Editor’s Note: This trip report was reformatted in 2022 to match the current style, including photo galleries and ride counts. Older trip reports, however, detailed every ride of the day, whereas newer reports only touch upon a handful of rides. In order to preserve what I wrote, you will still find each ride detailed below.
It’s weird to label this blog a “Summer of Sam” entry being both Renee and Greg were also present. I started the “Summer of Sam” blog series to chronicle the major strides Sam has taken this summer in overcoming her fear of coasters. I will be tagging every trip she’s a part of as “Summer of Sam” until, well, the end of summer. At that point, I think I’m going to do a Q&A style blog asking her about how her feelings on roller coasters and if they have changed along the way. She loves the idea too.
Initial Plans
This trip to Camelback Mountain Adventure (CMA) was one that Renee and I had planned to do back on Monday, July 13, 2020. Our plans for that day were to head up to CMA, get Renee her first mountain coaster credit, and then shoot back down to Dorney Park to finish the day. Rain put the axe to those plans and we ended up going to Hersheypark instead. You can read about in the blog, “Hersheypark – A Great Day with Renee.”
Eventually, Renee and I wanted to make this trip happen and honestly, I’m glad we waited. Not only did Renee and I get to also go to Hersheypark, but by waiting, it also allowed Sam and Greg to come along too. It made for an amazing day with some great people.
Postponed Plans
I kept the plans the same as what Renee and I had planned last month. Renee was still looking for her first mountain coaster and Greg had yet to experience one either. Sam, only a few weeks earlier, picked up her first mountain coaster when she and I took a trip to Wisp Resort. On that day, like this one, we ended up starting the day with a mountain coaster and then going to an amusement park, which was Lakemont Park. Read about those two experiences in the following blogs: “Summer of Sam – Wisp Resort: Sam’s 1st Mountain Coaster” and “Summer of Sam – Lakemont Park: World’s Oldest Coaster.” Back to CMA, though.
We made our mountain coaster reservations for 11:30 a.m. We arrived right at our reservation time and checked in. The wait for the coaster was no more than 5-10 minutes. I was allowed to film on the ride as long as the camera was mounted. I took advantage of that and brought my chest mount along for my GoPro. Check out that POV down below.
Our Ride Experiences
I boarded the coaster first. I was glad to try this mountain coaster again after having a so-so experience in 2019. If you read my blog, “Mountain Coaster Mania,” covering all my mountain coaster experiences from 2019, you know I had a disappointing experience at CMA my first two visits. The first time, I arrived just a tad bit late due to traffic and them closing early due to rain. My second visit, I was able to ride, but had slow riders in front of me, stopping constantly the whole way down. Thankfully, the third time was the charm.
On this visit I was able to keep top speed down the 4,500-foot long course and it felt like it was hauling! Sam came down second, followed by Renee, and finally, Greg. All three said they had an awesome ride too. Renee and Greg had scored their first mountain coaster credit and Sam, her second.
“I liked this mountain coaster a little more than I did Wisp’s. I still felt like I was going to fly off the edge when I hit the turns, but it was still really fun,” Sam explained. “I loved flying down the course and seeing the forest all around me. Mountain coasters are so awesome because of their speed and the beautiful scenery.”
“The mountain coaster was a lot faster than I expected, but I really enjoyed it. It was one of the most unique rides I’ve been on,” said Renee of her ride.
“Camelback’s mountain coaster was a scenic and peaceful, yet exciting time,” Greg shared.
A Bonus for Greg
Luckily for Greg, he was also able to capture his first mountain coaster credit with a photo key chain. I’m sure it’s a memorable addition to his already impressive collection. Once his key chain was prepared and handed to him, we were on our way to grab a bite to eat before heading to Dorney. Talk about a great day getting even better. You’ll want to be sure to read that trip report when it’s published. Sam even managed to pick up a new favorite coaster, dethroning Great Bear at Hersheypark!
Are mountain coasters your thing? How many do you have on your credit list? I’m currently sitting at six mountain coaster credits and am always looking to do more. What ones do you suggest?
Camelback Mountain Adventures Photo Gallery - August 13, 2020
If you would like to use any of the images in the gallery above for your commercial and/or non-commercial projects, feel free to do so. I ask that you credit We Were Inverted whenever they’re used. I also ask that you do not alter the image or remove the watermarks. If you need any images/video resized or without the watermarks, please contact me directly.
CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): n/a
Sam
Lieutenant
New Credit(s): Mountain Coaster
Renee
Lieutenant
New Credit(s): Mountain Coaster
Greg
Ensign
New Credit(s): Mountain Coaster
