A pair of brothers up in Napa have constructed a rollercoaster in their backyard, which one person can ride at a time, styled like Disneyland's Matterhorn, complete with abominable snow monster.
The pandemic has driven some people into quiet, depressed holes of their own. But it's also driven some people into big, industrious projects. And the LaRochelle brothers took on one such project in their backyard.
"My brother walked outside with me to the backyard, and he said 'Michael, we are going to build the Matterhorn,'" says Michael LaRochelle, speaking to ABC 7.
They're calling it "Matterhorn: Alpine Escape," and they revealed the finished product on YouTube and Reddit in November. It was actually another backyard rollercoaster the brothers saw on YouTube, via their friend John Eggers, that served as inspiration. (According to the Reddit post, one of the brothers is currently an architecture student.)
This mini-Matterhorn includes a scary-looking dip under a wooden bridge, as well as a waterfall and a fountain. Sean and Michael LaRochelle say they spent a lot of time at Disneyland as kids, and this was a way to bring Disneyland to their own home.
It took four months to build, using 400 feet of steel track, and 32,000 pounds of stucco to create the mountain-esque exterior.
As for the scary snow monster, who they're calling "the Yeti," that was a last-minute addition. "Eventually I just thought, if we're going to all this trouble, we might as well have the Yeti," Michael says.
The project has led to a YouTube channel called Magictecture, which seems to suggest more project ahead.