⛷️😮‍💨 Shred the gnar without a car

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

⛺ Tick this off your summer bucket list: Today at 9 a.m., the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation's campsites open for summer booking, including our fave Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor. Spots go quick, so grab one early!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Officials clap back at high heat bills

• The Orange Line fire’s evil cousin

• Baby seal on the loose!

Up first…

WINTERING IN BOSTON

Skiing with no car? No problem.

Did you know that you can get to a legit ski mountain on the commuter rail? Well, you do now. And for our final edition of Wintering in Boston, we’re taking you with us.

Earlier this month, we tried the Blue Hills’ new tubing setup (it was a fail). This week, we hit the slopes at Wachusett Mountain. Here’s what we thought:

⛰️ Wachusett is a mid-sized mountain about 60 miles outside Boston. And whatever it lacks in vertical drop (think: around 1,000 feet compared with Sugarloaf’s 2,820 feet), it makes up in accessibility. It has 27 trails and eight lifts, from black diamonds to blues, greens, and several bunny hills. We shelled out $49 a pop for rental boots, skis, and poles, and $69 each for one session (three and a half hours) on the lower lifts for a total of $118.

🤑 Note: If you’re a braver (or better) skier than Gia and want to experience the whole mountain for more than a few hours, expect to pay closer to $90 for a lift ticket. Or, if you’re a total newb, they offer a beginner package with rentals, a lesson, and a lift ticket for $149.

🚉 Getting there was surprisingly painless. During the winter, the commuter rail and Wachusett link up to run a select few “ski trains.” These trains run from North Station to Wachusett and back on the Fitchburg Line, and link with a shuttle bus to Wachusett Mountain. The process was easy: We nabbed a $10 weekend pass and hopped on a designated ski train (some even have ski storage). The trip took about an hour and 40 minutes, and the shuttle was waiting for us as soon as we rolled in. A 10-ish minute ride later, we were at the lodge. 

⛷️ The skiing and service were charming. Wachusett is a local mountain, and the vibes matched that. On a Saturday afternoon, the lodge and lifts were a little chaotic and crowded, especially near the beginner trails. But the service was organized and efficient, from the ticket booth, to the rentals, to the food (hit up the Red Apple Farm stall!). The green trails were unintimidating and perfect for Gia, and the blues and black diamonds are challenging enough to keep more advanced skiers interested.  

🏂 Our take: It's an ideal way to have a ski day from the city. We’re just bummed that the shuttles only run on weekends. We can’t imagine an easier, faster way to get some solid skiing action without a car.

QUICK QUESTION!

⛷️ Are you a skier/snowboarder?

TOGETHER WITH MFA BOSTON

Your museum pass just turned into a concert ticket 

🖼️ 🎵Art you can see and hear. For one night only, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is transforming into a stage for musicians from all over the world during the annual Art in Tune celebration on Feb. 27. Explore the museum while enjoying live music inspired by the museum’s collection of art and musical instruments. Tickets are $5 minimum, pay-what-you-wish general admission and available in person, day-of starting at 5 p.m. Don’t miss out — this event is one night only! 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🥵 Winter energy bills giving you sticker shock? You’re not alone. The Mass. Department of Public Utilities is working to address residents’ high heating bills after getting chewed out in letters from Gov. Maura Healey and a cohort of state senators. Many residents have seen massive 20% to 30% hikes in heating bills this season since an approved rate hike by the DPU back in November. The department ultimately blames increasing demands for Mass Save’s energy efficiency program and an extra chilly winter for the hike, but says it’s working on stabilizing prices.

🤑 Mass.’ proposed budget has jumped almost 50% since pre-COVID. Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed FY26 budget sits around $62 billion. For context, the budget was $42 billion back in 2019, but thanks to a ton of COVID-era federal aid, swelling state tax revenues, and millionaires tax money, we found ourselves flush with cash — a lot of which flowed into the budget. But as COVID-era aid dries up, costs continue to rise, and future federal funding isn’t guaranteed, some experts think we need to rein in the spending.

🌊 The MBTA has now fallen to fire and water. On Tuesday, the Mattapan Trolley got stuck in a flood. Yup. Six riders and a driver had to be rescued via raft (for real) at Milton Station after being stranded without power in four to five feet of water on Tuesday morning. Apparently, the flooding was caused by “an overflow of upstream water” from the Neponset River. Everyone on board is safe (and dry), and shuttle buses replaced trolley service until about 1:30 p.m. Never a dull moment!

🏳️‍🌈 The countdown to this year’s Boston Pride is ON! The Boston Pride parade and festival are officially scheduled for June 14. Per usual, the festivities will kick off with a parade in Copley, followed by a festival and concert on the Common, and close out with a 21+ afterparty on City Hall Plaza. One thing that’s not nailed down: The theme! This year, the vibe is “resilience, defiance, and collective strength.” If that sparks any ideas, you can suggest a theme here. Or, if you want to volunteer, you can do that here.

MEDIA SPONSORSHIP

Learn how to build a career with lasting power.

Open to all women and underrepresented genders, the Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship (WISE) at Northeastern is hosting WISE Summit for the fifth year in a row. This year’s theme is “Built to Last,” and speakers will challenge attendees to hone in on sustainability, longevity, and success in their careers and in their lives. 

The best part: You can attend WISE Summit for just $20 with this link or code WISEBSIDE. 

ONE LAST THING

Baby seal on the loose!

The New Haven Police Department has seen its fair share of animals in odd places. But until this week, they’d never seen a seal downtown.

That changed when a sweet baby seal appeared near Shell & Bones Oyster Bar on Saturday. After posing for some adorable pics, he was released at a nearby beach. However, he showed up again farther inland the next day, forcing the Mystic Aquarium to take him in, where he’s rehabbed before release. 

According to the aquarium, the seal was probably separated from his mom and just trying to follow his instincts when he became “totally disoriented and lost.” Thankfully, he’s in safe hands now. We’re rooting for you, little dude!

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🦭 Thanks for reading! If he wants to make his way to Boston, we’d gladly take him in!

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MFA Boston, for supporting local journalism and bringing culturally rich experiences to our city. 

🚇 The results are in: Most B-Siders were split on the outcome of last year’s MBTA shutdowns. 40% said they were life-changing and 45% said they were generally good, but didn’t make a noticeable difference to them. One reader said: “As a Red Line rider, my commute went from 1.5/2 hrs … to 50 mins.” Hey, a win is a win!

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].