Thought I'd just break down and add a whole album on Facebook for this coaster's construction since I'm sure I'll do a lot of coverage for it.
What's in the woods today?
A lot actually changed at the front of the fence, they're now advertising the coaster with three placards.
This was the one that was getting the most attention from the GP. Yeah, I almost want to take back my "enthusiast coaster" comment from the start of the season, they're not as stupid as I thought. Most of them said it reminded them of Beast or that they didn't get why it was near Beast. A lot of them reacted in a way that suggested they were either underwhelmed or confused by the choice. However, they all said it did look like it would be a fun ride.
I had to wait until I was leaving the park after my Beast night ride (which was hauling through a foggy valley after rain!) to photograph this one because people like to congregate and smoke in front of it but it is what it is. What's in the shed, it's a drop track.
While KI built a wall between the park and the construction site and made GCI pay for that wall over by Race for your Life, over here by the new White Water Canyon entrance it was completely unguarded. And the train goes right into the belly of the beast.
New WWC entrance.
We have rebar on site!
Some kind of blurry rebar action.
I have no idea why these pallets are here. I googled the company and they're a produce company, so unless the box was repurposed their pallet has no business on a coaster construction site. Unless they have big, burly vegan construction workers that eat three pallets of kale a day.
These trees don't seem that unstoppable now...
I'm really hoping they keep some of the trees in the area and don't just bulldoze three times as much space as they need back there. But what I've seen has made me hopeful, they haven't given the forest a Brazilian for the Olympics just yet!
Our ride hostess on the train saw me taking pictures up front and specifically told me that this had nothing to do with Mystic Timbers directly. This is (very obviously) for a retaining wall and new maintenance road. I spent most of the ride back when we couldn't see anything catching Pokemon (the train maintenance building is a Pokestop only accessible from the train by the way!) and then got off to check out the new Canyon path.
I consider myself to know a fair amount about how rides work but I actually wish I knew more about construction. Anybody know what this means on the stake?
The new Canyon entrance actually provides some gorgeous views of Diamondback.
I spotted these plants at regular intervals along the wire mesh tunnel, though. My guess is that they want to go the Carowinds route and put in one of those vine awnings. Doesn't really fit with the White Water Canyon theme and seems kind of random and plonked in, maybe I'll like it more when it grows in. Because I will admit, a few of these around a ride with the Mystic Timbers theme would be extremely appropriate.
We have farm fresh bulk produce on site!
I noticed that these had a sticker on them indicating that it was from a Columbus company.
Closer look at rebar!
It's so weird seeing Diamondback out in the open like that...
Saw a few of these "CLEAR LIMITS" markers around, saw one from the train too. Decipher?
Mildly interesting tags on the rebar
The Canyon queue clearly cuts this gravel construction road in half.
The other side
Some more stakes
These three (this, the one before, and the one after) were all in a row.
Notice how they all say the same thing except with a changing number?
Family photo!
The area was spray painted and rather moist.
Better shot of the spray paint. I bet it would have made sense if viewed from above but on the ground I didn't understand what exactly I was looking at, though I think this is probably an overlay to the footprint of the ride.
I wonder what that orange ribbon around this tree means. Probably has something to do with what they keep and don't keep, I bet this tree has a horrible fate awaiting...
More construction off in the woods!
I went to go get a shirt so Emily would think I'm sexy and stop telling me to lose weight but all they had left were XXL and XXXL. Of course the fatties who can't even fit on the thing don't want a shirt for it! Luckily they said to check back in a few weeks when they get some more in. Which I will be doing because this design is fab.
Ending this with the obligatory selfie! Fun fact: when I posted this to Facebook I actually created the Mystic Timbers checkpoint on Facebook!