newfound Ridge is the way to go if not hitting trails to skiers left of the 6 pack or Exhibition. A little skating but worth the fare!

 

[RISkier]

IMO, Mount Snow is a poor beginner mountain, tons of low intermediate terrain, but not much for beginners. And I think of Long John as one of those really dangerous "easiest way down" trail. Mixture of folks bombing it to get over to Carinthia, skies using it to access other trails, and full of struggling beginners because it's the only green trail from the summit. So they are probably hoping to divert some of that beginner traffic, but... If you want to see a steep green, try Big Emma (I think that's the name) at Snowbird. Until recently Stowe had Main Street rated blue. They were even marketing it as a "family" area for a year or two. While most of it is nice intermediate level terrain, the headwall is definitely not. I've seen lots of folks just standing at the top looking down. One day I saw 3 people standing at the top. We continued down, got back on the lift, and when we got back they were maybe 1/3 of the way down. I felt sorry for them. They've now marked it black.

 

[steamboat1]

Snowshed at Killington is the best beginner pod in the northeast.

 

[deadheadskier]

I'd agree with that. Good long and wide run plus Yoddler. The pod is well separated from the rest of the mountain and more advanced skiers buzzing by.

Kind of a funny personal story. My parents started skiing at age 39, a year after I started when they put me in lessons at Ward Hill in Mass while I was in second grade. There were no serious skiers ever before me in my family to influence my folks to put me in ski lessons. Neither had skied themselves. I was just a little boy who loved winter and snow, so they thought I might like it.

I LOVED it. So, the following winter I begged them to try it with me. They took a lesson at Ward, we did a weekend at Cranmore and a few day trips after. My mom finally got the hang of skiing late winter while taking a lesson at Killington on Snowshed.

From that point forward until they retired to Florida and gave up the sport, my Mom referred to the beginner area at any place we visited as the Snowshed. Even at Okemo where they ended up buying a second home and were passholders for a dozen years, Mom always referred to the South Ridge area as Snowshed. She got a lot of confused looks over the years when she asked friends to meet up at the Sitting Bull bar at the base of Snowshed. Haha

 

[Smellytele]

Snowshed at Killington is the best beginner pod in the northeast.

Tuckerbrook at Cannon is pretty good as well

 

[Tin]

Snowshed at Killington is the best beginner pod in the northeast.

WHEN Magic gets the Green Chair in it will be great (Trump voice).

 

[raisingarizona]

Snowshed at Killington is the best beginner pod in the northeast.

Morse at Smuggs is one too.

 

[xwhaler]

South Branch beginner pod at Saddleback is a pretty amazing setup for learning

 

[raisingarizona]

South Branch beginner pod at Saddleback is a pretty amazing setup for learning

was.....

 

[Sacadelic_Skier]

south ridge at the river is nice too for learning

 

[Dickc]

Speaking of Sunday River, Dream Maker used to be a blue a long time ago. I see many beginners in over their heads seeing it as green.

 

[Smellytele]

south ridge at the river is nice too for learning

disagree because others used that area to get the lodge and chondola (not that I do or want to on purpose)

 

[Jully]

disagree because others used that area to get the lodge and chondola (not that I do or want to on purpose)

Agreed. There's a lot of traffic over there. Same issue with SL's learning areas. At Sunday River, though not a true beginner/learning area, if I had a beginner or lower intermediate I'd take them to Little Whitecap.

 

[Edd]

Agreed. There's a lot of traffic over there. Same issue with SL's learning areas. At Sunday River, though not a true beginner/learning area, if I had a beginner or lower intermediate I'd take them to Little Whitecap.

Good point about it LWC being great for a total newb. Lower intermediates are pretty suited for Dreamaker. I wish they'd re-institute the bumps on skiers right that they used to have on DM. That pitch is perfect for learning bumps.

 

[canobie#1]

I also don't agree with Southridge at Sundayriver. That area is way too busy and overwhelming.
Snowshed is the perfect place to learn how to ski. I grew up learning at Killington and I loved it. I'm surprised that they never snow-make or groom Yodeler, that's a fantastic, easy trail.

Other great places would be Ragged Mountain, Attitash, Cranmore and Stowe.