The attraction has a different name and an updated design, but Cambelback Resort promises the thrill's still going to be the same as it was when children of the '80s and '90s rode it.
The Poconos resort in Tannersville has brought back the Alpine Slide. For those who remember, the slide put riders on a wheeled sled and sent them soaring down a curvy concrete track meant to mimic the experience of bobsledding. It opened in 1977 as one of Camelback's early efforts to transform itself from a winter ski resort into a year-round destination. The Alpine Slide closed in 2003.
On Saturday, Camelback is debuting The Pocono Pipeline, which the resort is billing as a modern take on the Alpine Slide with enhancements aimed at providing today's riders with a more exciting and safer experience than the riders of yesteryear.
At least a dozen ski resorts and amusement parks operated similar rides decades ago, but many closed in part because of safety issues. Camelback successfully defended a 2002 lawsuit alleging the resort was responsible for an accident on its Alpine Slide that seriously injured a rider, The Pocono Record previously reported.
Camelback in a news release says the Pocono Pipeline design emphasizes safety first. Gone is the concrete track. The new "non-abrasive fiberglass track offers a smooth surface that heightens the sensations of speed and improves control over the older, poured concrete models," the release says.
There will be two tracks, each running 2,800 feet through mountain dips, high G turns and tunnels. Like the Alpine Slide, riders will still go down the track in a wheeled car that they can control by a hand brake, but "a patented speed restrictor increases guest safety without negatively impacting rider enjoyment," according to the news release.
This photo provided by Camelback Resort shows a young rider enjoying the Pocono Pipeline, a new ride that is opening to the public on June 24, 2017. It's inspired by the resort's Alpine Slide of 1980s and 1990s fame. (Courtesy photo)
"Recent advances and both track and sled design have greatly improved overall safety and rider experience over the original version," Camelback co-owner Ken Ellis says in a statement.
Fellow co-owner Arthur Berry III says nostalgia will play a role in drawing riders.
"The Alpine Slide has real sentiment among those guests who grew up coming to the Pocono Mountains and Camelback Resort," he says.
The new Pocono Pipeline is priced at $10 per rider, but can also be bundled with other attractions at the resort. Those include the 4,000-foot Soaring Camel Zip-Flyer, the 4,500-foot steel track Appalachian Express Mountain Coaster and obstacle adventure courses.
For more information, visit Camelback Resort's website.
Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.