By Carol Fisher Linn
Who doesn’t love a challenge? In winter, skiers can feel the adrenaline rush when meeting a challenge head on at Greer Hill at HoliMont or The Wall at Holiday Valley, whose 80%, nearly 40-degree slope is crazy challenging. If you aren’t into off-season challenges like scary free-ride mountain biking on Ellicottville’s hills, ziplining or rappelling at Holiday Valley, conquering an Escape Room in Jamestown, four-wheeling through the miles of ATV trails at Bear Creek Lake Resort in Franklinville, testing your nerves bouldering at Rock City Park or visiting haunted houses in Olean, you might want to test your skills with the Enchanted Mountain Challenge.
This Challenge is a seasonal event running this year, Season 5, from May to October 13. You can enter as a single or gather your coolest, mystery-loving friends and put together a team upwards of 6 or 10. Join anytime; finish in a weekend or pause and finish any time before the end of season. Two age categories – The Adult Challenge – 17 or older, or Family Friendly Junior Challenge for kids and teenagers 0 – 16. Imagine what a crazy birthday party weekend that would make for kiddoes. Bring an RV or rent a cabin for the crew at Bear Creek Lake Resort and launch your challenge from there. They are in Franklinville. If you are not able to manage the hiking or more strenuous parts of the challenge accommodations will be made and, by August, a version will be available online for those who cannot participate physically. Get a box delivered and join the challenge at home.
The Challenge is kind of like geocaching, scavenger hunting, hiking with a bit of the flavor of an escape room, but outdoors. The “hunt” involves a Cattaraugus County history-themed storyline which you receive via video when you begin your challenge. The story is loosely based on factual events in times past, but the creators, Shaun and Kristen Thomson have taken literary license with those facts to add zest to their improbable adventure stories. Fact or fiction? You’ll find out at the end of your challenge. Fortunately, Shaun is a professional videographer, filmmaker, etc., (he and his wife run five family businesses) so this is a top-notch professional endeavor. Once you are captured by the storyline, you will find yourself going back in time as you move from one clue to the next. Clues come as riddles, in codes, locked cases, in interesting signs in parks, cemeteries or out of the way places in Ellicottville, Franklinville and Olean, etc. Your clues will come from retail clerks, from bar tenders or from … wait, I can’t give that much away.
The COVID epidemic turned out to be a bonus for the Thomson family. Stuck at home in Franklinville (no internet) with young children, creativity was the rule of the day, every single day. While creating games and scavenger hunts for the kids, they also spent time researching the history of Franklinville and Cattaraugus County. They decided there might be a business opportunity connecting their love of history with a business. Things lined up perfect for an off-beat fun business where people were still able to keep safe distances while staying within their core groups.
The couple moved here eight years ago with their young family. Shaun, originally from Bliss found the Franklinville environment like home. Kristen established the Sugar Goat Bakery after selling 2 NYS licensed assisted living facilities. Degreed in public administration and healthcare, she has a great love for history. USAF vet Shaun runs several companies in the outdoor industry, videotapes local weddings, has a television show and collectively, they have their fingers in many successful pots.
In speaking with Shaun, he couldn’t stress enough that he loved the idea of bringing new visitors from all over to this region in a fun and unusual way, with the goal of introducing them to what Franklinville, Ellicottville and Olean have to offer. By highlighting the region, the local businesses and the history, they hope new visitors will return. On their end they have about a 90% return rate of explorers coming back every year for the next challenge. Thomson informed this writer they had about 1000 participants in 2025. He also stated that they have been contacted by other communities in the WNY region to offer this adventure in their own areas so be sure to catch yours here.
Find out more, including rates, at www.enchantedmountainchallenge.com , 716-435-6296.