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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

Thanks! I’m going to contact Bolton and get a personal lesson.

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

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

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!

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

Cochran's I'd say. That's where I learned.

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.

Learned to ski here and couldn't agree more!

Bolton and Cochran’s was where I started out.

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.

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!