Elk Mountain Beginner Skiing
Elk Mountain’s beginner skiing is noteworthy for the way in which is separates different levels of novice skiers. Many resorts seem to lump beginner skiers into one group, as if a first timer skier and someone learning to stem christie had the same needs. Not so at Elk.
Beginner skiers at Elk Mountain follow a progression that allows them to grow in confidence before stepping up in class to tackle harder slopes. The starting point for first timers is the Beginner Slope. Elk Mountain’s bunny slope is serviced by its own double chairlift and totally segregated from the rest of the ski resort. No expert skiers schussing by at high speed to worry about at Elk Mountain. The result is that learning to ski at Elk Mountain is a much more pleasant experience than at many Pocono resorts where beginners arriving by the busload are herded like cattle into huge lessons.
After gaining confidence on the beginner slope, beginners can head over to the “D” Chair on the opposite end of the lodge. This double chair goes halfway up the mountain to the top of West Slope. West Slope would be a fine bunny slope in its own right, but the fact that there are no first-timers on the slope makes it a wonderful place for improving beginners to hone their skills. Adjacent to West Slope is East Slope, which serves as the runout for the black diamond trails on the upper mountain, but also adds variety to the beginner experience off of the “D” Lift. Strong green skiers looking to step up in class can try the short intermediate Lackawanna Spur which is accessible from the top of the chair as well. A quick right at the bottom of Lackawanna Spur onto the Hiawatha trail brings skiers right back to the “D” Lift base.
From the summit, beginners have two main options for skiing Elk’s full 1,000′ of vertical. Tioga is the main green thoroughfare from the summit and one of the only trails on the mountain that can actually be crowded on busier days. Presumably to eliminate some trail crossings, Tioga’s original routing was modified in late 1990’s and the new version is not as strong as the original, but is still a serviceable green run. The second green from the summit, Lehigh, is rarely open as it is a natural snow only trail. If it is open, however, it’s a must-ski for novices since it is the longest run on the mountain and offers great vistas of the surrounding Endless Mountains.