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Best trails for children/beginners at Sugarloaf?

VTsnowflower

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I’m at Sugarloaf with two young grandchildren. I’d love suggestions for the easiest green runs for a beginner (6 years old) who is bored on the bunny hill and magic carpet but has just barely started riding a chairlift. (He enjoyed the beginner lift at Stowe. And he’s skied the t-bar at Cochrans.) He can turn nicely but isn’t ready for steep green terrain. Thanks.
 

Posse Mama

Angel Diva
Have you tried Boardwalk or Natalie’s. Birches to the Snubber mid station? Don’t go all the way down.
Tote Road is a great long run to start on if the snow is good.
 

brooksnow

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm an instructor at Sugarloaf. This is my typical recommendation for the path up the mountain. Of course the usual disclaimers about conditions apply.

*Natalie's Birches.
*Snubber/Snowbrook trail. It feels like an adventure to go past the inn and through the tunnel down the Snowbrook trail. You can get on Snubber at the midstation or continue down to the bottom of the lift (it's quite flat once you get past the tunnel, and may require a lot of skating in sticky conditions.) If the tunnel is unfriendly you can take your skis off and cross the road; we do this with a lot of beginners. Warning: the ride from the bottom of Snubber is loooong, a pleasant break on a warm sunny day but brutal when it's cold.

*The Landing. This is the trail off Skidway, just above the lodge. When they're comfortable on the Landing they can head into Alice's Winterland: under the lift or on the narrow path through the woods. Warning: the woods path is tight for adult length skis.

*Double Runner:
*Boardwalk and Lower Winter's Way from Double Runner short side (East) or the midstation on long side (West.) Warning: Double runner long side to the top leads to terrain that's quite blue.
*Lower Narrow Gauge. Also off DR short side, this is steeper at first and then flat.

*Wiffletree:
Rollway to Wiffletree (then optionally to Cruiser) and Tohaul (skier's right is gentler and gives a good view of the quite steep Flume and Choker) to Crosshaul.
Off Cruiser is Moose Alley, a fun run with Amos' house to visit and banked turns and rollers. (The entrance at the big sign may be closed due to conditions on the first turn, there is a small secondary entrance a little bit farther down.) At the end of Moose Alley you can head left (a little climb) back to Cruiser or continue across Buckboard along Condo Cross Cut to Crosshaul. Buckboard below Moose Alley is steeper and a natural snow trail with all the conditions issues that implies. I don't recommend novices try Buckboard from the top of Wiffletree because of its two steep narrow sections.
The Wiffletree trail at the top is steeper than Rollway and Tohaul. When they're comfortable on that, they can go higher up the mountain.

*Bucksaw area:
The easiest way to get to Bullwinkle's is to take Double Runner to Skyline. (I do NOT suggest novices take Lombard x-cut from Wiffletree to Skyline. It's narrow with a tight turn as it goes over a bridge then has a short steep pitch.) Head right off the lift and go across Narrow Gauge, Tote, etc. to the Timberline trail.
*Chipper (etc.) is the easier option from Bullwinkle's, leading to Bucksaw Express.
*Horseshoe is a bit more challenging and is the green path back to the base lodge via lower Windrow. You can also take Horseshoe to Hatchet or Lower Glancer back to Bucksaw Express.

*Timberline:
You can also take the Timberline lift to the top and take the Timberline trail. This is a reasonable next step after Wiffletree.

*Tote Road just below Bullwinkle's has a steep section called Chicken Pitch. This is significantly more challenging than Chipper or Horseshoe.

I'll also note that the blue trails King's Landing, Sluice, and Ramdown are very challenging, midnight blue.

The Amosland ticket covers Snubber, Sawduster, Skidway and the carpet. Midmountain adds Double Runner and Wiffletree. All other lifts including Bucksaw Express require a full ticket.

Wow, that got long! Hope it helps.
 
Last edited:

VTsnowflower

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm an instructor at Sugarloaf. This is my typical recommendation for the path up the mountain. Of course the usual disclaimers about conditions apply.

*Natalie's Birches.
*Snubber/Snowbrook trail. It feels like an adventure to go past the inn and through the tunnel down the Snowbrook trail. You can get on Snubber at the midstation or continue down to the bottom of the lift (it's quite flat once you get past the tunnel, and may require a lot of skating in sticky conditions.) If the tunnel is unfriendly you can take your skis off and cross the road; we do this with a lot of beginners. Warning: the ride from the bottom of Snubber is loooong, a pleasant break on a warm sunny day but brutal when it's cold.

*The Landing. This is the trail off Skidway, just above the lodge. When they're comfortable on the Landing they can head into Alice's Winterland: under the lift or on the narrow path through the woods. Warning: the woods path is tight for adult length skis.

*Double Runner:
*Boardwalk and Lower Winter's Way from Double Runner short side (East) or the midstation on long side (West.) Warning: Double runner long side to the top leads to terrain that's quite blue.
*Lower Narrow Gauge. Also off DR short side, this is steeper at first and then flat.

*Wiffletree:
Rollway to Wiffletree (then optionally to Cruiser) and Tohaul (skier's right is gentler and gives a good view of the quite steep Flume and Choker) to Crosshaul.
Off Cruiser is Moose Alley, a fun run with Amos' house to visit and banked turns and rollers. (The entrance at the big sign may be closed due to conditions on the first turn, there is a small secondary entrance a little bit farther down.) At the end of Moose Alley you can head left (a little climb) back to Cruiser or continue across Buckboard along Condo Cross Cut to Crosshaul. Buckboard below Moose Alley is steeper and a natural snow trail with all the conditions issues that implies. I don't recommend novices try Buckboard from the top of Wiffletree because of its two steep narrow sections.
The Wiffletree trail at the top is steeper than Rollway and Tohaul. When they're comfortable on that, they can go higher up the mountain.

*Bucksaw area:
The easiest way to get to Bullwinkle's is to take Double Runner to Skyline. (I do NOT suggest novices take Lombard x-cut from Wiffletree to Skyline. It's narrow with a tight turn as it goes over a bridge then has a short steep pitch.) Head right off the lift and go across Narrow Gauge, Tote, etc. to the Timberline trail.
*Chipper (etc.) is the easier option from Bullwinkle's, leading to Bucksaw Express.
*Horseshoe is a bit more challenging and is the green path back to the base lodge via lower Windrow. You can also take Horseshoe to Hatchet or Lower Glancer back to Bucksaw Express.

*Timberline:
You can also take the Timberline lift to the top and take the Timberline trail. This is a reasonable next step after Wiffletree.

*Tote Road just below Bullwinkle's has a steep section called Chicken Pitch. This is significantly more challenging than Chipper or Horseshoe.

I'll also note that the blue trails King's Landing, Sluice, and Ramdown are very challenging, midnight blue.

The Amosland ticket covers Snubber, Sawduster, Skidway and the carpet. Midmountain adds Double Runner and Wiffletree. All other lifts including Bucksaw Express require a full ticket.

Wow, that got long! Hope it helps.
Thanks. This is super helpful.
 

VTsnowflower

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Thank you, brooksnow! As you know, we went all the way to the bottom of Snubber
this morning. And after snack time we took Skidway and enjoyed The Landing, the highest he’s been on the mountain. Maybe we’ll get up Double Runner-short tomorrow.
 

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