Best place for a nervous beginner to learn in the NJ/PA/NY area?

[Uncle-A]

Another vote for Camp Gaw in North Jersey, and Blue Mt in PA

 

[Marker]

Blue Mtn has two very nice beginner learning areas, but the transition from those to regular skiing is not good. STAY AWAY FROM BURMA ROAD! I've a lot of "up close and personal" experience with it as a supposedly easy green run, and it was got to be the worst trail I've ever skied on due to traffic, blind switchbacks, and the littered bodies strewn across the trail. I started skiing at age 50 and Blue Mtn was the closest decent ski area. However, once your son gains some experience and confidence, I would venture to say that the other major green trail, Paradise, is the nicest I've seen at any PA resort and even NE resort. It's a bit steeper in parts than Burma Road, but accessible. It can be busy, but is wider and very long for practice and cruising. Great view from the top of the mountain to get the feel of real skiing.

 

[john petersen]

Gotta throw my vote in (for the 2018/2019 season at this point) for Catamount in NY/Mass...though the beginner terrain is a bit more advanced beginner...its a fun hill with a great vibe....

JP

 

[ella_g]

One more vote for Belleayre! Great place to learn to ski .... still open, we’re there this wknd with a family with beginner 5,9and 12yos (very shy 12yo!). A very friendly and low key place to start skiing. Either this month or the start of next season shouldn’t be crowded...

 

[Superbman]

1. call in sick a few times and go mid week...anywhere.

2. Weekend skiing: Best weekend ski destination in the East, for combination of low stress (no crowds) and quality skiing is Berkshire East in Chjarlemont Mass...season's just about over now, but put it on your list next season.

 

[Sibhusky]

Given your location, I'd pick Shawnee, then maybe Bear Creek on the weekends. But, I agree with the midweek recommendation. Given THAT alternative, Camelback. It's actually the most convenient with being right next to the interstate, whereas Shawnee is a ways off the highway. Also, Camelback has actually two beginner areas -- Coolmor and Sun Bowl. Coolmor is really flat. Sun Bowl is slightly less flat, has two lifts, and fairly long. So he'd be able to transition more easily to the main mountain. But I would NOT recommend the place on weekends, especially after he's conquered Sun Bowl and ready for the main green runs.

Speaking as one who used to commute from Hillsborough for many years, the Catskills were just a bit too far for day trips. And Mountain Creek was never ever ever the right place -- what a zoo!

 

[lonestar]

I know you asked this question a while ago but I just saw it. I grew up in north jersey and learned to ski at Mt Peter in Warwick NY. It's a great little ski area and a wonderful place to learn. Campgaw was a great place to ski after school and just run laps. I spent lots of hours at both places and don't regret any of them.

 

[tinymoose]

Blue Mtn has two very nice beginner learning areas, but the transition from those to regular skiing is not good. STAY AWAY FROM BURMA ROAD! I've a lot of "up close and personal" experience with it as a supposedly easy green run, and it was got to be the worst trail I've ever skied on due to traffic, blind switchbacks, and the littered bodies strewn across the trail. I started skiing at age 50 and Blue Mtn was the closest decent ski area. However, once your son gains some experience and confidence, I would venture to say that the other major green trail, Paradise, is the nicest I've seen at any PA resort and even NE resort. It's a bit steeper in parts than Burma Road, but accessible. It can be busy, but is wider and very long for practice and cruising. Great view from the top of the mountain to get the feel of real skiing.

Burma Rd. is a disaster. People fall down and then just give up and lay there; it's like human slalom. It's really a terrible trail for beginners but it's the only green (or blue even... everything else are black diamonds) way down from the summit lodge to the base.

As far as recs, I'd suggest Montage . Nice, wide open trails on top, very beginner friendly, and not crowded compared to areas like Jack Frost, Blue, Bear Creek if crowds bother him Jack Frost isn't bad on the blue and black trails, but the green trails over by the beginner learning area can get pretty congested on weekends.

 

[Marker]

Burma Rd. is a disaster. People fall down and then just give up and lay there; it's like human slalom. It's really a terrible trail for beginners but it's the only green (or blue even... everything else are black diamonds) way down from the summit lodge to the base.

As far as recs, I'd suggest Montage . Nice, wide open trails on top, very beginner friendly, and not crowded compared to areas like Jack Frost, Blue, Bear Creek if crowds bother him Jack Frost isn't bad on the blue and black trails, but the green trails over by the beginner learning area can get pretty congested on weekends.

Yep, but Paradise makes up for the sins of Burma Road. Just avoid the summit lodge and use the base lodge. Once I got over to Paradise as a beginning 50 year old, I realized what skiing could be like at a bigger mountain with the great views and really started to enjoy myself! From there, you can move to Lazy Mile in your progression. I like JF and don't find it as crowded as other Pocono spots like Bear Creek, but JF was where I skied until moving to Blue Mountain. Montage, Camelback, and Elk are just a bit too far for a day trip for me, unless its a bus trip. It's funny to think you can probably fit JF in the Upper Canyon portion of Killington!

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I've done a little skiing in the poconos and I have to say I loved Paradise at Blue. We did drills and just cruised on it and had a blast. Midweek night skiing was quite nice. I'll also second Montage. I snowboarded there years ago but we boarded/skied into the night and just had so much fun. If I recall that's the upside down resort where the blacks are at the bottom but they were avoidable I recall if you didn't want to go down them. I'd also say midweek anywhere would be ideal.

 

[tinymoose]

I've done a little skiing in the poconos and I have to say I loved Paradise at Blue. We did drills and just cruised on it and had a blast. Midweek night skiing was quite nice. I'll also second Montage. I snowboarded there years ago but we boarded/skied into the night and just had so much fun. If I recall that's the upside down resort where the blacks are at the bottom but they were avoidable I recall if you didn't want to go down them. I'd also say midweek anywhere would be ideal.

Yup! It's the upside down mountain. Montage marks the lower half of the mountain pretty well with warnings about the terrain. Stick to the upper half and it's all very wide greens and blues.

 

[Large Squirrel]

montage for the win for all the reasons previously mentioned. the catskills are fun, but they are just horribly crowded on the weekends just like most of the hills in NE PA/NJ. the last time @tinymoose and I went up there we did a Sunday/Monday split btwn windham and hunter...that seemed to work out OK to avoid peak crowds. Blue mtn on the weekend is OK until 10 AM....after that forget about it.

 

[Ken in LA]

You might want to read the following review of Pocono resorts http://www.gondyline.com/ski_pa.php

If you ever find yourself in California, I would recommend June Mountain as an ideal place to learn. The setting for this laid-back resort is stunningly beautiful with impeccably groomed trails. Skiers in need of a challenge can drive 26 minutes to the much larger Mammoth Mountain.

 

[Marker]

You might want to read the following review of Pocono resorts http://www.gondyline.com/ski_pa.php

Well, I checked out the reviews. I've skied every trail at Elk and Blue, and would swear that Challenge and Razor's Edge at Blue are steeper than anything at Elk. But I'd still choose Elk over Blue for a variety of reasons.

 

[BC.]

montage for the win for all the reasons previously mentioned. the catskills are fun, but they are just horribly crowded on the weekends just like most of the hills in NE PA/NJ. the last time @tinymoose and I went up there we did a Sunday/Monday split btwn windham and hunter...that seemed to work out OK to avoid peak crowds. Blue mtn on the weekend is OK until 10 AM....after that forget about it.

Even though I have a pass and support Montage through my shop......I don't think I have ever heard anyone say "Montage for the win"......lol.

 

[Willyum215]

Even though I have a pass and support Montage through my shop......I don't think I have ever heard anyone say "Montage for the win"......lol.

Out of curiosity, which one is your shop?

 

[BC.]

The Ski Corner. Work Saturdays doing installs.....Ask for the old guy in the back

 

[Large Squirrel]

Well, I checked out the reviews. I've skied every trail at Elk and Blue, and would swear that Challenge and Razor's Edge at Blue are steeper than anything at Elk. But I'd still choose Elk over Blue for a variety of reasons.

i literally LOL'd when i saw elk at #1 on that list! so many reasons why it isn't.....(no steeps, no trees, limited nite skiing, grade-school lunch tables in the cafeteria....and not enough room to walk in between them, etc.) for me, if it has enough snow blue knob is the right blend of all the things to be "#1 overall" in PA. but since it doesn't, i give my overall picks to #1 to montage, #2 to Jack Frost, and #3 to Blue Mtn.

Even though I have a pass and support Montage through my shop......I don't think I have ever heard anyone say "Montage for the win"......lol.

well for the OP's concerns it definitely is a winning mountain.

 

[BC.]

i literally LOL'd when i saw elk at #1 on that list! so many reasons why it isn't.....(no steeps, no trees, limited nite skiing, grade-school lunch tables in the cafeteria....and not enough room to walk in between them, etc.) for me, if it has enough snow blue knob is the right blend of all the things to be "#1 overall" in PA. but since it doesn't, i give my overall picks to #1 to montage, #2 to Jack Frost, and #3 to Blue Mtn.




well for the OP's concerns it definitely is a winning mountain.

No doubt it is....I enjoyed my time there with my kids. The way the upper and lower mountain naturally separates the different abilities is nice. I still ski there with the shop guys every once in awhile cuz I have a pass and it’s free. When it snows, you can find places in the trees that make it a little more fun.

I just never heard the actual words Montage (or anywhere in Scranton for that matter) “for the win”.

 

[Large Squirrel]

I just never heard the actual words Montage (or anywhere in Scranton for that matter) “for the win”.

having grown up in the hazleton area i totally understand your shock, lol!