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“Are we really going to ride on that thing?” Josie asked, while she pointed up in the sky. “It looks cool!”
Max peered up where Josie was pointing, “Are you sure it’s safe? It looks pretty high off the ground.”
“Yes, we are going to ride in that thing. It is called a tram. And, yes, it is safe.” Grandpa said, as they jogged forward to get in line. “These trams are used in the winter to get skiers to the top of the mountain. We are going up now in the summer to see the beautiful views.”
“And to get some delicious waffles for lunch, too!” Grandma added. They had heard there was a great waffle shop at the top.
As they moved closer in line, they could see that the tram would unload passengers on one side, and once they were off, the other side opened for them to load.
“Are you sure, it’s safe?” Max asked as he grabbed Grandma’s hand.
“Yes, Max,” she smiled and put her arm around his shoulders. “They take really good care of the tram and cables. The ride will be fun, and we’ll be completely safe.”
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THE DOORS SLID OPEN and they walked onto the tram. There were rails on the sides and a small area to sit down. They made their way to the back of the tram and held onto the rails. After a minute, the doors slid closed and they started to move forward.
“See how we aren’t really that high off the ground? We are just climbing along with the mountain,” explained Grandpa, pointing out the window. “Look at those beautiful mountains around us!”
“And keep your eyes peeled for animals and birds. I heard you can see bears and moose on this ride sometimes,” Grandma added.
Max and Josie held on to the railing and peered out the giant windows as the tram climbed higher and higher.
“This is a 9-minute ride, and we will climb 4,500 feet in elevation,” said Grandpa.
“I’m glad we are doing this,” said Max with a big smile. “I was scared at first, but this is fun! It’s not scary at all.”
“This mountain is called Rendezvous Mountain,” said Josie checking her map.
“This is where the mountain men would meet in the summers. They called the meeting a rendezvous, which in French means a meeting at an agreed upon time and place,” said Grandpa.
As they climbed to the top of the mountain, the clouds filled in around them, and they couldn’t see anything.
“Oh, no!” Josie cried, “We won’t be able to see anything up here now!”
“It is kind of a weird feeling being in a cloud,” said Max.
“I think it will pass soon,” Grandma replied. “When we got on the tram, the sky was a little cloudy, but it wasn’t overcast.”
Suddenly, they were out of the cloud, and they had reached their destination! As they unloaded, they saw snow on the ground around the unloading area.
“We are at 10,450 feet in elevation right now,” Grandma told them, “That’s probably the highest you’ve ever been on land!”
“It is cold up here!” Josie said, as she dug her jacket out of her backpack.
“Max! Don’t you dare,” she called as Max threw a packed snowball at her. She dodged but was still hit by a bit of snow. “Max,” she said dismayed, “You’re going to get me all wet.”
Max laughed as he trotted over to the viewers that were mounted on the deck. “Oh Josie, it’s just snow! You’ll be fine. Now, come on, let’s look through these viewers!”
Grandpa pulled a handful of quarters out of his pocket and gave them each one.
Max loaded his quarter into the slot, and he looked through the viewer. It was just like his binoculars! He looked through, and he could see the mountains around them up close.
They spent the next few minutes scanning the trees and mountains.
“I’m famished,” Grandpa told everyone. “I think we should head over there to get some waffles. We can eat them out on the deck and enjoy the views! What do you all think?” He pointed over to a cabin that had skis tacked up all around the outside.
“I love waffles!” Max exclaimed.
“Me, too,” said Josie, “And do you think they have hot chocolate? I’m still a little cold from that snowball!”
As they entered the cabin, they could see souvenirs for sale and up ahead a big menu board.
“Everyone pick out what you want on your waffle, and I’ll order it,” said Grandma.
“I want strawberries on mine and milk to drink,” said Max.
“Brown sugar for me and hot chocolate,” said Josie.
Grandpa got peanut butter and bacon, and Grandma got strawberries, too. As they ate on the deck, they could see the beautiful views, and enjoy the fresh air.
“That was so good!” Max exclaimed as he wadded up his wrapper to throw it away. “I could eat that for lunch every day!”