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 Review of Boulder Dash @ Lake Compounce
5 Rating Posted by: Mt. Flyer on 12/10/2004 4:22:00 PM
The Lake Compounce Boulder Dash is the epitome of creative thought! By using the mountain side, the designers saved millions of dollars on wood for the structure of this (almost mile long) behemoth. Also, by racing through the forest, youre never quite sure where youre going next.

Make sure you ride this coaster several times, it changes a lot in the course of one day. Early in the day rides are fairly mild, while later in the day rides seem to be much faster than the 60 MPH it is supposed to achieve. Curiously, Boulder Dash feels as "out of control" as any woodie, yet is probably the smoothest wood coaster Ive ever ridden. Usually you need that roughness for that "out of control" feeling.

Boulder Dash is truly the wood coaster king of the northeast, a worthy successor to the Mountain Park Mountain Flyer and SFNEs Cyclone.
 

Review Comments

mrceagle on 12/10/2004 11:59:06 PM said:
Welcome to the site. its good to see a new local on the site. Hopefully you unlike myself had the chance to ride the great coaster you based you user name on.
Timberman on 12/11/2004 12:05:07 AM said:
Great review. I might be willing to grant that Boulder Dash is the wood coaster king of the Northeast, but the Coney Island Cyclone is King, period.
Mt. Flyer on 12/11/2004 1:14:07 PM said:
Thanks for the welcome, and yes the Mountain Flyer was my first "adult" coaster. And concerning the CI Cylone, perhaps I should have said Boulder Dash is wood king of New England as opposed to all of the north east. Though Ive not yet had the chance to ride it, just by lasting this long I feel the CI Cyclone should get the honor of ultimate northeast king.
mrceagle on 12/11/2004 9:14:20 PM said:
I give it honers over all wood coasters. its the grandfather of what has been mad today. thanks fo rthe info Mt. I wish I woudl have been able to ride the Flyer myself.
Mt. Flyer on 12/12/2004 10:30:31 AM said:
You might be able to take a virtual ride. I believe at least one site on the internet had POV video. Also the local PBS affiliate, WGBY Springfield, did a show called "Mountain Park Memories" about two years back. It included point of view video taken on the Mountain Flyer in the mid 80s.
Achibabwa on 12/12/2004 6:55:32 PM said:
Thats awesome... thanks for your insight.
mrceagle on 12/12/2004 10:06:30 PM said:
Ill have to look that up. I realy wanted to go to this park when it was open. I couldnt get my parents to go. hopefuly I can find this and get an idea of how good this ride was for myself.
adriahna on 12/13/2004 10:06:38 AM said:
Awesome review, Flyer - and welcome to the site, if I hadnt mentioned before. You put it perfectly, in saying that BD feels so out of control despite its smooth nature - thats exactly how I feel about it. It just careens like silk through that home run, and yet I was just terrified. What a great coaster.
Mt. Flyer on 12/13/2004 4:32:16 PM said:
Thanks for the welcome and compliment, adriahna. Mrceagle, sorry guy, I still havent found that site with the POV video, but I will. Mountain Flyer was a really fun "out and back" coaster. And you got to love any coaster that used those NAD Century Flyer trains.
adriahna on 12/13/2004 6:31:10 PM said:
Ahhh...them Century Flyers...good stuff.
ibluv on 12/13/2004 6:55:55 PM said:
Rumor has it they may build a copy of the MF at SFNE, but if they do, who knows what kind of trains theyll use.
mrceagle on 12/13/2004 8:28:33 PM said:
Yep PTC. Nads not even around to make trains any more. kinda stinks.
ibluv on 12/13/2004 8:53:33 PM said:
Yea it does. The airtime in PTCs isnt quite the same as in some of the older style cars, due to the design of the lap-bars.
Mt. Flyer on 12/13/2004 10:22:34 PM said:
A Mountain Flyer copy at SFNE? This sounds far fetched but a part of me LOVES this idea. But actually wouldnt it make more sense to retrack and restore the SFNE Cyclone?
Achibabwa on 12/14/2004 1:19:32 AM said:
Some would say it would have made even more sense not to ruin the Cyclone to begin with. Considering what they have done already, Id rather they put in something new than fix the old... though the Cyclone does need some love.
Mt. Flyer on 12/14/2004 11:32:47 AM said:
Oh but the Cyclone restored to its original glory would be spectacular!
praxis on 12/14/2004 11:38:29 AM said:
Doesnt a mountain flyer require... a mountain? SFNE is on really flat terrain next to the CT river.
Mt. Flyer on 12/14/2004 4:47:47 PM said:
It wasnt "a" mountain flyer, it was "the" Mountain Flyer. That was the name of the coaster at Mountain Park in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
ibluv on 12/14/2004 6:49:20 PM said:
Ive taken the virtual ride of the Flyer. Looks like an exciting ride. Too bad it was torn down, and the Cyclone was the only coaster I was ever afraid Id fly out of as there was so much airtime, but its not the monster it used to be
Mt. Flyer on 12/14/2004 7:25:25 PM said:
ibluv, do you remember where you found that virtual ride of the Mountain Flyer? Ive been unable to find it. And yes, the Cyclone was an amazing coaster. Back in 2000, when it still had its original first drop and no trims, it was the perfect wood compliment to S:ROS, but not any more.
mrceagle on 12/14/2004 10:29:27 PM said:
They maid there first mistake when they wasted there money addign PTC trains. the coaster requires articulated trains to run well. I personaly dint mind the morgan trains they had.
Timberman on 12/14/2004 11:13:36 PM said:
Im so bummed I missed out on the Riverside Cyclones glory days. Incidentally, I think Bill Cobb, the Riverside Cyclones designer, also had a hand in SFGAs Rolling Thunder, although the two coasters are very different.
papa1958 on 12/15/2004 10:14:02 AM said:
Good review Flyer
Mt. Flyer on 12/15/2004 12:07:09 PM said:
Thanks papa1958. Mrceagle, I too wish SFNE would have GCI do something with the Cyclone. Their articulated trains on that twisting layout would be awesome! I do, however, prefer the PTCs to the Morgans. The Morgans were the reason for that full train policy in the Riverside days. The Morgans couldnt make it all the way around the track without a full load. Incredible as it may seem, even with a full load they often valleyed mid-course. Of course with the return of the PTCs in 2000, management decided to change that original (some might say diabolical) first drop (in 2001). So I guess Six Flags is going to have us in a "damned if you do and damned if you dont" situation no matter what.
ibluv on 12/15/2004 7:32:24 PM said:
Sorry, MT. Flyer. I couldnt find the virtual ride. I had 3 Mountain Park sites bookmarked (one of which had the VR, which I took about a year ago), and only one of them still works, and it wasnt the one. I looked around some more online but with no luck. It seems to me that the site might have been taken down
Mt. Flyer on 12/15/2004 9:16:05 PM said:
Thanx anyways ibluv. I may have to get that dvd "Mountain Park Memories" from WGBY if I ever want to see that footage again. Unfortunately, on that show, they cut from the coaster footage AT THE HALFWAY POINT of the ride, to show someone TALKING ABOUT the coaster instead. Talk about brilliant, no one has ridden that thing in 16 years and they cut away from footage to show typical TV talking heads.
Scott on 12/15/2004 9:20:02 PM said:
That would make me so mad! how stupid! They cut rare footage away for some boring speech about coasters
mrceagle on 12/15/2004 11:42:44 PM said:
I have many time posted coments sbout then havign GCI retrack this coaster, reprofile it to its origanal design, and then add the mellenium flyers. This coaster woudl be su much better without this noew trims and the drop. it was barly makign it through the last time I went. you slowed down to abotu 3MPH over that bump before the big drop.
ibluv on 12/17/2004 4:59:23 PM said:
Im mad they took the full vid off the internet to begin with Its not everyday that you can "ride" a coaster that no longer exists.
Mt. Flyer on 12/17/2004 8:01:09 PM said:
I have yet to take the time to review Cyclone, but those trims are the real killer of the ride for me, much worse than the change in first drop. And ibluv, I totally agree with you, perhaps that should be the next project of the Rollercoaster Database, the inclusion, wherever possible, of video footage of coasters (well I can dream at least, right?).
ibluv on 12/19/2004 4:36:05 PM said:
Thats a great idea, Mt. Flyer. How come I didnt think of it LOL
Scott on 12/19/2004 4:49:00 PM said:
It would be kinda nice to do that...
BobFunland on 12/19/2004 6:51:13 PM said:
There are already 11,000+ photos.. can they really handle more bandwidth being lost? There are already a few good sites for videos, and I personally like RCDB as it is.
Mt. Flyer on 12/19/2004 6:54:52 PM said:
Im only kidding! I love RCDB as it is (but still, I can dream, right?).
ibluv on 12/19/2004 10:03:43 PM said:
lol definitely. But RCDB is still the most comprehensive coaster site on the web. What would we do without it?
mrceagle on 12/20/2004 12:20:33 AM said:
Basicly youwant a site of a RCVDB. Roler Coaster Video Data Base. It coudl posibly be dome but it would take al long time to find all the videos.
ibluv on 12/21/2004 3:40:15 PM said:
Yea it would. And itd be nearly impossible to find video of most defunct coasters.
mrceagle on 12/21/2004 9:35:37 PM said:
What woudl be more resanable woudl be to creat a site with links to sites with videos. periaticly have a fetured site and have news on the sites. ie theme park review has posted new ideo of whatchamacallit park.
Cairn on 1/24/2005 8:43:16 PM said:
Hello fellow New Englander! Great review and thank you for making mention of one of the best wooden coasters ever to have been built...The incredible Mountain Flyer. While riding the Boulder Dash the first time, I had flashbacks to the early 80s when I was a regular passenger on the "Flyer". Both the Flyer and Boulder Dash feature nearly identical turnarounds and return bunny hills back to the station. I have seen the PBS program about Mountain Park and sadly, they only show a few seconds of the riders eye view of a Flyer Ride...just the lift hill, first drop, the turnaround and a few hops over the bunny hills. The actual ride was alot longer....Im sure you remember....and wasnt it fun ducking the treelimbs that seemed to hang over the tracks? AWSOME!!!! For those who have been looking for the layout of the Mountain Flyer...it went like this. You boarded the Century Flyer Trains on the right from a very art-deco station. The only restraint was a single lap bar. No seat dividers, so you could get a bit chummy with your seatmate. The seats were really padded well though. The train pulled out of the station, made a left turn then climbed the lift hill. The train then plunged down a 70ish foot first drop, rode over a small slightly left-banked speed bump, then up the second hill which was almost as high as the first. The train took another deep dive all the way to the ground and quickly climbed the third hill which was almost as tall as the second. Following yet another deep dive under some overhanging tree limbs, the train climbed up to the turnaround which in turn dove into a very steep left dropping turn.The train sailed through two low level floaters, then into four camel humps, a sharp right turn took the train back into the station where the NAD trains were brought to a screeching halt by a large manual break lever. The passsengers disembarked again on the right, and then the train rolled slightly forward empty to the actual loading platform.

A fantastic roller coaster which gave some of the best air-time I have ever experienced. I do hope SFNE goes through with building a replica. If they do, I doubt we will see Century Flyers on it, probably some PTCs or Morgans, (Millenium Flyers would be nice)...but in any rate, I have heard around town here in Agawam that the Flyer replica may be a reality and is being "studied". Dont know how true, but this would be a big plus for the park.
ibluv on 1/26/2005 12:07:28 PM said:
Yes it definitely would, especially considering the original was torn down before my time. And thanks for taking the time to recreate the ride for those of us who´ve never ridden it.
Mt. Flyer on 1/26/2005 5:32:03 PM said:
Cairn, that was a great explanation of the ride. Remember how, as the train started over the first drop, youd start to come out of your seat? And yes, the turn-around on Boulder Dash is VERY similar to the Flyers turn. Except the Flyer almost came to a complete stop at the top of the turn, yet it still built up enough force to slam the riders into the right of the train as it wound around that turn-around.
Cairn on 1/26/2005 7:15:49 PM said:
Yes!!! That first drop was intense...50+MPH!!!...as was the view from the front seat as well. You got a first hand experience as to how big the Flyer really was. One of the few wooden coasters which gave me the chills that brief second before it left the chain. That turnaround did slam riders pretty hard, but with all that Century Flyer padding, it was fun but not painful....except when your seatmate on the left elbowed you!! No dividers on the seats made the ride all the more fun.
Mt. Flyer on 1/27/2005 10:16:53 AM said:
Sometimes wed fit in three people per bench. With no divider (and no rule saying 2 only per seat)it was quite easy to do. Also, I loved the "woooosh" sound as you raced passed those tree limbs.They were so close you could almost touch them.
Cairn on 1/27/2005 10:36:11 PM said:
The "Drop and Duck" hill! LOL!!! Were you ever there when they were busy and had two trains running? The Flyer operators loading instructions were great...."Sit DOWN so we can GOGOGO!!! The line seemed to always go pretty fast, and the way they had people running to the trains slapping down the bar, and taking off, they could have run 3 trains, had they had some extra cars. Mountain Park also had a small kiddie coaster at the front of the park. I remember in later years they sped it up and switched the cars so they ran backwards....a kiddie ride converted to a thrill ride!
mrceagle on 1/28/2005 12:42:16 PM said:
I regretably never road the flyer. i know of it but never went to the park. ive heard allot of good storys of this ride and the Lincln park Comet.
Mt. Flyer on 1/28/2005 6:34:11 PM said:
Believe it or not, but in all my times at that park, I never, not once, saw two trains running. I always assumed the second train was in case of a break down with the first train.
Cairn on 1/28/2005 6:42:28 PM said:
MrCEagle...Too bad you missed riding the Flyer. It was a true classic. It was also a nice looking structure....very long and impressive, not too mention imposing. When you drove up to the park on the access road, you took a ride up a steep drive and around a curve. Onc around that curve the first thing that came to your eye was this huge wooden roller coaster spread out in front of you. The exitement built right there. The best way to describe how it looked was a hybrid between Lake Compounces Boulder Dash, and Mid Americas Screaming Eagle. The overhanging trees made it sort of blend with the landscape...overall improving the ride.As for the LP Comet, I never rode it either, but it looked like a good one. While all good luck, perhaps someday this one will run again, either restored or relocated. While there are trees growing up through the tracks,and the paint is gone, the coaster is still structurally sound and not much work would need to be done to get the Comet running. Hopefully someone will pickthe ride up for a song....Quassy Amusement Park could benefit with this one.
Cairn on 1/28/2005 6:56:32 PM said:
Flyer...I saw the ride-ops at Mountain Park run two trains on a couple of occasions. Once was during "Channel 40 Days" when addmission to the rides were free and gambling for prizes and groceries were run. (It was a huge PR thing for the TV station.) Sometimes on Friday and Saturday nights
when corperate groups had outings, two trains would run. While there would be not much of a line in the first place, they would cycle trains around half empty anyway. God I miss Mountain Park!
mrceagle on 2/2/2005 12:01:07 PM said:
Teh comet is all but gone. A park called Little Amiricana bought the trains and begain an efert to raise money to move the coaster. that effert was stoped when an insecter said the ride would all but fall apart if it was movied. you woud basicly have to compleatly rebuild the ride. I heard that a casino was planed for the area. perhapes they woudl be willing to rebuild the structure and operat it as a upcharge liek some places in LV do.
ibluv on 2/3/2005 12:22:06 PM said:
Or one of the casinos in Connecticut could rebuild it. They don´t have any rides like those in Vegas yet, but at Mohegan Sun at least there´s room enough to build a theme park. I´m not saying they should go that far, but adding a few good rides would attract more people (like me) to visit and gamble a few bucks.
mrceagle on 2/3/2005 4:22:48 PM said:
Fox woods ahs even more land. land wise Foxwoods in the largest Casino in the world. top rated by the traviland Discovery channel.
ibluv on 2/5/2005 11:50:21 AM said:
All that land...but no rides. The Vegas casinoes can fit coasters on their rooftop, so thereLs no excuse
mrceagle on 2/6/2005 10:37:53 PM said:
Wel they dont realy need to. they get allot of people goign no mater what. I mean RI only have one extreamly small water park.
ibluv on 2/8/2005 11:27:25 AM said:
Of course they don´t NEED to, but they should as it would make the casinoes a lot more fun, especially for younger people. RI has an extremely small AP as well, as it´s an extremely small state, and only has a fraction of CT´s population.
mrceagle on 2/8/2005 1:51:50 PM said:
The thing is woudl be the leval of park they woudl need. most of the people gambling are elderly or younger and single. they woudl need to make somthing more of a destination park not jsut a plain amusment park.
ibluv on 2/11/2005 11:13:18 AM said:
There are a lot of teens that go there as well (with their parents) who aren´t old enough to gamble. At Mohegan they have one tiny arcade, a few rather expensive shops for the girlies and THAT´S IT for that age group. Going there as a teen I was bored outa my mind. Had there been just two or three rides there it would´ve been much more enjoyable.
mrceagle on 2/11/2005 12:32:28 PM said:
I agree a small hand full o frides woudl be good for the few people that do go. but if they want to actually pull people on it then they need to go beyond a simple amusment park.
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