What a year for the Timber Mountain Log Ride at Knott's Berry Farm.  For a while, it appeared that the world's best log ride might not make its annual date with the screams of Halloween Haunt.  For those under a rock and unaware - the attraction was found to have extensive... issues... and much of the show building had to be removed and rebuilt around the flume.  This was a very taxing situation for Knott's and it's honestly anyone's guess how close this attraction came to being MIA for the 2007 Haunt run because of the extensive repairs necessary to the historical ride.

In the weeks leading up to Haunt, Knott's management made it clear that they had every intention in getting the ride ready in time.  Crews worked throughout the night fixing the attraction, installing the Haunt elements and moving ahead slowly but surely.  There were fans to entertain - and monsters to employ!  Fate would have it that the Log Ride, renamed Pyromaniax - would find itself in the Haunt 2007 lineup after all.

So, a brand-new theme and name for the Mountain.  Pyromaniax.  Fire.  Maniacs.  Makes sense, kinda.  So what would this mean?  Freaks trying to set us on fire?  Set the logs on fire?  Set the night on fire?

Sadly, the story was never easy to follow and the theme of this Haunt attraction was very vague.  Monsters in fireman gear, a downed helicopter (nice prop, by the way)... but what did it all mean?  We might never know unless the effects and sets of this ride are completely re-thunk and re-introduced to us in 2008.

And here's some food for thought - a great conversation for the TPA Message Board... what could Knott's do to better showcase the back story of each of its Halloween Haunt attractions?  Story boards throughout the queues?  Small, descriptive "storyboards" that guests could read if they wanted throughout the queue - that would allow designers to really allow people to get a true sense of story with their creations.

Or perhaps we could have up-to-date technology assist in the story telling at Haunt and have flat screens throughout each queue with the back story done via video?  Could be great, especially if the clips were done in the way of news reels, etc.

But we digress...

The one thing that the Mountain shares with the Mine Train is that the techniques and opportunity for scares are very limited.  When working the Log Ride, monsters are pretty much confined to their one small spot (attached with a harness, usually) and they have to do the same thing over and over... and over and over... and over and over.. and over again all night long, every night of Haunt.  To say these men and women are dedicated is an understatement of epic proportions.  Our hats are off to those who come to work each night and work their asses off alongside the flume to scare log after log of guests.  Mucho love and respect from all of us.

The soundtrack to Pyromaniax was okay - but nothing absolutely outstanding that left an impression on us.  We do know that some of our readers LOVED the soundtrack - we just didn't feel it the same way they did.

There were some nice props created for this attraction, such as a downed helicopter - good stuff and kudos to the design/build team for that.  Considering how close Pyromaniax came to being snuffed out before Haunt even started, we think that the entire Scary Farm team did exceptionally well with this ride for the 2007 season.

Something totally jacked up that we noticed is that Timber Mountain is loaded with really odd items, some of them depicted in the photo gallery below; things you never SEE as you ride through the darkness.  That alone is enough to either creep you out completely or give you a good laugh!  We're filing that in the "WTF" folder!  Never a dull moment and always a surprise while we cover Haunt each season!

The true test will come in 2008 when we see if any changes are made to raise the bar once the Mountain has undergone all of the repairs necessary to make it whole again.  We'll be watching and waiting.

Was Pyromaniax better than the late Red Moon Massacre?  Time will tell - the circumstances of the ride this past Haunt played heavily into its readiness and full capability.  Better judgment can and will be made later this year by fans from all over as the sit in the logs and head up into the darkness.

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