Offseason Visit to MIA...Corkscrew is ORANGE!!

Watch out for those cops! Wonder if the tree is still on Timbers. Also, if you could let me know if the parking lot is ploughed at all that would be helpful, I have a snowmobile and I'm prepared to use it! Hey John Peck...its MY baby, and someone else has already claimed the title of its father, so you're outta luck! I think you need atleast 400 laps to be considered a partial owner ;). I get to ride in 146 days..man I miss it!
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Kara
403 Laps

Trust me, it's her baby! She'll fight ya to the death over it! I already tried. :)
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Don't.....look.....back! The Headless Horseman awaits you in 2002!
Model coasters and rides

There is a FATHER claimed already?

Well, that give a whole new meaning to the word "woody"

The tree is still up.  Have seen no further construction as of yet, undoubtedly holding off till the end of the holidays.  The lot has not been plowed, but I did plow one lane from the east entrance to Chaos.  It helps when you have a plow truck...   There is a ride down in the maintenance area that I was curious about...have you seen it Kara?  It's down at the far end of the lot and it's on a blue trailor.... figured this was T-Bolt, what do you think?  I noticed that the dozers have moved some earth on the east side of cscrew and on the north side.  Bumper cars and go-karts?  We're getting the former "Dodge'm I" bumper cars from CP, thinking they will be on the east side of cscrew.  I'm gonna have to buy a digi-cam and get some snap shots off one of these days.  Hopefully there will more to talk about after the holidays...will keep y'all informed to the best of my abilities.
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Just went back by there and there is a path now plowed all the way through the lot....you're welcome. :)

*** This post was edited by MI Trooper1 on 12/31/2001. ***

Things are going to be picking up over there since the Holidays are over.

What kind of weather are you having?

It snowed for about 8 days straight...no, maybe about 11.  The snow has slowed now and the sun has been popping out from time to time.  Gonna zip up there in a few and see what's up today.  I'll try to post something in about 4 hours.
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Well...just got back and I must say that the place is "abuzz" with activity.  For everyone's info files, put this in....CHAOS IS GONE.  The ride is not going to be back for the 2002 season, and as I had predicted before, T-Bolt is to be placed over the hole left by Chaos.  This also from the front office(from a very reliable source), if the weather cooperates, all planned improvements will be in place for opening day.  Of course I gave my word that it would not snow here for the remainder of the winter and I was then assured that if it did not, then we would be able to enjoy all the new fun stuff for this year.  *praying...please don't snow please don't snow please don't snow*  More info in another week....

*** This post was edited by MI Trooper1 on 1/3/2002. ***

Yowzers! I knew it! I wonder what will happen to old Chaos... Dorney still has a space left from it's Paratrooper and Knotts could use another thrill ride.

I don't think any of you Michiganers have to worry about the park not being ready, they have already done a lot of work already, plus, Cedar Fair have a lot of experience working in cold and snowy climates.....

Looking forward to the latest update......

Hey guys.  So the question is: how long CAN I go without seeing Timbers?  I guess the answer is 12 days.  Stopped by today...check out the pics here.  Orangescrew is completed and there is a lot of work going on in the main midway by the old spot of Thunderbolt.  The really sad thing is...it is so nice out, Timbers should be running:(.  Anyway, enjoy the pics and let me know about some of the pieces sitting around; particulary the red scaffolding.   
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Kara
403 Laps

NICE PICS!!!:) Corkscrew reminds me of Goliath now.
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-Matthew Couts
http://www.columbusinline.cjb.net/ -My second obsession

Bravo Kara! Wonderful Picts! Your about as perfect as I am when it comes to providing details and such! Yes, Perfect!

I have no clue what the scaffoling is for, and the other parts laying around.

That board around Chaos is just plain scary... think of all that pain that went on beyond that fence....

I am really surprised they removed the sweeps on the Yo-Yo..... er..... Trapeze
It just goes to show you that Six Flags (who dont winterize much of anything) just doesnt care about their equipment...

They're not going to paint the corkscrews orange?
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Yet another coaster-craving yuppie

"I almost got arrested at SFWOA."

Kara, I do believe you have just a WEE bit of explaining to do......  ;)

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The Luv Monkey has spoken...
Track Record: 29 and counting...
"If I had a million dollars..." ;)

Davie, she didnt almost get arrested at SFWOA, she was making reference to another thread.

Nope...the color you see the ride is how it will stay.

She was referring to another post like john said, she was in the lot at MIA honking at the yahoo's working on "her" ;)beloved ST when a cop pulled up and sat next to her in the lot.

In the "massive" work being done picture...got me wondering...what would those particular footers be for?  You can see them to the right of the red dump truck.  I don't recall anything coming in this season that would require those particular type footers...any guesses folks?

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I've just seen the future...what was I saying?

*** This post was edited by MI Trooper1 on 1/14/2002. ***

I have no clue what those footers are for, but do I see Go Cart track and a marker just behind that? I am assuming that it's for a building or station. Looks like they are widening some of the midways as well.

Since the seats are present for the Trabant, I see no sign of them removing it any time soon

Also, watch for a new paintjob on the Corkscrew train. It will happen.

I was told earlier this season that that area is where the go carts are going.  Just because I love you guys, I added a picture of Corky earlier this year here, with the land next to it being where the track is supposed to go.  You can see they took out the strong man midway game.  John Peck, I am hoping for a new train all together.  Red, blue and white don't go with the track...and they still had the manual release on the harnesses.  On the topic of a new train, can we say "lap bars"?  Although I am not sure that would work on this beast because it goes so dreadfully slow through the inversions, we can always hope.  As for the pics, what you see is better than what you can see if you so happen to visit.  With the distance and the glare on the digi cam screen I was taking some blind shots, and not until I looked at them in the car that I actually saw everything over there. 
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Kara
403 Laps

Some clarifications, if I can prove a few:

I stopped by the park when I drove through on Dec. 28th. Got some nice shots of ST from the railroad tracks, too.

Trucks and board-work: The boardwork is normal. I was there one day when ST was down for a while w/ a crane by the second hill doing soem track work. There was a small pothole at the bottom of the second hill at the end of the year. The trucks moving back and forth may very well have been moving the cars off the track.

The Thunderbolt would amaze me if it returned. After nixing the reverse spin, it's popularity plummeted last year. The Trabants are the only Cedar Fair flat rides that go backwards and there are only two of them in the chain.

I had figured the Dodge'ms would go where the T-Bolt was -- they had a new attraction next year sign next to it in a 10'x60' area -- it stands to reason something needed to move.

Why Chaos not listed on the ride list? Because the tub fell off the spindle... [Do not operate Chaos in counter-clockwise direction!]

Corkscrew -- Orange w/ teal supports with orange blended to yellow on spine of the inversions.

Locations:
How do you expand the walkway between the Log Ride and Wildcat? There's the small detail of the pond being right there.

Trabant out between Wildcat and Timbers -- besides the eatery being there (which I expect to mvoe, eventually), this area makes too good a walkway for a future midway (say... to something steel in the 200' range) to plunk a ride down into. It also needs a ton of landscaping and some work to hide the rear end of Wildcat's morass.

The Morgan kiddie cars were held up by a construction crew strike last spring. MIA held out and waited an extra year.

BTW -- the mouse cars did get removed last season. I watched them be put back on.

I can't wait to ride it with the new boards:). Both trains on Timbers were off almost immediately, the blue one out of sight(storage I presume) and the green one sitting beside the lift hill on a trailer. The trucks and stuff came about 2 weeks after that. I think they were just adding boards and fixing the hole like you said.

Chaos does operate counter-clockwise...

I have no doubt that the Mad Mouse cars were removed, it was just late in January. If I can find the pics of them snow-filled I'll post them.

This is off the MIA site: "The five other rides will consist of a train ride that will be located between the Shivering Timbers and Wolverine Wildcat roller coasters and will travel on more than a half-mile of track through an undeveloped area of the park; Be Bop Blvd., a scenic car ride that will sit next to Zach's Zoomer; Dodgem bumper cars; and two go-kart tracks, one for adults and one for children. The go-kart tracks will be located next to the Rocky Point miniature golf course. A separate fee will be required for the adult go-kart track."
I had forgotten about that. So maybe it is the bumper cars going there? We'll have to see. We are getting the train out by Timbers/Wildcat, so that is a start on that midway...but most of all I am looking forward to the Peanuts gift shop! I'll probably go there even before I ride Timbers...not:).

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Kara
403 Laps

I seriously doubt Corky will get a new train, Its 100% possible to repaint an existing one. Cedar point Repainted all of their Corkscrew trains two years ago as well as SFWOA repainting Double Loop but Neither ever bothered to install a new release system for the harnesses, so look for the pedals to appear again.

Its going to be my guess that the only ride gone is in fact Chaos. Theres no reason to remove anything else. I would really expect to see Thunderbolt above the Chaos hole.

I will also guess that the two kiddie rides near Thunderbolt will be moved somewhere else.

I also wouldn't be surprised if we see a classic Carousel either modern or relocated from a defunct park (yes, there still are some around) as well as a new Carousel Pavillion eventually.

When I say widening the midways, I of course, refer to either filling in the water areas near Falling Star or making the area where Thunderbolt was into an additional width, providing more benches and such.

*** This post was edited by john peck on 1/15/2002. ***

Just to clarify....

Frog Hopper was moved in front of Mad Mouse...not sure what other kiddie ride you speak of John.  It's there right now.

ThunderBolt is going to be placed over the void that is left by Chaos...that is a FACT.  No need to speculate about this one.

In Kara's picture of Corkscrew before the paint job, you can see the grass area...well this has been leveled off with dirt fill brought in.  Not sure as to what is being placed here, but like I said, some footers are in there now along the side of CScrew and my mind is in a funk about this one.  I sat for about 15 minutes today trying to figure this one out...no conclusions yet...Dodge'm bumper cars is what I'm thinking, but what about the footers?!?!?!

Chaos did operate counter clockwise and the Mad Mouse cars were late in being pulled off last year.  I remember it fondly because I was amazed they were still on there so late into the winter.  Trabant is staying...just being moved a little is all.

The carousel has been absolutely dismantled.  The shell of it stands...you can see in the CScrew picture where it is...well, all you see now if you go by the park is a shell of what it used to be...what and where are they gonna put it?  Maybe out on the end of the fresh earth they have by CScrew?  Put that on the point by the lake and then the go-karts, then the bumper cars.  Where they remove the carousel from could be where the kiddie go-karts go...by Be-Bop Blvd.  Sounds logical...but who knows?

That motor that Kara questioned about in an earlier post was for the Flying Trapeze...it has since been placed onto the ride...I watched being assembled.  Everything out in the parking lot has been moved into the park now.

As far as the red scaffolding goes...who knows?  Possible line queue for such rides that need the extra guidance...T-Bolt, Log Flume, etc...

More to come folks....any other questions ask and we shall do what we can...right Kara. :)

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I've just seen the future...what was I saying?