Belleayre skiers, try the bus!

Dear Editor: To the Belleayre community I pose this simple question: Why doesn’t anybody take the ski bus from Kingston? Maybe they don’t like saving money. Maybe they enjoy adding extra carbon to the environment. Maybe they don’t like the convenience. Maybe they need to arrive 20 minutes earlier or stay in the bar 20 minutes later. My hope is that the reason skiers fail to use the ski bus is simply because they don’t know about it.

The UCAT bus (Z Route) arrives at Belleayre at 9:05 a.m., five minutes after the lifts start spinning. The return bus leaves the mountain at 3:45 p.m., 15 minutes before the lifts stop for the day. There’s even a 1:45 p.m. return bus for half-day skiers. The bus originates at Kingston Plaza, with major stops in Woodstock, Phoenicia and Pine Hill. Like all UCAT buses, one can be picked up or dropped off anywhere along the route, including the Thruway roundabout park and ride. The bus is clean and warm, and I have found the drivers to be friendly, accommodating and professional. As a bonus, the bus is equipped with Wi-Fi, which makes it possible to stream videos or watch live TV on your device as you sit, not drive, in relative comfort. There’s also a great phone app, which shows in real time the location of the bus while waiting at the bus stop.

In my case (a midweek season pass holder), I drive the 10 miles from my home in Glasco to catch the bus in Woodstock, leaving my van in the municipal lot. From there, it’s 30 miles to the mountain and 30 miles back. I admit I do my share of frivolous driving, but traveling 60 miles by bus saves three gallons of gasoline, saving both money and the environment. With the one-way flat fare of $1.50 (senior citizens 75 cents, veterans free), I save about five bucks a day. Maybe that’s chump change to some skiers, but it’s something to think about while eating that $10 burger in the lodge cafeteria.

Lastly, what I enjoy most is that après ski feeling. Following a long day on the slopes, there’s nothing like climbing aboard the nice warm bus and using the time to relax, converse and check out what’s been happening on your phone that’s been safely tucked away in your parka all day, while being driven by a professional driver. So I make this charge to Belleayre skiers: Try it for the convenience, try it for the environment, try it for the savings, but just simply try it. See you on the bus!

Timothy J. Trossen Saugerties, N.Y.

I make this charge to Belleayre skiers: Try it for the convenience, try it for the environment, try it for the savings, but just simply try it. See you on the bus!