Tis the Season

Catching a ride and catching air

With last week's epic snowfall, ski and snowboard season is officially here, and we are lucky to live close enough to mountains to easily enjoy outdoor winter sports.

This week, NJ TRANSIT started its annual special bus route that makes it even easier to get to some slopes with round-trip service from Wayne to Mountain Creek. And while Wayne is a 30-minute drive from South Orange, the non-stop bus costs only $8.80 roundtrip for those 12 and older (children 11 and younger ride for free).  Parking for the day at the Wayne Transit Station is only $2.

I know some South Orange and Maplewood residents who like to drop their teenagers off in Wayne to take the bus to the mountain so they can ski or snowboard all day. This year, if you need information, NJ TRANSIT has a Mountain Creek section on its website, where it provides information not only on fares and lift ticket discounts but also on the weather and the mountain snow report. According to the Mountain Creek website, the blizzard dumped 16 inches on top of the snow they'd been making all through December.

For more info, check it out: http://www.njtransit.com/var/var_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=MountainCreekTo

Need more to get in the mood for winter sports? Check out these photos by my neighbor Craig Curtis, a photographer and avid snowboarder, who can't wait to hit the slopes.