Wachusetts Mountain, Princeton MA

Hopped in to my car on a beautiful sunny, Saturday morning in late March at 6:00am and drove to Wachusetts taking the scenic route through the small towns. One town, Hardwick, I believe, had one of the most magnificent town greens I've ever seen in New England. Also finally caught a glimpse of the Quabbin Reservoir - the famous reservoir complete with church, farms, old house foundations and stone walls beneath the waters.

Pulled in to the lot around 8:30am and the place was a zoo full of cars and people. Fortunately, the slopes were not too crowded - not sure where all the people went although the lift lines did get busier as the morning wore on.

I don't remember any of the trail names - no trail map was available. The conditions were excellent for being so late in the season and I skied every trail although the chairlift stops short of the summit. Beautiful view of Mount Monadnock from the top. It just rises out of the horizon like a really BIG mountain capped with snow.

Seemed incomplete not to go to the summit so I removed my skis, hoisted them to my shoulder and hiked to the top of the mountain where I was rewarded with a 360 degree view including Boston!

I asked a couple of hikers if they knew where the tote road for the ski area popped out on top. They didn't know so I decided to blaze my own trail and find a way back to the ski slopes. Found what appeared to be a path and pointed my skis down and glided quietly through 7 inches of softening powder. Popped out of the woods onto the ski trail much to the bewilderment of several downhill skiers. Ah, what fun.

Turned my pass in at noon and got $5 back for basically a "half-day" pass which is a good way to avoid the worst crowds. Hopped into my car in search of food. I purposefully try to eat at local establishments versus the ski lodge for a couple of reasons: better food, more character and cheaper.

Stopped at a caboose, the Boxcar Restaurant. The cook, a plump boisterous woman, came out from behind the counter and greeted me with a booming voice. With such a loud voice it seemed that a few pleasantries would follow, but not the case, the conversation fell flat and she retreated behind the counter. This scene repeated itself with each newcomer.

Paying a visit to the tiny restroom, I suddenly became alarmed when it began to shake and rumble violently. Expeditiously I darted out of the bathroom and out of the tiny caboose to the railroad tracks as a freight train rumbled by 20 feet away. The ground shook beneath my feet as some of the cars rocked back and forth toying with the idea of jumping the track. Lots of screeching, clanking, hissing and rattling until the last car passed and the roar faded to a distant thumping and then nothing. Just silence.