Location: Ross, Ohio
Date: 5/26/97, 8/10/97
Attendance: Next-to-nothing (see note on admission)
Weather: Cool
Admission: This is a PRIVATE park, (much like Hillcrest in Chicago), therefore admission is pretty much by invitation only. The park caters solely to private picnics.parties, however coaster riders out there need not despair, because Ralph Stricker opens his park to the public twice a year, on July 4th, and on a sunday in August (the 10th this year). Ralph has also been known to make exceptions if you give him a polite phone call (well in advance) requesting to ride the coaster. I can't guarantee anything, but it worked for us.
Description of park: A picnic grounds with a small rides midway, that has been made famous with the addition of not one but two wooden roller coasters, produced in-house.
A 1995 In-House Wooden Double Out-and-Back Coaster
Description: This coaster is modeled after the now defunct Rocky Glen Comet, from PA.
Train: 1 by PTC (3 cars/ 6 per car) - Standard lap bars, seat dividers, and seatbelts
Platform Procedure: Flush loading, first-come, first served seating.
Ride Itself: Fun peepy coaster, not extremely thrilling, but a fun ride nevertheless. It has a smooth running good profile, with a couple moments of airtime. (Including one slamer for those in the back car). Takes you back to what coasters should be like, fun rides.
Note: I am sure half of the 'legendary status' regarding this coaster deals with the difficulty in getting a ride on it. (Wouldn't it just stink to live right accross the street from it and not be able to ride it?)
A 1996 Junior Figure 8 Wooden Coaster (Might fall under "Kiddie" per ACE guidelines)
Description: Speaking of the Hillcrest coaster, here's a close look-a-like to it. Patterned after a Junior coaster built in the 20's at Coney Island of Ohio (with the same name "Teddy Bear" and all).
Train: 1 PTC Junior Train, (4 cars/ 4 per car) - Has standard junior lap bar, and openings only on one side.
Platfrom: One-stop (as per above), first come- first serve
Ride Itself: Those thinking they are going to get a smooth, no frills kiddie ride (as suggested by the profile) might be a bit suprised in the rides little suprise element: the primo fine-del-capo effect (headchopper). Remembering the ride is only at most 20' tall, then doing a figure 8, you come to a point where you dive under a section of track, and right then it looks impossibly small. (You could have seen 2 adults in the lead car ducking WAY down had you have been there)
Opinion: Beautiful well-kept park, a little gem in the rough. Worth the outing at least once, and don't forget to phone ahead.