
12 Aug Alpine Slide and Mountain Tram at Lutsen Mountains
We sprinted toward the chairlift just as they closed the rope to the entrance. After an out of breath, “are we too late?”, they told us to hop on, but quickly! The alpine slide was closing for the day and we made it on with only seconds to spare.
Neither of us had ever been on an alpine slide before, but it was something I’ve wanted to try forever. Since Lutsen Mountains, a ski resort, was so close to our campground, we had to indulge our inner child and pop over for a quick ride down the slide.
Upon reaching the top of the hill, we hopped off the chairlift and were handed our carts. We really had no idea what we were doing, so we stumbled over to the starting point in a hurry while trying to catch a glimpse of the instruction signs. Micah had a GoPro attached to his head to catch our ride down, and I couldn’t help but giggle when a nearby tween whispered to her friend, “Woah, he’s like a professional! Look at his camera!” That made my day–if only they could have seen how fast we flew down that hill…we were flying so fast I bet a kindergartner could have beat us! All joking aside, after reading the warnings about injuries and hearing numerous wipeout stories, we were a little chicken to head down at breakneck speeds. The whole ride took a couple minutes, and was filled with twists, turns, ups and downs–it was awesome! We had no idea what to expect or how to control the cars, so once we reached the bottom, we were wishing we could give it another go! The next time we will most definitely be a bit more daring.
Here’s a short video of our ride:
Prior to whipping down the hill on our slides, we took a nice relaxing ride on the nearby Mountain Tram for some beautiful views of the hills and Lake Superior. The tram cars are tiny, but they will fit 2-4 people comfortably. We hopped on and at first had no idea where the ride would end.
Eventually, after soaring over rivers, trees and out of season ski hills, we saw where the ending destination was: practically straight up on top of the tallest hill around. The ride was pretty smooth, but I’m not going to lie, when the cart started shaking in the breeze, I got a few butterflies in my stomach.
Once we reached the top, we were able to get out and explore a bit, but we were on a tight schedule as we were trying to catch the alpine slide next (clearly we didn’t do too great with our time management). The views were gorgeous, and it was fun to check out the chalet and restaurant at the top that were just getting ready to close. If you want a meal with a view, you need to get there an hour before the trams stop running. Since we didn’t have much time to gaze at the horizon, we took a few photos and had to start making our way back down fairly quick. It was a fun experience, but I just wish we had a bit more time to explore!
Exploring Lutsen Mountains in the summer was great, but I definitely want to get back up there during the winter for some skiing and snowboarding. The views would be spectacular with all the white shining snow, and as long as I don’t wipe out too bad on the way down, I’m sure it would be just as enjoyable!
Have you ever been on an Alpine Slide or a Mountain Tram/Gondola?
Lauren
Posted at 01:41h, 13 AugustTwitter: JustinLaurenXO
I’ve never done anything like this before but it really looks like fun! Would love to try it! And love all of the beautiful trees and scenery there.
Lauren recently posted…Chez Victor, Gourmet Burgers in Quebec City
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 01:42h, 14 AugustIt really was great–and the scenery definitely didn’t hurt either! 🙂
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Alpine Slide and Mountain Tram at Lutsen Mountains
Meg Jerrard
Posted at 13:14h, 13 AugustTwitter: mappingmegan
This looks like so much fun! Never done it but would totally try it!! What a location to do it in as well!
Meg Jerrard recently posted…Where We Slept in Memphis
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 01:41h, 14 AugustYou should definitely try it–I think you would really enjoy it! 🙂
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Alpine Slide and Mountain Tram at Lutsen Mountains
Hannah
Posted at 16:09h, 13 AugustTwitter: hannahlogan21
WHOA that looks like so much fun! Bucketlist material for sure! Thanks for sharing..now to find one close to me 🙂
Hannah recently posted…In Search of The Loch Ness Monster
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 01:40h, 14 AugustIt really was great! I just wish we could have gone down a few more times 🙂 Hope you find one near you–good luck!!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Alpine Slide and Mountain Tram at Lutsen Mountains
Angela Travels
Posted at 18:10h, 13 AugustTwitter: angelatravels11
I really liked how you did not add sound to the video. Made me feel like I was on the slide 🙂 Would like to try one of these one day.
Angela Travels recently posted…Consider Using Lyft and Uber
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 01:40h, 14 AugustThanks! Glad you felt like you had a ride on it too 🙂 We had a great time–hope you get to try one soon!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Alpine Slide and Mountain Tram at Lutsen Mountains
Chris Boothman
Posted at 12:30h, 14 AugustTwitter: abritsoutherner
Wow, what an amazing experience that alpine slide looks! I would love to do that but honestly just taking the chair lift to the top and taking in those spectacular views over the Lutsen Mountains and surrounding region is enough to convince me that I need to explore this part of the world.
Chris Boothman recently posted…Top 10 Reasons to Visit London
Jenna Kvidt
Posted at 23:56h, 20 AugustIt is a really great area! The alpine slide was a blast, too–would definitely recommend it if you get to the area sometime!
Jenna Kvidt recently posted…Travel Fashion: FIG Clothing Review