Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce was the next park on the trip buried in the middle of Connecticut not far from ESPN. We were here to ride Boulderdash, a coaster that is always highly rated and what I had lead to believe was unique with the way it hugged the side of a mountain (I would realise later in the trip how wrong I was).

Another early start to day but this time it would be a wooden coaster that we'd be having our ERS on. Lake Compounce famously send the trains ride twice during their ERS, something that I hadn't seen before.


We would come to realise on the trip that various polls are used to determine the ranking of coasters. Personally I use Mitch Hawker's as its scientific (read "a bitch to fill in") and voted for by the fans.

Boulderdash hugs the side of the mountain and having all the trees and rocks fly past really adds to the sensation of speed. This had been a coaster I'd wanted to ride for a long long time ever since seeing it on a documentary.

I absolutely loved this ride, but a lot of people didn't. Apparently in the last year it has developed a couple of kinks in the track that can hurt the rider if they're not ready for it. Once you'd ridden it a few times you'd learn to prepare for them however and the ERS was great.

In all I rode it twenty times during the ERS. Now I don't usually count but seeing as how people were gradually dropping out of the ERS and the trains were running with empty seats I remained on the ride all hour. It's funny how I seemed to hate those that others liked and liked those that others hated. I guess I'm just a little messed up!

After the ERS was over a group of us headed along the lake's edge to the rapids ride. This weather stone was first seen at this park but a couple of parks later in the trip also had them. I'd never seen them before and found them quite amusing.

The rapids were notorious and once again Malcolm the Water Magnet got soaked. However on this occasion, everyone in the boat got soaked, I just happened to get it first. The final turn featured a massive wave that I think got Chris.

Or was it Mick that got it? Hmmm...

Interesting Sign #6
"Proper riding position - Feet below knees".
I have to admit I've never seen anyone try to sit in a cable lift with their feet above their knees!

The cable lift had been recommended by those who had been to the park before. On the way back down you get a really nice view of the park. In order to do that you had to ride the lift up. There isn't anything at the top other than a guy reading a book and a turn-around. The possibility of an alpine coaster being built would be great I thought. On the way up we were told to look out for wild animals.

I just didn't expect them to be of the stuffed variety.

Here's the view on the way back down. Does look good, unfortunately the potential for getting a nice shot of the park disappeared as I could hear the Boulderdash train coming.

Which I got, woohoo! This ride isn't easy to photograph because it is hidden in the trees so your grateful for fate smiling on you and giving you the chance of a shot like this.

Having ridden the cable car it was time for lunch and more "staff in costumes". It was nice of the park to have them join us for lunch, I'm just not sure the heat was the right conditions for them. The same as yesterday!

New to the park this year was Thunder and Lightning, a pair of powered swings that were quickly popping up in parks around the world, but in particular the U.S. This ride was a lot of fun and better than the one at Thorpe, which I had admittedly ridden when it was running on half the air it should have done. As it was to turn out this was one of the better run ones on the trip.

Interesting Sign #7
"Please Remove Earrings".
This was on the entrance to the park's Boomerang coaster. A warning that should be on all rides of this type. Somewhere in the world there exists a perfectly smooth boomerang coaster. This isn't it.....but it was close and the smoothest I'd ever been on!

A new kiddy coaster gave some enthusiasts an opportunity for a new credit. I doubt it was as exciting as they're making out. Actually I rode it soon after and it was!

I didn't realise that this park was the oldest in America opening in 1846. Throughout all of our day at SFNE we were reminded that it was the 45th birthday of Six Flags. 45 is nothing compared to 160 yet this park wasn't making a big deal out of it.

The park's water park was popular with the heat as high as it was. I hadn't brought any water clothes to the park so couldn't take part and as we were only there for the morning I might not have had time to dry off.


Lake Compounce was a really nice park, and we could have done with a little more time there as I had to forego a couple of attractions. I did love Boulderdash however and even if it doesn't rank so highly this year compared to previous, I'll be ranking it quite highly!

Back south to a surprise park!