An alpine coaster is coming to the High Country. The ride on Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk is one of the first of its kind in North Carolina.
The two-person ride works like this: It starts off similar to a ski lift experience. You get inside a cart that makes it's way to the top of the track. Then gravity takes over. You can control the speed, navigating turns and slopes - going up to 27 miles per hour.
Eric and Tara Bechard retired in the area after several years in the military. They're building the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster and their daughter Ashley Brown is also helping with the business.
“We have some amazing safety features built in,” says Brown. “We will have one of the newest carts available on the market, so there will be no chance for individuals to bump into each other. If a person stops on the track the coaster will automatically go again. It's not going to let you just stop and sit on the track.”
Brown says there are only around 20 of these coasters in the country and she believes this will be a big attraction for tourists and locals.
“There will be a lot of family fun. We fell in love with the mountains and the different scenery and just being in a tranquil place, so that's our big experience with the coaster. When you're going down, it's very wooded. It's very pretty. You feel like you're in the wilderness,” says Brown.
Crews are constructing the more than 2,100 foot track now, and it's expected to open in late summer. It will remain open all year round.
The site will also have a nearby center that will house a gift shop and ticket booth. A restaurant is also being planned there in the future.
Brown says the ticket price for adults will be $15.00.
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