Enjoy the Ski Season! Take the train!

At summit of Sugarloaf last winter

 Ski season is slowly creeping up on us! Killington Mountain in Vermont and Sunday River in Maine are some of the only mountains in the east that are currently open daily, but from what I have seen, most of the resorts in MA, NH, VT, and ME will be opening by the end of the month.

Ski season is one of my favorite times of year. I have been skiing the mountains of New England for over 15 years, trying to hit the slopes on every one of them. Since starting college though,  I have found it harder to head up to the mountains. Like most ski bums who live in the city I have no car, so driving is out of the question. There are also no mountains within a 10 mile radius of the city so there's no way I'm taking a cab.Well, city skiers fret not because here is my list of the easiest ways to get to some of the best mountains in New England
by way of good 'ole public transportation!

The MBTA:

The MBTA's Ski Coach

In 2007 the MBTA and MBCR partnered up with Wachusett Mountain to create the "Take the Rails to the Trails" Ski Train program and this year it is once again returning! Once the ski season is officially underway at Wachusett Mountain, located in Princeton, MA, the MBTA will start to run their Ski Train every Saturday and Sunday. The schedule for the train has yet to be determined but last year the train left North Station at 8:45am and arrived at the Fitchburg Commuter Rail station at 10:06am. The train departs from Fitchburg back to Boston at 5:45pm. Wachusett Mountain provides a free shuttle from the Fitchburg station to the mountain. Each train is equipped with a specially designed "Ski Coach" which makes it easier for passengers to stow their belongings. The coach has the capacity to hold 42 passengers, 34 sets of skis, and 12 snowboards. For those of you who are bike fanatics this is the same coach that the MBTA converted into a bike coach. Last year the MBTA charged $7.75 one way for the train ticket but this year with the fare increase it will probably be around $10.00.

Amtrak: The Vermonter
As most of you know Vermont is well known for having one of the longest ski seasons in the country.  Amtrak's Vermonter Service runs on 611 miles of rail and travels from Washington D.C. through Springfield and Amherst, MA. to St. Albans VT. The Vermonter stops in Waterbury, close to Stowe Mt., Sugarbush, and Bolton Valley. The St. Albans stop is also very close to one of my favorite resorts, Jay Peak. Some ski areas and inns provide shuttle service from train stations, but skiers should call ahead for prices -- which vary -- and reservations. Stowe Taxi Service charges $15 for one person or $20 for two or three people to transport skiers from the Waterbury/Stowe stop to the Stowe ski area. Shuttle service only to Mount Snow from the Brattleboro stop is $26.50. The drive takes about 35 minutes. Overall, the Vermonter is not only one of Amtrak's most scenic routes it is also one of the easiest ways to get to Vermont's greatest ski resorts from Massachusetts.  The train also has a specialty baggage car that has racks to hold tons of skis.

Amtrak: The Downeaster
As I stated in an earlier post The Downeaster is without a doubt my favorite train. The Downeaster is owned by the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority and is operated by Amtrak. It was put into revenue service in December of 2001 and currently runs five round-trip trains daily from Boston's North Station to Portland, Maine and three daily round trips between Portland and Brunswick, Maine. Over it's almost 10 years in service the Downeaster has become Amtrak's fastest growing service moving over 500,000 passengers this year. 

Unfortunately, this train actually doesn't bring you very close to any ski resorts in Maine. What I usually do is have my friend, who goes to school in Maine, pick me up in Portland and we head up to Sugarloaf! If you're a die-hard however, from the Portland Transportation Center you can take a bus (Concord Coach) to Augusta Maine and head to a resort from there. Resorts close to The Augusta Transportation Center include the Camden Snow Bowl, Eaton Mountain, and The Lost Valley Ski Area.

I hope some of will try and take the "rails to the trails" this winter! Not only is it convenient for those of us who live in the city but it is also better than taking out another loan to buy gas for your car. 

Have a great ski season!