Patriot Goes Vertical!

Congrat On the Masters!!! May I ask what In for both of yall?

Matt - end of April or end of May for HW?

Fever

Thanks to SVLFever, Bill, Tony, et all...

Going way off topic, but because some of you asked on here and by PM...

I will be graduating with my Masters in Music Education and plan on teaching high school instrumental music for a few years while working on my doctorate so I can teach collegiately. Before anyone asks, my primary instrument is the trumpet, however I can play over 50 different instruments ranging from strings to percussion, and brass to woodwinds.

Missy will be graduating with her Masters in Exercise Physiology and plans on working at Regional as one of the heads of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. She also plans on pursuing her Doctorate and is currently attempting to get on the staff at Truman State as a resident lecturer. She is also certified as an American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/PDU Instructor.

Back on topic, they have really got a lot of the wood work done on Patriot. No pictures (sorry not that exciting IMHO), but still important. Track is supposed to start arriving again next week (from what I have heard) and then we can start Phase IV of the construction, which is the final phase of the track placement.

Renovation of TimberWolf?

They are replacing a lot of wood and will eventually retrack all of it. They did the first curve this past off season and then near the end of this past season they were replacing a lot of cross beams and what not.

Sweet

OT one last time congrat and good luck on the Doctorate.

Back On topic Sounds good.

I cant wait.

that first brake is the real problem.

You mean on the drop? Actually the ride would be even rougher if it was not on. Especially when it is warm and the wood expands. Later in the season they did not have it on as hard and the train flew through the course. In the front it was fine, but in the tail it tried to kill you -- rate right up there with Beast on roughness in the tail.

Yes, on the drop. I remember what TW was like prior to being neutered. *** Edited 12/8/2005 5:08:23 AM UTC by SnakeEyes***

It will be fine once it gets all the way retracked.

As long as they are using the trim brake, TW will never be the world class woodie it once was. It ran fine for about 5 years without a trim brake. The ride has continually gotten wrose since the addition of the trim brake circa '95 (wasn't it?). I'm trying to imply the trim cause the roughness. Personally I don't think a back seat ride on The Beast is anywhere close to how rough TW has become, but hey, to each his own.

I didn't notice the roughness 2 years ago when i rode it maybe I should get down there more often and I'd notice that. But it really didn't seem that rough to me. Screaming Eagle @ Six Flags St. Louis is one of the roughest I have ever ridden and I still loved that ride. But I'm Glad that if it's rough they are making the improvments to it.

Screamin' Eagle's return run got retracked this past off season and is one of smoothest woodies out there right now. The coaster is once again enjoyable -- too bad you missed it this past season.

^Indeed. Screamin' Eagle was awesome this season! The best it's ever been for me on my numerous visits over the last 10 years. Super smooth, even in the back. And like I've mentioned before, Boss seemed to be tracking as good as it ever did as well, which is odd considering the G-trains and the fact that it was rough when it opened. :)

I don't really mind rough woodies, but TW was just silly when I rode it in October. I've gone to WoF at least once per season since the Wolf debuted back in '89 and I've never seen it this bad. I was laughing the whole time at how rough it was in the back. It wasn't really painful (hence the laughing); just lots of bouncing and shuffling.

Well I have to disagree Swoosh about the roughness of TW. I don't think it was as nearly as bad as the Beast was this past year. Granted it was rough, I am not disputing that, but just not that bad. As a matter of fact, I felt that TW was running much better this year, which the retracking you mentioned must have helped that.

I haven't been on SE in about 10 years, but remember I really enjoyed that ride. I am glad to hear she got some TLC.

BTW, I was going to guess in my original post that you were getting your education degree...but I was going to guess math.

The tail of Timber Wolf this past year was really rough. Not during the course of the first drop and turn, but coming out of the helix it really started to shuffle bad and it hurt. While I will admit it is nowhere to the level of roughness as Beast, it is still far from being an enjoyable ride in the back... front is fine though.

Math? I highly detest that subject. :)

LoL Coolio I should get Back to SFStl sometime I haven't been there for since 2003. Glad these rides are getting the work they need unlinke other park's rides. When I rode SE in 03 it shock so bad I couldn't see in front of me and my neck was sore the next day. Though I stilled loved the ride and Wish I could ride it right after the retracking was done to experience it at it's best. It's SF Great America this next summer for my Honeymoon YAY!!! WOF for Bachlor Pary (pardon the spelling) Peace out Yall.

The Eagle was just as smooth in October as it was in early July (the two times I visited the park this year), so as long as nothing drastic changes over the winter, you can still experience it at its best in years.

This was probably the best year I've rode Eagle in my whole life. Enough airtime and smoothness to last a lifetime.

~Cal

Yes while the rest of the park sucked big time, the retracking of Eagle was excellent.

Anyone else think that snow around Patriot is pretty?