rcdude

No, I do not. It has been there as long as I can remember, and I started going to the park the year Chaos opened. I don't think it was an original attraction, but I'm almost certain it opened before the Abyss and Edge/Ledge. One interesting thing I do know about Wahtubee is that it was modified relatively recently. Originally, the ride did not have start tubs or a waterfall, and the top was almost identical to the top of Serengeti Surf Hill. This works okay for a mat slide, but attempting to get on an innertube when it is on a steep, slippery downhill slope is not easy. I saw more than a few people that either had difficulty holding on and went early, or slipped getting into their tube and heading down without one.

1. Do you think it even needs updating at all? The front page doesn't need any major upgrades, but a few minor changes wouldn't hurt. As others have already stated, these are primarily aesthetic changes. 2. What elements of the front page do you really LIKE, and would hate to see go away and/or change. Almost everything that is there now. The Random Stuff, TPR Updates, and Park News sections are things I frequently use, and the menu bar looks about as perfect as possible. 3. What elements do you feel are MISSING from the front page? At the moment, nothing. However, if the Game Exchange and/or Coastertube became popular enough,it might be a good idea to give them a column for featured updates. 4. What other changes would you suggest? Remove or relocate the search bar, as that is the one part of the homepage that looks awkward to me. Other than that, everything looks outstanding.

Excellent Trip Report! Wild Rivers is the closest waterpark to where I live, and it is one of my favorites since it has so many unique attractions. I used to go here at least once every summer, but have only gone once in the past few years. It will be very sad to see it go. Since this is the last year, I'm going to go at least once this summer (possibly twice, but it all depends on my schedule). I can respond to a few of the things addressed in your picture captions. 1. The rides you mentioned as being newer all opened in the 90s or early 2000s (not entirely sure, but I believe Chaos was 1994, Patriot was 1998, and Bazooka Bowls was 2002). Of those, Patriot usually seems to be the most popular (probably second in the park only to the Abyss) and Bazooka Bowls is the least popular. Bazooka Bowls is probably my favorite attraction in the park, but as you said it really hurts your back. I don't think I've ever rode it more than twice in one day, and even in it's opening year I've never seen a line off the platform except on the most crowded days. 2. According to my dad, Cobra opened with the park and Wipeout opened the next year. I'm guessing the flush system was probably not working quite right at first. I remember when they used to use the full tank and you would blast down the slide (I'm almost certain I've ridden on the top half of the tube before), but now it seems like they barely use any of it. Speaking of the flush system, however, there is one other ride I've been on that uses it. It is called Blast Off and is located in Pyrite Rapids Water Park, which is part of Fiesta Village Family Fun Center in Colton, CA. Wipeout, however, is significantly better. 3. Bombay Blasters, and particularly Sweitzer Falls, are definitely a lot more fun than they look. Both slides look really simple, but they are among the best in the park. I'm always surprised by how fast Sweitzer Falls gets going. For whatever reason, neither of these rides ever seen to get that much of a line. 4. Nairobi Express and Chaos used to operate all the time, but in the past ten years or so they have not been operated regularly. I think I have been twice in that time when Nairobi Express was operating, but Chaos has run probably every other visit. If you go on a weekend, Chaos will almost certainly be open. It used to have sound and light effects in it, but none of them work anymore. Nairobi Express is a fun ride, as well as a very fast one, but the ending can be uncomfortable. 5. Hurricane Harbor requires a bodyboard rental as it is only for bodyboarding. You must go to the rental hut to recieve a wristband. If you aren't good at bodyboarding, you'll probably end up riding one good wave and spending the rest of the session trying to get back out there. I did it once and it was fun, but I'm not a wavepool person in general so I haven't done it a second time yet. 6. Finally, the Edge/Ledge. These slides have been at the park for quite some time, although they were not original attractions (I think my dad said they opened in the late 80s, about the time the Abyss did). When they opened, they were among the most intense rides at any waterpark. The Edge (left slide) featured a 30 ft drop at a 45 degree angle, while the ledge (right side) featured a high speed ramp finale in the dark. At some point, the Ledge was modified, and the drop was replaced with semi-transparent tubing (the reason it looks discolored). The rides operated like this for a number of years. [note: this part is just what I have heard and I am not entirely sure it it is true] Then (I think around 2000-2001), there was an accident on the attraction. I don't know what happened, but I believe it had to do with the steep drop on the Edge. Most modern drop slides consist of only the drop, so you go over the top very slowly. On the Edge, however, you were travelling at a significant speed when you reached the drop, causing riders to completely lift off the slide for a very brief period of time. I don't think the person involved fell off, but I think they injured themselves by twisting in mid-air and landing badly. [end unconfirmed part] Anyway, the ride was closed down for a year or two after that. When it reopened, both sides were identical with the ramp finale, although the former Edge was still in complete darkness. At this point, the ride was renamed The Liquidator. It operated like this for several years, then closed down suddenly. I last remember it operating in 2006. The staff at the park said it was closed for renovations, but each time I've gone since then it has gotten more and more abandoned. It was (in order): walled off, removed from the map, sealed off on the lower end, had the cover taken down, and allowed to become overgrown. Now that the stairs have been removed (and the park is soon to close), I think it is safe to say it is never coming back. It was a fun ride, but it was worse on your back than Bazooka Bowls (you were probably moving at nearly 40 mph when you hit the runout at the bottom). Glad to see you enjoyed Wild Rivers. It is always sad when a park closes, and even worse when it is a more unique one. It has been rumored for quite some time, but I still thought this park would last at least a few more years (I believe the amphitheater's lease doesn't expire until 2014, and I don't know why anyone would want to live next to an amphitheater).

1. Afterburn-Carowinds 2. Alpengeist-Busch Gardens Williamsburg 3. Raptor-Cedar Point 4. Silver Bullet-Knott's Berry Farm 5. Flight Deck-California's Great America Currently, the only other B&M Invert I've been on is SFMM's Batman (which I'm not a huge fan of). Since all the inverts I'll be trying in the near future will be Batman clones, this list is unlikely to change for some time.

Overall, I would say my favorites are Daredevil Falls at Dollywood and Splash Mountain at Disneyland. They have an excellent balance between theming and traditional flume thrills. If you are looking primarily at theming, add Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland to that list instead of Daredevil Falls. If looking primarily at thrills, however, it is impossible to beat Perilous Plunge at Knott's Berry Farm. I don't care about the wetness factor, so I don't rate based on that. Honorable Mention goes to Knott's Berry Farm's Timber Mountain Log Ride. It is a great log flume, but is just a little on the short side and doesn't have the largest drop.

I'm glad to see that SFMM has finally got Road Runner Express opened and it looks like they did a great job with it as well. This works well to bridge the intensity gap between Canyon Blaster and Gold Rusher, and it should be popular with families. The only thing I somewhat dislike is the one-sided station, as that will really decrease capacity on an already low capacity ride. Other than that, great job Six Flags Magic Mountain. Even though it is just a family coaster, I'll be sure to try it when I visit next.

I've seen two movies in theaters over the past few weeks: Thor and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Thor was actually surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting much since I'm not a huge fan of superhero movies, but I really enjoyed it. It had a good story, plenty of action (without going overboard), and interesting characters. I'd say that if you enjoyed Iron Man (not Iron Man 2, but the first one), you'd really like Thor. It is currently my favorite Marvel Superhero movie after the first Iron Man and is on the short list of superhero movies I've actually enjoyed (along with Iron Man (obviously), X2, and the Burton & Nolan Batman films). I'd give Thor a B+. Pirates of the Caribbean, on the other hand, was disappointing. It wasn't bad, but just wasn't quite as good as I was expecting. The film did have a couple interesting sequences (the London sequence and Mermaid sequence), but most of the remainder was uninteresting. The story was relatively simple, but there were things that weren't adequately explored, convoluting it. Also, Blackbeard was a very disappointing villain. Of the four main characters in the film, he was the least interesting (and once again, Barbossa is the most interesting). Finally, On Stranger Tides is very different from any of the other installments in the series, so that made it a little more interesting. I'd give this film a C+. If you are a fan of POTC, you'll probably like it. I'd rank the movies in that series as (best to worst): Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest, On Stranger Tides, At World's End. I also finally got around to watching The King's Speech last night. Totally overrated. It isn't really bad, but I didn't think it was nearly as good as everyone says. I'd give this one a B at best. Not the best movie of 2010 (in my opinion, Inception or True Grit deserved that award). This is coming from someone who doesn't generally like Dramas, but does like true story movies.

Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm about two weeks ago.

This summer, my family has planned a trip to St. Louis. We will be doing a number of activities here, but we will also be visiting two amusement parks: Six Flags St. Louis and Holiday World. The trip will be in late July immediately before the start of the TPR North East trip. I have a few questions about the parks on the trip. The first applies to both, while the rest are only applicable to Six Flags St. Louis. 1. What are the crowds like this time of year? We will be visiting Six Flags St. Louis on either a Sunday or Monday and will be visiting Holiday World on a Wednesday. 2. We have the option of visiting Six Flags St. Louis from open to close on a Sunday, or from open until 6 P.M. on a Monday. Which is a better option? 3. My dad strongly dislikes front of the line passes, so it is highly unlikely that we will be getting a Flash Pass. However, if the lines are likely to be over an hour for major rides, we might consider it. Given that we are interested in doing all the roller coasters (possibly with re-rides on 2-3 of them), the water rides, Skyscreamer, the drop tower, Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters (possibly with re-rides if the line is short), and the unique flat rides, is a Flash Pass necessary? If we purchased one, we would only get the regular level. 4. Is the waterpark worth doing at Six Flags St. Louis, and if so approximately how long would it take to do each slide once?

^I may be wrong, but I believe there are five. If that is the case, then at any given time during normal operation there is probably a car loading, a car unloading, a car waiting for the lift, a car on the lift, and a car coming down. I know the smaller model has three, but I would assume this one will have more than that.

This ride went up fast! I've always thought this looked like a cool ride, but after seeing pictures I really want to try it. June 17th is the day the movie comes out, so I'm guessing that will be the day the ride opens as well. I'll be going the last week of June to ride this and Road Runner Express. I was going to go in early June, but due to the delay that wouldn't work so well.

Usually when I play mini-golf, I just go to Boomers Irvine or Boomers Fountain Valley. It isn't that great of a golf course, however, and has become somewhat run down. I only go there because it is the closest to where I live. My favorite mini-golf course is at a place called Camelot Golfland in Anaheim, CA. Not only does this place have five different mini-golf courses, but they are relatively challenging as well. In addition, they feature somewhat unique holes and are maintained well. I didn't try any, but the Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee looked like it might have some good ones. Also, my favorite course at an actual amusement Park is the one at Castle Amusement Park in Riverside, CA.

I finally got around to looking through the results and I've found the following of interest: 1. I'm surprised Intimidator 305 ranked as highly as it did. I know a lot of people really like the ride, but I thought there would be enough haters due to the trim brakes that it would finish more around 10-15. 2. Is Bizarro really the best ride in the world anymore? Ever since the transformation I've heard that the ride is less forceful and has some general annoyance (specifically the soundtrack). I expected it to begin dropping, but it hasn't yet. Maybe in next year's results. 3. 7 of the 10 B&M Mega Coasters ranked right next to each other. This indicates that they give similar rides, so perhaps they should be condensed into a Favorite B&M Mega category despite not being identical. Additionally, a Favorite Arrow Mine Train category might be god as well since most of those are ranked fairly close together. 4. I'm very interested to see how many spots SFMM's Superman gains next year. It was ranked 196 this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it gain 30-40 spots (or more) next year. 5. As usual, I always find it interesting that most of the coasters on my personal list are in the same general location as they finish in the poll (the top quarter of my list all finish in the top quarter of the poll, etc.), but within that group they are in a radically different order.

I've never done one of these before. I have to check my calendar, but I think I might try to do this.

Not this year. Although Busch Gardens Williamsburg is one of my favorite parks, my money is mostly going toward the TPR North East trip and I've got something else planned that weekend anyway. If this event happens next year, however, I'd definitely try to attend.

With steel coasters, I've found that my feelings generally line up with the popular opinion. For wood coasters, however, it is a different story. Rides such as Thunder Road, Rebel Yell, Colossus, and Hurler are attractions that I actually enjoy quite a bit (I'd be willing to wait a half-hour or so for them, at least once I've done the better attractions). They may not be hated, but they are generally disliked. Even CGA's Grizzly, which is considered one of the worst wooden coasters in the world, ranks higher on my list than nearly half of the woodies I've been on.

$4.25 when I got gas yesterday. I usually go about two weeks on a tank, so I'm sure it will be up another ten-fifteen cents by the next time I fill up.

I am way behind on this, but now that it is past Easter and very few ski areas are still in operation, it's time to finish the 2010 season. March 16th, 2011: Solitude Mountain Resort As the last day of our Utah trip, we began with breakfast, then packed the car for the drive home. Once we had checked out of the hotel we drove up to Solitude Mountain Resort, the last resort of our trip. When we got there, the parking lot was completely empty. Even though a few more peopel showed up, this was the least crowded day. We got tickets, then sat in the car to escape the light rain until it was time to ski. Solitude Mountain Resort Solitude Mountain Resort Trail Map: http://www.skimap.org/data/225/7/1287092687.pdf Based on the statistics, Solitude sounds like a relatively decent ski area. It is 1,200 acres, and has a vertical drop of 2,047 ft. There are 64 trails of varying difficulty levels, serviced by a network of 8 lifts (3 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 1 triple and 2 doubles). In fact, out of the four places I skied at on this trip, Solitude probably had the most user-friendly lift system. Finally, Solitude has its own village at the base, allowing for ski in, ski out accomodations. Unfortunately, the ski area isn't quite the perfect ski area. First, although it is a decent size, nearly half of the skiable terrain is in a backcountry area called Honeycomb Canyon that is unskiable by those that aren't advanced (or at least a very strong intermediate). This whole area is also no good unless there has been recent snowfall. On my visit, it was pretty bad quality back here, so I only skied down once. The layout of the ski area isn't bad, but the trail ratings aren't exactly ideal. Most of the intermediate terrain at this resort, particularly the trails off Eagle Express, are significantly steeper than similar terrain on other mountains. Finally, most of the runs are short. The longest run is said to be over three miles, but it takes three lift rides to ski it. Unlike some other ski areas, Solitude cannot be easily split up into smaller sub-areas. You could split the mountain into Moonbeam and Apex, but I'll leave it as one. Basically, the Moonbeam Lodge is the main area for people to begin. You have a choice of two chairs out of here: Link or Moonbeam Express. Link is a very short, absolute beginner's lift, and functions primarily to get people directly to the Apex base while Moonbeam is about 2800 ft long with 600 ft of vertical. While it services primarily beginner terrain as well, there are intermediate trails off this lift, and it allows access to almost every other lift on the front side. The other base lodge is the Apex Lodge, which has two lifts as well: Apex Express and Sunrise. Apex Express is only slightly longer than Moonbeam, but due to it's location it accesses slightly more challenging terrain. Sunrise is a Thiokol triple, the oldest chair on the mountain. Although it is 2800 ft long, the lift has only 400 ft of vertical and acts primarily as an access lift for the Summit chair. Three mid-mountain lifts are located on the front side. Eagle Express is the most popular of these. This 1989 Von Roll high speed quad was the first detachable chairlift in Utah. At 4700 ft long with 1300 ft of vertical, it is a great lift and was one of my favorites at Solitude. The other area I really enjoyed was the Powderhorn II chair. This lift replaced a double chair a couple years ago and accesses several various advanced trails. Finally, Summit is an old, slow, and long double chair. The lift is 4200 ft long with 1200 ft of vertical, but with a ride time of over eight minutes, it was a wet ride in the rain. In addition, the ski area also has the Honeycomb Return quad, but this lift is exceptionally short and functions solely as a return lift from Honeycomb Canyon. It does not access any unique trails on its own. Solitude is not a bad ski area at all. It just isn't the best out there. We knew what to expect, and that is why we only planned a half-day for this ski area. I would definitely return, especially in better conditions, but Solitude is not somewhere I would want to visit for a whole vacation. Best Bet for Beginners: Moonbeam Express Best Bet for Intermediates: Anything off Eagle Express Best Bet for Advanced: Anything off Powderhorn II After we quit at about 1 P.M., we drove down the mountain. We stopped at a McDonalds for lunch, then drove south and kept driving. We stopped for gas in St. George, then drove to Baker before we got dinner at Taco Bell. One final stop for gas in Hesperia later, we made it home a little after 10 P.M. Overall Thoughts Utah is great. I only got a chance to visit four ski areas, but I would rank all four among the best I have ever visited. I prefer only Mammoth and possibly Northstar-At-Tahoe to Snowbird, and even Brighton is better than all but the top quarter of Tahoe's resorts. I really hope to return to Utah within a few years for another ski trip, and possibly next time I'll try out Deer Valley, Park City and the Canyons. Even better, if TPR's Winter Trip ever ends up happening, I'll be sure to sign up for that. As for this thread, there will be no more updates for now. Next winter, I may bring it back if I visit any ski areas not already featured. As my plans that far out are not certain yet, I cannot say what will happen. Photos: It was raining lightly for a decent part of my day at Solitude, so I didn't bring my camera with me onto the mountain. I did, however, take two pictures from the car. This is the Moonbeam Lodge. The exterior of this ski area's buildings appear to be very European in style. And here is the Moonbeam Express. You can't see it here, but this is anothe bizarre 90 degree loading lift.

As of today, it is $4.21 per gallon where I live. It is a good thing I pretty much only drive from home to school and back or out to nearby fast food restaurants because otherwise I would probably exceed my gas allowance.

The conveyor belt crawls. It is the same as the magic carpets used in the beginner area, so it probably moves at the same 200 feet per minute. There's a reason we only used the tunnel once, and that conveyor belt was it.

I'm about 70% done with my rankings, and I'll finish tomorrow. Because of how I fill these out, I've already got my top and bottom coasters done, it is mostly the C and D coasters I still have to do. 1. Intimidator 2. Dominator 3. Maverick 4. Griffon 5. Mystery Mine 6. Tatsu 7. Top Thrill Dragster 8. Xcelerator 9. X2 10. California Screamin' 11. Millennium Force 12. Medusa 13. Goliath *My favorite wood (Apocalypse) 14. Apollo's Chariot 15. Afterburn 16. Volcano, the Blast Coaster 17. Riddler's Revenge 18. Alpengeist 19. Raptor 20. Magnum XL-200 (Insert B-rated coasters here) (Insert C-rated coasters here) (Insert D-rated coasters here) 72. Pony Express 73. Favorite Intamin Bobsled (Disaster Transport) 74. Cedar Creek Mine Ride

Okay, I have officially put my skis away until next November, but I have two more updates to finish off this thread for this season. March 15th, 2011: Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort This day began no different than any other day on the Cottonwood Canyons trip. We got up at 7 A.M., got breakfast, got dressed, then got in the car. A half hour later, we pulled into the parking lot at the Creekside lodge of Snowbird. It was nearly deserted. I believe there were only about ten cars total in the lot when we arrived. We went and got our tickets, then explored the lodge a bit before returning to the car and getting changed. We then headed out to the slopes. Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort Of the four Cottonwood Canyon resorts, Snowbird is the only one that is really a full destination resort. While the other areas do have their own hotels, Snowbird is the one most stay at. It is also the largest of the four, as well as being the most well known. The mountian itself is 2,500 acres, and has an impressive vertical drop of over 3,000 ft (3,420 ft to be precise). 85 trails cover this expanse of terrain, serviced by a network of 13 lifts (1 Tram, 4 High-speed quads, 6 doubles, and 2 surface lifts). Just like Alta, Snowbird welcomes visitors to ski anywhere they can see. However, most of the terrain is marked, often with a black diamond. Over a third of Snowbird's terrain is for advanced skiers, and even some of the intermediate terrain is a little on the steep side. However, the ski area does have some beginner terrain (although it is on the steep side for beginners), so it can be enjoyed by those of any ability level. I have had quite a bit of difficulty in finding a good Snowbird trail map that could be uploaded here, so this is a link to one. http://www.skimap.org/data/226/7/1268507732.pdf As you can see from this map, Snowbird is naturally divided into three different areas. The front side is split down the Cirque into Peruvian Gulch on the left and Gad Valley on the right. Additionally, there is a backside area, named Mineral Basin. Gad Valley Gad Valley is probably the area of Snowbird I spent the most time in. This is where we began our day, and it is also where we ended. I liked Gad Valley quite a bit, and thought that on its own it would make a great ski area. The base of Gad Valley, Creekside lodge, has two chairlifts out of it. The main one of these two is the Gadzoom chair. This lift, built by Garaventa CTEC in 1997, was Snowbird's first high-speed quad. I can't imagine what this lift would be like before it was high-speed, as the chair is long. A 6400 ft ride brings you up 1800 ft, and allows you to access any other lift on the front side of Snowbird. Parallel to Gadzoom runs Mid-Gad, an ancient Doppelmayr double. It is only 4200 ft long, but still gains 1300 ft of vertical. Naturally, I never rode this because the ride time is twice that of Gadzoom and it accesses most of the same terrain. Also at the bottom of Gad Valley is the Baby Thunder chair. It is an excessively short and semi-pointless lift, as it is only 1900 ft long. It does, however, gain 600 ft of vertical, making it quite steep. This is where we went first, and managed to get on the first chair of the day. We were also on the second chair of the day, and we soon figured out why: this area is very icy in the morning. Add in the fact that this lift is an old, slow double, and you'll probably figure out why we only did it twice. On the upper part of Gad Valley are two additional lifts. Gad 2 is one of the ski area's original chairs. The ancient double lift is 4000 ft long with 1200 ft of vertical. This proved to be the best intermediate lift on the mountain, and was one we did several times. However, it was a bit of a ride, and if it didn't have footrests I doubt I would have done it more than twice. Also on the upper mountain is Little Cloud, a 3400 ft double chair with 1300 ft vertical feet. This lift accessed some great terrain, but even the easiest way down was a bit steep. If you are not an advanced skier, I'd recommend staying away from this chair. One additional lift is located in Gad Valley, although it is actually more in the middle of the ski area. This chair is the Wilbere chair. Other than allowing for easy access between both sides of the mountain, this Doppelmayr double didn't have much of a point. It has nearly identical statistics to the Baby Thunder chair, but is significantly older. Peruvian Gulch Peruvian Gulch is the true advanced skiers' section of the mountain. With the exception of Chip's Run and a couple variations, every trail is a black or double black. These are all accessed by one of the longest chairs I've been on: Peruvian Express. This is Snowbird's newest chair, opening in 2006. It is 8000 ft long with 2400 ft of vertical, and ascends all the way up in just over 8 minutes. The only chair in addition to this in Peruvian Gulch is the Chickadee chair, Snowbird's beginner lift. It may be only 800 ft long with 100 ft of vertical, but that is all beginners really need. Plus, it is free if you are staying on-site. Peruvian Gulch may not have any other chair lifts, but it does have another lift, Snowbird's most famous. This lift is the Aerial Tram. This lift is 8300 ft long, and rises 2900 ft to the Summit of Hidden Peak. Although Snowbird claims that the tram is an 8 minute ride, to me it felt more like 5. It also has the most efficient loading cycle I've ever seen on a tram. There is a line set up, but one tram worth of people is gathered in the boarding area. When the tram arrives, the door opens, and over 100 people proceed to fill the tram cabin. As soon as the last one is in, the operator shuts the door and presses the ready button. This entire process takes no more than three minutes (possibly as little as two), allowing this tram to achieve its maximum capacity easily. It is the easiest way to access the summit of Snowbird. Due to the hassle involved, I only rode this lift once. Mineral Basin Mineral Basin is the backside of Snowbird, and features a variety of terrain. Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced trails can be found in different areas of the bowl back here. These trails are serviced by a pair of High-Speed Quads: Mineral Basin Express and Baldy Express. Both are about the same length, but Mineral Basin Express has more vertical rise. To access Mineral Basin, there are three ways in. The first, and easiest, is to ride the tram to the top and ski down. You can do this as long as you are at least an intermediate skier. The second way is to get to the top of Little Cloud and ski in from there. This trail is more challenging, but a strong intermediate should be able to handle it. Finally, the beginner's option: ride up to the top of Peruvian Express, then TAKE THE TUNNEL! Yes, there is a ski tunnel under the mountain that goes from the top of Peruvian Express into Mineral Basin, emerging at the top of Lupine Loop. From here, it is an easy winding trail down to the base of the lifts. Overall Thoughts Snowbird is awesome. It is very hard to pick a favorite between Alta and Snowbird, but I think I might have to say Snowbird. Other than the archaic lifts, there were really no negatives. The ski area is great for those of nearly any ability level, and the mountain is easily large enough to spend two or three days at without getting bored. It is a bit on the steep side, but this isn't a huge problem for skiers who are confident in their abilities. Best Bet for Beginners: Big Emma and School Lane off Wilbere Chair Best Bet for Intermediates: Bananas and Election off Gad 2 Chair Best Bet for Advanced: Everything off the Tram Apres Ski Once we were done, we went back to the hotel and hung out in the hot tub for a little bit. Then, we went out to dinner at Red Robin, a restaurant I like but rarely visit since the nearest one is a bit of a drive and my brother doesn't really like it. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and watched the Blind Side (very good movie) and some other TV until it was time to go to bed. Pictures: The parking lot when we hit the slopes. It did get more crowded, but there weren't any lift lines. Baby Thunder...it wasn't worth it. Gad Valley from where we parked. Time to head up. Fast forward a few hours. This is the view from our lunch table at the Snowbird Center (aka Tram base). 180 degrees from that last picture. You can tell that Little Cottonwood Canyon is quite narrow. Ever wonder how an Aerial Tram works? Snowbird has a display showing the drive unit of their tram. We weren't down here for very long because it started moving just after we got here. We promptly headed back upstairs so we could catch the next one. They can fit 125 people into one of these cabins. Based on my tram experience, I'm going to estimate our cabin was filled to about 100. According to a guy in the hot tub at the hotel, the view from Hidden Peak is the best in Utah. I'm tempted to agree with him. Salt Lake City is down there somewhere. Other than the tram, the only way to the top is via Mineral Basin Express. Obligatory picture of me standing on top of Hidden Peak. It's not everyday that you are at 11,000 ft above sea level. I'll include my dad's picture as well. Okay, it is time to TAKE THE TUNNEL! This tunnel is a 600 ft long tunnel under the mountain. It has a conveyor belt running through it, but it is faster to walk. I apologize for the quality of this image, but my camera was having difficulty focusing in the tunnel's low-light conditions. Along the conveyor, they have a number of signs telling you interesting, but otherwise useless facts. Almost at the end. The ride takes 3-4 minutes, but it was fun to do once. When you emerge, you are treated with an outstanding view of Mineral Basin in all its glory. This is really a pretty large area back here. Time for Baldy Express. To the right, the valley drops down below the ski area. To the left, a slope rises up for advanced skiers to have fun on what would otherwise be beginner terrain. In front of you lies Baldy Express's most interesting feature...a line turn. It is difficult to see if you don't know what to look for, as it is very slight. Notice how the wheels on this tower are vertical. Now look at this tower. The wheels are bent. A series of three towers with bent wheels bend the line approximately five degrees. It doesn't look like much, but you can actually feel it when you are on the chair. The top of Baldy Express is very close to Alta. This is the location of the Alta-Snowbird Interconnect. Our tickets were one resort, so I couldn't use it, but it seems like it would be good for people who want to ski both resorts and have only one day. Time to move over to Mineral Basin Express. We skied this lift several times before heading back to the bottom. There is where the tunnel ends. Back where we started. Time to end our day. Snowbird was great, and I doubt it would be possible to have a bad day here.

I guess with all these extremely positive reviews of Intimidator 305 I should try to get out there again and give it another go. I rode several times last year at ECB and while I thought it was a really good ride, I felt it was a bit overrated. It was my third favorite coaster in the park (after Volcano and Dominator), but I don't think I'd go back just to ride it. Next time I'm in Virginia, I'll probably stop by to ride again (as well as visiting BGW for their new coaster), but I honestly doubt I'll like it more than I did before. Maybe I'll like it better without the trims, but I think it may just not be my type of ride. Oh, and from pictures I like the new Shockwave colors better than the old ones. I doubt it improves the ride experience at all, but it does look nicer.

So far, I've visited SFMM twice (once in January, and then again for WCB) and Knott's once (for WCB). In addition, I stopped at the Nascar Cafe to ride Speed one final time, but that doesn't really count.

Let's see...I don't think I've ever been the only one on a coaster, but my brother and I were the only ones on Griffon at the end of night ERT during the IntimidaTour. I've had private cars during ERT, but never a private train. I've also been on a train/car with only people in my group. Wait...there was one other time. I was the only person on the entire Snow White dark ride at Disneyland once. They had to cycle the cars empty just so I could get off at the end.