Yeah, I took those pictures. The original plan was to fully enclose the first drop. A GR ride op told me that mid-project, they decided that the "roof" would somehow stop the noise enough. I think the fully enclosed tunnel would have been MUCH better than the ugly, half-assed looking tin roof. A full tunnel could have gone with the "goldmine" theme that it already has. Oh well, at least they are not changing the actual ride.
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"X" marks the spot in 2001!