Favorite beginner-friendly mountains/lifts for non-beginners

[MarcusBrody]

What mountains or lifts do you find feature easy terrain that you find engaging despite the lack of challenge?

My 7 year old son is now very into skiing so I've been spending a lot of time on green and blue trails and I'm always happy to find easy terrain that's still fun to ski and impressed by the hills that manage it. So what's your choice for lowest difficulty/highest fun factor spots?


My current choice: Brian Head's Navajo Peak lifts (Navajo Express and Sunflower). Navajo Express in particular has really impressed me. It's only 600 ft of vertical and basically serves a number of green trails that come off to either side, but nevertheless is pretty fun. There is a gully in the center that you can drop in and out of and the two longest, flattest trails along the boundaries let you drop in through ungroomed areas and little "chutes" through the trees. One side has a long glade that isn't on the map, but is well cleared out and has tons of potential wiggly lines. On either side of the some of the trails there are frequent little detours that pop around a few trees or up a bank then back to the train. My son loves these "cut throughs" and basically will lap the glade and little chutes to the lower cut throughs all day. Compared to the wide groomers that make up a lot of green trails, I also find it very entertaining.

So what other areas have you found that have features and terrain that make the easy ways down the mountain engaging for skiers of all levels? My son and I have spring breaks that line up this year, so I'm taking notes...

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

Buttermilk comes to mind, particularly West Buttermilk. Lots of easy groomed runs with lots of glades/tree trails winding in and out and connecting them. Spent countless hours lapping them with my girls when they were little.

Snowmass has lots of that too but it's more spread out across the mountain. Buttermilk is smaller and more compact.

[Viva]

Monarch Pass, Wolf Creek, June Lake, and I'll think about it some more...

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[funkendrenchman]

Buttermilk comes to mind, particularly West Buttermilk. Lots of easy groomed runs with lots of glades/tree trails winding in and out and connecting them. Spent countless hours lapping them with my girls when they were little.

Snowmass has lots of that too but it's more spread out across the mountain. Buttermilk is smaller and more compact.

So good. Especially, Tiehack for introducing kids to blues and easy blacks. No lines. Easy walk from the car.

[Buster Highmen]

Summit Central.
When the Alpy z00fest rages, I go over there and f00nt around on their express and silver fir.

Purgatory.
Mid week empty, lots of variety, affordably relative to T'ride.

Anthony Lakes
Has only 1 "expert" run, but tons of fun in the acres of wandering sidetrails. 1 lift, ch333p.

[XXX-er]

I havent rode it yet cuz I am too cool but the local hill got one of them magic carpets which is great for the beginners so no more T-bar antics

the schools and First nations spend a lot of money up there so you wana cater to them

[MarcusBrody]

Lots of good suggestions, thanks!

Summit Central.
When the Alpy z00fest rages, I go over there and f00nt around on their express and silver fir.

Purgatory.
Mid week empty, lots of variety, affordably relative to T'ride.

Anthony Lakes
Has only 1 "expert" run, but tons of fun in the acres of wandering sidetrails. 1 lift, ch333p.

I've been interested in Purgatory as its on the pass we have. We basically have 9 days. The ambitious option would be to do a loop that went something like Las Vegas to AZ Snowbowl to Purgatory to Bryan Head then home (with possibly a stop at a different CO or Utah resort along the way). The drives too/from Purgatory would be fairly long though so I was curious how it was for the type of terrain I was talking about. Good to hear.

[LaDeekus]

Timberline at Mt Hood is a good place for tons of green/blue runs. I went there last weekend for the first time to watch my kid so a slopestyle comp. Runs are long and lines are short. The only negative is dodging the knuckle draggers.

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[Fishskisurf]

Around the PNW at least:
Bachelor
Big White
Whitefish

[new yabyum]

Brighton has some great beginner areas.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Backside of White Pass. Tons of mellow groomers, glades and gullies.


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[TAFKALVS]

Cedar Park lift at Schweitzer.

[skithewest]

Powderhorn CO

Bachelor

Mt hood meadows-ish

But powderhorn is amazing and bachelor is similarly great


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[BeefSupreme]

Backside of White Pass. Tons of mellow groomers, glades and gullies.


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Ditto White Pass. I haven't been since they added the new terrain, but I learned to ski up there and spent a lot of time with my dad and brother on the bird runs off chair 4. Mellow skiing for sure, but it's a really pretty spot with enough trees and side trails to keep you entertained.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Ditto White Pass. I haven't been since they added the new terrain, but I learned to ski up there and spent a lot of time with my dad and brother on the bird runs off chair 4. Mellow skiing for sure, but it's a really pretty spot with enough trees and side trails to keep you entertained.

Then you would love the expansion. With a little new snow it’s a noodler’s paradise.


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[Buster Highmen]

Lots of good suggestions, thanks!



I've been interested in Purgatory as its on the pass we have. We basically have 9 days. The ambitious option would be to do a loop that went something like Las Vegas to AZ Snowbowl to Purgatory to Bryan Head then home (with possibly a stop at a different CO or Utah resort along the way). The drives too/from Purgatory would be fairly long though so I was curious how it was for the type of terrain I was talking about. Good to hear.

Tride has long grromers on the village side like See To Forever and Gallopiing Goose . Use Sunshine Express to get up on the mountain and access Gold Hills lift to get to See2.

The town side is steep, but you can ride the gondy down. It's expensive, but if you have the $, give it a go.

[MarcusBrody]

Tride has long grromers on the village side like See To Forever and Gallopiing Goose . Use Sunshine Express to get up on the mountain and access Gold Hills lift to get to See2.

The town side is steep, but you can ride the gondy down. It's expensive, but if you have the $, give it a go.

Cool. I'm looking at some of the ticket pricing at Purgatory and it's weirdly expensive the week that we would be there. More expensive than any other week's weekday pricing by a substantial margin. The prices themselves don't matter to us as we have passes, but I assume it means that the hill thinks that they'll be swamped that week and I can't figure out why. It doesn't seem to match up with CO school holidays and I don't see any major events they're promoting.

[Buster Highmen]

Cool. I'm looking at some of the ticket pricing at Purgatory and it's weirdly expensive the week that we would be there. More expensive than any other week's weekday pricing by a substantial margin. The prices themselves don't matter to us as we have passes, but I assume it means that the hill thinks that they'll be swamped that week and I can't figure out why. It doesn't seem to match up with CO school holidays and I don't see any major events they're promoting.

Texas.

[MarcusBrody]

Texas.

Ooooh you're right, it's Texas's spring break. Hmmm, a mountain full of Texans doesn't necessarily make it more appealing. ha

[caderader]

After a few days there earlier this month, Sugar Bowl seems like it should be on this list. Some seriously strep terrain (see the Palisades), good regular advanced terrain off Disney chair, great Side/backcountry access and lots of pods that are almost exclusively green and/or blue. Plus a really laid back, homey vibe. Think I'll be dragging the kids there next year.

[skinipenem]

Winter Park might fit the bill. Lots of beginner/ intermediate terrain. Some low angle beginner tree runs, too.

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[garyfromterrace]

If coming to canukistan for good exchange rates on our peso, Sun Peaks is impossible to beat. Not only an easy run off of every chair but experts and beginners can all ride the same lifts all day and be happy. Best mountain I've been to for beginners.

[halliday]

Cooper is some low gradient fun. I have a good time whenever Im there.

[Danno]

Winter Park might fit the bill. Lots of beginner/ intermediate terrain. Some low angle beginner tree runs, too.

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The Winter Park side is great for beginners and intermediates.

Cooper is some low gradient fun. I have a good time whenever Im there.

Love the vibe at Cooper. And if you're looking for low angle, that's the spot.

[AdironRider]

For some East Coast love, I think it is hard to beat S6. Its quaint, you can ski the entire mountain by like maybe day 3 on skis outside of one run, and its just in general a cool spot. Clientele is a little bougie, but its at least bougie families doing the family thing. The layout is also awesome as you can let your kiddo explore on his own or just with friends and they can't get lost or end up way on the other side of some massive place.