Submitted by RoyalIndependence500 t3_10ekle9 in vermont

I’m an older guy who started skiing in northern New York (Titus Mountain) about 8 years ago. I took one lesson and learned the basics, and skied regularly for 3 years, but never really progressed. I moved to Vermont 5 years ago and this year I want to get back into it. I know I need to take at least 1 private lesson and I’m willing to do that. Last year I tore my MCL xc skiing at a local community forest. That sucked and honestly I don’t want to repeat that again. Im an avid cyclist and ride my fat bike when conditions allow. I live near Bolton, but Sugarbush and Stowe are also close. Can folks recommend the best place for someone who just wants to get out and have some fun? Im not interested in proving anything to anyone. I’m happy skiing greens all day for now. I’ve been told all the ski areas in Vermont are well above my skill set. If that’s true my only option is driving 3 hours to Titus. Thanks for any information.

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quickly t1_j4rh1jr wrote

If you are close to Bolton go there they have 2 mid mountain doubles that have green trails. Once you progress you can go to the top on the quad and take a green all the way down.

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RoyalIndependence500 OP t1_j4rhboc wrote

Thanks. That’s where I’m thinking of going.

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jsudarskyvt t1_j4rlrvg wrote

I second Bolton. Cochran's for a more intimate experience but Bolton is very beginner friendly.

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DeliriousBlues t1_j4rg4kz wrote

Cochran’s in Richmond. It’s where a lot of skiers start out at.

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Nutmegdog1959 t1_j4rj6ik wrote

Cochrans is walking distance...Season Pass is $195 for individual.

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Fantastic_Painter_15 t1_j4rzyhy wrote

Whoever told you VT resorts are above your skill level is a boldface liar. Every resort has beginner areas and beginner terrain. Most resorts here really don’t even have any inbounds terrain that requires a crazy high skill level. Any of the resorts you mentioned would suffice perfectly but I’d recommend Bolton simply for the chiller, old school vibes and the fact it’s independently owned. Cochran’s would also be a great option for you

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JonathanHoughtonHill t1_j4t9scd wrote

Cochrans, 100%. Possibly the happiest and friendliest place on earth. I mean literally everyone there is in a good mood.

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pcans802 t1_j4rujdl wrote

TLDR: I’d suggest Bolton or Smuggs as best beginner mountains.

Bolton is the local diver bar mountain. It’s awesome. Relatively cheap and close, short lifts quick trails that are intermixed well so you can do a quick black diamond into a green and coast the rest of the way.

So even if you find yourself on a trail above your comfort level, it’s super short so you’ll be off it quick. Great for getting comfortable on different difficulty trails.

Also consider a Morse only pass at Smuggs. Smuggs doesn’t have intermixed trails, it has a beginner mountain, an intermediate mountain and an expert mountain… Morse is the beginner mountain and is great for a coasting day or to go with beginners because the lifts are less intimidating when you don’t have to go to the top or have experts screaming passed you at 90 mph. The Morse only pass is usually pretty cheap compared to the bigger resorts (or all mountain pass at smuggs)

I’d avoid Stowe/killington/sugarbush because their runs are so long (personally). I went to killington the other year after having not gone in years and I thought my back was gonna give out after 1 run. Just anecdotal.

You could also look into middlebury. Not sure prices or anything but that place is tiny too.

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sixteenandseven t1_j4s426d wrote

Bolton and Cochorans should be serius considerations for you - both have night skiing that's cheap, so if you want to do groomer/cruisers anyway, ski and night and save $$$. Also look at Smuggs - they have a "morse only" pass that only is good for thier "easy" mountain with all greens and blues. It's cheap. But no night skiing there.

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Fun-Succotash6777 t1_j4rtq0y wrote

I had a ball learning to ski at Sugarbush and by this time in the season, they've got their more approachable greens open. If Jason is still teaching there, he's my strongest recommendation. I skied with a few instructions there and they were all great.

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_j4s4xjd wrote

To help you compare Bolton to Cochran’s:

Bolton lift tickets are discounted to $39 (all day Monday or afternoon Tu-Fr), with added discount if you purchase online in advance.

Lifts run 9-4 Sun & Mon, 9-10 Tu-Sa

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Unique-Public-8594 t1_j4s5oi2 wrote

Cochran’s is dirt cheap but hours are more limited (3-6p midweek, 3-8 on Fri. 9 - 4 on weekends.)

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Khanover7 t1_j4rnzwh wrote

Bolton but lock your stuff because bags go missing all the time. Good luck!

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anybody98765 t1_j4t3eag wrote

Jay Peak had terrific greens and you can get a lower mountain pass pretty cheap. It’s a longer drive though.

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Ej1992 t1_j4t42ec wrote

I learned at smuggs. They have a whole mountain that is only greens

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jbonyc t1_j4t821l wrote

I used to ski at Titus a lot! Currently have a pass to Bolton and love it. Bolton is bigger, but has a very similar vibe. You’ll enjoy it!

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proscriptus t1_j5z9fvs wrote

Bromley is one of the friendliest ski areas in the world, and there's the conveyor belt for the bunny slope so you don't even have to worry about figuring out a rope tow or something.

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RoyalIndependence500 OP t1_j5z9qgv wrote

Thanks! I went to Bolton and had a blast! Definitely going back next week. They have $39 lift tickets. I took a lesson, did 4 runs on a few green trails and am hooked!

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kingblow1 t1_j4tm40c wrote

Pico is the spot I learned to snowboard. It's well laid out and everything leads back to one main area (which is great if you have kids who separate). Large enough to stay entertained all day, small enough to find your way with ease, and slow enough to avoid extreme wait times.

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lilolemi t1_j4vgfel wrote

Bolton and Cochran’s was where I started out.

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