SPIRIT MOUNTAIN, MINNESOTA
Spirit has installed the first year-round alpine coaster in the U.S. Midwest. The $2.3 million Wiegand ride winds down through the forest from the area's mountaintop base along a 3,200-foot track at speeds up to 26 mph, then emerges into a clearing, with a view to the St. Louis River and Lake Superior. It then climbs 1,200 feet straight back up to the summit. Thanks to its elevated nature, between three and 20 feet off the ground, it can operate virtually year-round.

Since it was installed through the forest, and with the intent to have a small footprint and minimal environmental impact, most of the work was done by hand. Materials were delivered by machine to a mid-run access point, from where workers moved it for installation. Construction began April 12, and installation and training were completed on June 22.

"We have vastly exceeded our expectations," says executive director Renee Mattson. "In the first month, we had close to 37,000 riders, a whole lot more than we anticipated. Rider numbers will double or triple expectations." Those were for 58,000 in the first year, with its July start, and for 68,000 in an average year.

At $8/person, $12/two riders, the ROI may well be measured in months.

HUNTER MOUNTAIN, NEW YORK
NY Zipline Adventures is building the longest zipline in North America as part of a three-phase, top-to-bottom adventure tour system. The firm completed the Mid-mountain Canopy Tour and Adventure Tower portions of the project earlier this year, and will operate all three attractions as a concessionaire. Why go that route? "This allows us to get involved in these activities without a lot of risk," Hunter president Russ Coloton says.

The Canopy Tour is a fully guided 2 1/2-hour experience on a network of six ziplines and six suspension bridges that traverse a creek system. The Adventure Tower is a 70-foot behemoth constructed from five embedded poles. Obstacles and challenges wind their way around the tower, each progressively more difficult. Upon reaching the top adventurers rappel to the ground.

The Summit To Base Zipline Tour will be completed in October. Tandem ziplines will run from peak to peak across a deep valley adjacent to the slopes of Hunter Mountain. The longest of the ziplines will be more than 3,500 feet, and suspended more than 600 feet above the valley floor at one point. Guests will fly over the valley at more than 45 mph. Installation is being done manually, with the absolute minimum ground disturbance, making the project even more challenging.

Weather was a major challenge during construction. Hunter had more than eight feet of snow in the latter weeks of February, and the construction zone was chest-deep in snow until late March.

Guests will access the Summit tour via the area's new six-passenger, high-speed Poma chair, the first six-pack in N.Y. state, and the other adventures by custom-made, all-terrain, 13-passenger, safari-like vehicles.

Prices? Two runs on the Adventure Tower cost guests $19. The Lower Mountain Canopy Tour is $89; the full Summit to Base Tour will be $119.

JIMINY PEAK, MASSACHUSETTS
Jiminy Peak added to its arsenal of summer attractions by installing a $330,000 Aerial Adventure park just up from the base of the mountain. Designed and installed by John Ireland, construction of the two-acre elevated challenge course began in April. The park was finished in June, with final touches added in July. With nearby areas installing aerial parks at the same time, part of Jiminy's course opened later than expected, after the park designer and construction team had scoped out the competition.

The course features five individual challenge courses which make use of 70 elements for different ability levels. Features include rope bridges, ladders, cargo nets, ziplines and other climbing challenges. Guests are snapped into a guide line, and each course is self-guided. Tickets are $39 midweek and $45 on the weekends. As of now, the Aerial Adventure Park is only open during summer months, but it is capable of operating in winter months as well.

SNOWBIRD, UTAH
Snowbird has added a ropes course from Ropes Courses Inc. to its summer activities, which include mountain biking, bungee trampolines, climbing wall, Alpine Slide, and Zip Rider, as well as sightseeing via the Tram and Peruvian lifts. All are designed to draw sweltering residents out of the Salt Lake basin and into the mountains.

The course consists of rope, wood, and steel ladders and walkways that challenge a climber's balance and courage and, perhaps, fear of heights. To finish the construction by mid-May, crews began working on the site when it was still waist-deep in snow. They poured footings to elevate the 30-foot by 60-foot "Discovery" course to increase the height. The structure sits on a slope, which adds to the elevation and thrills on the downslope side. Cost was $65,000 for the structure, and another $25,000 to install it, including pathways, landscaping, and the footings.

"It's worked out pretty well for us," says Jerry Giles, director of village operations. "It fits the environment, looks good, and blends with what you try to do in the mountains." The ropes course is included in an all-day pass ($36 adult/$22 children) for summer attractions; single-use tickets are $10 a pop.

LOON MOUNTAIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Loon's new zipline opened July 1, just in time for the summer rush. The attraction is part of Loon's existing summer Adventure Center and took only 45 days to complete. All the work was done in-house. Two towers were built for the zipline; one at the base of the Adventure Center, and the other across the Pemigewasset River near Loon's climbing wall feature. Riders soar 710 feet across the river at speeds up to 20 mph, and then ride a separate line back to the Adventure Center. The project was restricted to a limited footprint on the north side of the river, so the towers there were kept as short as possible-making the cable elevation critical during the planning stages. The zipline is about 30 feet off the ground and above the river, yet riders feel like they could dip their feet in the water. A roundtrip ticket costs $25, and guests must weigh between 100 and 250 pounds. The zipline has been so successful that the area is looking into canopy tour options in the next few years.

BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO
Breckenridge is installing a Wiegand coaster, the Gold Runner, at its Peak 8 Fun Park. At press time, the ride was due to open in late summer or early fall. The elevated 2,500-foot-long track will wind through loops and curves within the forest canopy between trails, giving coaster riders spectacular mountain views virtually year-round. Due to the location, construction was done with machines where possible, by hand where necessary.

The Fun Park includes a variety of activities, including the SuperSlide (Alpine Slide), mini golf, climbing wall, Mineshaft maze, and bungee trampoline. The Fun Park is also the base of operations for a new hiking program, BreckTreks Hiking, and mountain biking.

Breck's coaster is the latest of several Wiegand installations across North America this year; two more are slated, at Okemo, Vt., and Mount Cranmore, N.H.

WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Whistler has added an elite-level pump track, the latest innovation in mountain biking, to its Whistler Mountain Bike Park arsenal. The butterfly-shaped, symmetrical track has a relatively small footprint, 80 x 90 feet, but it gets a ton of use. Pump tracks are addicting.

Unless you've been living in a cave, you have probably seen a pump track. They have caught on quickly in the past few years. Pump tracks are very formulaic; the idea is to start on a ramp, then navigate a track full of berms and turns without pedaling. You just pump on the bumps to increase speed. In this way, pump tracks teach cornering and bike-handling skills in a very fun way. "You can ride them on a hard tail, BMIX, or aggressive short-travel bike," says Brian Finestone, Whistler's bike park manager. They can be built just about anywhere. "I have one in my backyard," says Finestone, and there are perhaps six or eight others scattered around the town.

Whistler's park track, though, is bigger than most, and built for advanced riders-it's highly technical and difficult. It has rollers 2 1/2 or 3 feet high, and the corners are tight, with about a 14-foot radius, with rollers leading in and out of the turns.

For all its visibility and high-end design, it was inexpensive to build, perhaps $5,000 to $10,000, Finestone says. "If you buy dirt, it's more expensive, but there's less rock picking involved," he advises. And with all the hard riding the park endures, regular maintenance is a must.

ATTITASH, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Attitash's $1.5 million dollar Nor'Easter Mountain Coaster, built by Alpine Products, was set to open in mid-August; construction began in late January. The project adds to Attitash's existing summer operations, which include an Alpine Slide, Eurobungy, water park and mountain biking.

The Nor'Easter carries guests 1,420 feet up Attitash Mountain, providing views of the White Mountains before descending 2,880 feet through forested peaks, valleys and wooded spaces. The track runs through a series of bank curves, dips and a 360-degree loop at rider-controlled speeds of up to 25 mph. The track is between three and 20 feet in height and drops 316 vertical feet. As part of the Nor'Easter project, Attitash plans to build a skier underpass so that during winter, the Nor'Easter will carry guests over a section of open trail near the base of the mountain.

Summer ticket prices are $15 for a single ride, or $45 for full-day, unlimited use of all of Attitash's summer attractions. Discounts are available for children under four feet in height.