Thunder Canyon

On the "Rides" section of guidetothepoint.com, it talks about what the ride looks like when there is no water in it. If anyone has a picture of this, I would like to see it. Thanks.

I can't tell you how many times that I wanted to photograph it. Now I don't know if we'll be able to, if indeed they won't be opening the gates an hour early.

-------------
Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 50

I remember the once I saw them fill it (while I was working there, but not opening that day), and wow, do I wish I'd had a camera! I didn't know that it was 2x4s that made the rapids - sometimes the simplest solutions are best. I was most surprised, though, that it filled up so quickly! It just took about 5 minutes.

-------------
PO!NT OF VIEW - A Different Look at Roller Coasters
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/

I thought someone verified that there would 9am openings this year?

-------------
VirtualMidway
http://www.virtualmidway.com

Me too...

There is a pic of TC during the offseason at Dans' Old Website (I think).
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Towers/3428/cppics.htm

Yeah I had to walk that flume all the time last season. Every morning, to be exact, somebody had to do a flume walk. Ahh I love TC. No pictures tho, I avoid cameras and thus do not bring mine anywhere either.

-------------
Natalie
Mine Ride '99 (RIDE MINE!)
Thunder Canyon '00 (TC2K RULES, SNAKE DROOLS!)
Wildcat ATL '01

I verified the gate opening time of 9AM in my post of 3/19 under the category of 2001 improvements.

Kay

Yep, check out Dan's website. There's one shot of it as well as Snake River Falls.

At Dan's site he has a picture of the lagoon under ID empty. What do they do with the fish and how do they catch them to get them out?

-------------
-The Pants Has Spoken
"Yellow line? What Yellow Line..."

Sorry for the time being those pics are off the site.

-------------
daniel j. haverlock
Magnum Count: 1266
MF Count: 117
spiritofthepoint.com

"During the ice covered winter months these animals take refuge in the bottom mud and become inactive."

-------------
VirtualMidway
http://www.virtualmidway.com

Yes, about that... my wife (the biologist) has a real problem with that. Carp are fish. They "breath" by extracting the oxygen from water as it passes through their gills.

I will concede that perhaps there is enough water left to breath, however the water supply would be deoxygenated quickly with the sheer number of fish breathing it.

-------------
Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 50

I don't know what species of carp are in the lagoons. Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) are widspread and inhabit shallow slow moving water and have a high tolerance for low oxygen so it is feasible that they would be able to persist in the drained lagoons. I would be very interested to know if there are large numbers of carp die offs at the Point. Carp were introduced to North America from Eurasia in the 1800's for sport fishing and today they can be quite destructive of aquatic systems. Interestingly, water draw downs are one of the management tools used to reduce their populations. Any fish experts out there?

Well, I'm no expert, but here's what I found out:

"In the winter they become torpid, stop feeding, and stay near the bottom; in dry spells they may even burrow into the mud and survive for several weeks in that way."

http://www.funkandwagnalls.com/encyclopedia/getpage.asp?book=FWENCOnline&page=004000844.asp

It goes on to say "they can survive in stagnant or polluted waters that most other fish do not inhabit."

-------------
VirtualMidway
http://www.virtualmidway.com

*** This post was edited by Gemini on 3/29/2001. ***

So the great carp mystery is solved. Now we just have to find out where that green color comes from.

That's probably the "stagnant or polluted waters" bit. But my, to see your reflection off the green slime... Just another part of the Cedar Point experience. ;)

-------------
PO!NT OF VIEW - A Different Look at Roller Coasters
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/

Maybe it's algae? Don't you smell the "fishy" smell while waiting in line for Mantis and Iron Dragon? I do, and I can't stand it!

-------------
"Does anyone know what type of dog spot is?
A Cedar Pointer!"

I've never seen any algae that color anyplace else. The water almost looks extra viscous, cream of pea soup perhaps.

I noticed this year that the Lagoons also hold Blue Gill and Gold Fish (usually seen from Iron Dragon queue). It's my understanding that goldfish can actually out grow the carp.

Walleye have also been reported, but I have never seen them.

-------------
2001 park line up:

Cedar Point May 5-6, 16
(other parks N/A as of March 1)