That’s right, y’all! After 11 years, the famous Toboggan Slide in Eagles Mere is set to re-open on Friday, January 31st!

Before we get to the details, let’s go over the history a bit! Created by the volunteer fire company, the ice toboggan slide has been delighting winter visitors since 1904. According to the group’s website:

From the mountaintop of Eagles Mere, downhill slopes are found in all directions, lengths, and grades. It is assumed that even in the early 1800s, families found wintertime pleasure in sledding on the hills and skating on the lake.

In 1903, the roadbed of Eagles Mere Avenue was smoothed down by sleds and toboggans for a long time throughout the village. Some more adventurous riders took their snow vehicles to the top of Lake Avenue to hopefully have a swift run down the road far out on the frozen lake.

Capt. E.S. Chase stood at the edge of the lake one January day, watching his grandchildren. They asked him why he couldn’t build a “real good” toboggan slide down the slope of Lake Avenue. It was a logical idea. Capt. Chase had a “finger in every pie” in the development of Eagles Mere. He had moved here from Williamsport in 1886 and continually initiated projects such as laying out the street plans of the village, planning and cutting the arrow paths, and our well-known Laurel Path around the lake. One of his monumental contributions was sounding out and making a map of the Eagles Mere Lake depths theretofore unknown.

He began work on a design and method for building a toboggan slide that would be safe and sturdy and would be a continued pleasure for Eagles Mere residents. Today, the slide is executed from these original plans using Capt. Chase’s planer and his method of grooving the ice.

The captain had a wooden toboggan built with three metal runners to fit the groove made in the slide’s ice. The townspeople were excited about this project, as were members of The Eagles Mere Land Company, of which Capt. Chase was the general manager.

The next winter, men and boys declared a holiday and enthusiastically turned out to build the toboggan slide when the ice was declared solid at twelve inches. Hand saws were used. Horse teams with wagons, bobsleds, and strong arms and backs hauled the ice blocks to the foot of Lake Avenue where construction began.

The slide was ready for operation in January 1904. Electric lights were strung over the slide by Walter Trappe using electricity generated by the waters of Hunters Lake, four miles away.

The first to test the slide was Harry Stevens. As no sled was immediately available, he chose to sit down in a heavy iron scoop shovel and away went Harry! The observers cheered him on until they quickly became aware of a strange cloud forming around him, which developed into a trail of smoke. As he gained momentum, he rode swiftly out on the lake. The men raced down the hill and out onto the ice to find Mr. Stevens with the seat of his pants completely burnt out. No permanent injury occurred other than to his dignity, and as he stood more than sat for a few days, he had to grin and bear all the logical jokes for weeks, perhaps months to come.

After this initiation, sleds, toboggans, and a few homemade contraptions appeared on the scene immediately. The slide was active until the middle of March.

I won’t get into all the details about how the slide is built, but if you are curious, you can find a whole description on their website. But let’s just suffice it to say — it’s a lot. And takes a lot of work from dedicated volunteers from the Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company, along with more volunteers from surrounding VFCs.

Once the slide is operational, it will stay up and running into March — as long as the ice holds out. Warm snaps can shut down the slide, so be sure to keep an eye on the Eagle Mere VFC Facebook page and eaglesmeretobogganslide.com for details. You can also call their hotline at 570-525-3244.

As of now, the slide will be open Fridays from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sundays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Prices for Toboggan Rental: Up to 5 Adults – $40 Per Hour (cash only), guaranteed two runs per hour. No reservations. 1 hour rental only. Toboggans are rented as available up to 1 hour before closing.

There are a few rules to be aware of:
– Ride at your Own Risk
– No Standing on Toboggans
– No Alcoholic Beverages
– No Throwing Snowballs
– Adult Supervision on all Toboggans
– Keep Away from Toboggan Track
– No Horse Play
– No Animals Allowed to Ride on Toboggans

Once again information regarding the Toboggan Slide can be found at: The Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Company’s Facebook page, http://www.eaglesmeretobogganslide.com, or by calling 570-525-3244, and they are located at Route 42 and Lake Avenue in Eagles Mere.

This tends to be a bit of a depressing time of year, what better way to shake things up than by taking a drive to Eagles Mere! Rent your toboggan and race down the hill at speeds up to 45 MPH! Enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and other refreshments at the on-site snack shack, purchase a souvenir, or warm up by the fire. The village shops and museum are only a short walk down the hill.

You know that I am not much of a cold weather, or outdoor girly, but I’m actually really excited about this! I hope y’all can join me on the ice!