Shelly Vest, secretary/treasurer of the Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide Association, spoke about the return of a slide made of lake ice to the town of Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, how the local fire department builds it and how weather prevented the slide, or toboggan, from being made for nearly 10 years. Jan. 28, 2025.
EAGLES MERE, Pa. – The beloved tradition of a slide made of lake ice has returned to Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, after nearly a decade of warm winters put the tradition on hold.
Dating back to 1904, the Eagles Mere toboggan is built by the local volunteer fire company for the community to enjoy.
Firefighters cut out blocks of ice from a local lake, each weighing about 300 pounds, and line up about 150 of them side-by-side to create a track.
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Aerial footage shows the track and ice cutouts of the blocks used to create the Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania.
Snow is then packed on the sides of the track to keep the blocks in place. Or when snow is not available, a fire truck sprays water on the blocks, which are then left to freeze overnight.
Running from a hillside and down onto the frozen lake, the track is about a quarter-mile long and allows riders to travel as fast as 45 mph, according to Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide Association Secretary/Treasurer Shelly Vest.
The toboggan has been a favorite activity for locals and tourists alike. However, warmer temperatures over the past nine years have prevented the lake from freezing enough for ice blocks to be safely cut out of it.
The ice blocks laid to create the toboggan.
(Eagles Mere Volunteer Fire Co. / FOX Weather)
Vest said the lake ice needs to be about 11-12 inches thick for this to be possible.
She noted that the current weather conditions may allow the community to have the track for about a month.
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