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Timberhawk is hidden way in the back of the park, amongst lots of trees. It is therefore challenging to get a perspective on how large the ride is. It may not have the largest first drop of a wooden coaster, but the overall size of the ride is pretty comparable to lots of the wooden coasters being built today. While riding I could not figure out who the coaster builder was. It seemed more like a CCI than a GCI, but it didnt have that typical CCI feel that I am so used to. I thought maybe this was a new Vekoma wood coaster, but if memory serves me there has not been a Vekoma wooden coaster yet built in the United States. I finally found out that it was an S&S wooden coaster (looking at rcdb.com, the first of only three so far in the U.S.). So how was it? Well, the thing that tipped me off to the ride not being a CCI coaster is that it was so smooth it almost felt forceless. This could be taken as a compliment or a complaint, and maybe its both. The smoothness was really wonderful, but I also noticed a lack of any g-forces, positive, negative, or lateral, and there were definitely places along the ride where I expected to feel some. In particular, there is one final little dip before entering the brakes that looked like it should have ejected us from our seats, but it was actually quite uneventful. Having said that, though, let me say that this is still the best coaster in Washington state (in Washington and Oregon, for that matter), even though the Coaster Thrill Ride at the Puyallup Fair came pretty close. Timberhawk really was a good coaster for this park. The first drop proved that you dont have to break any records to still be fun. What it lacks in intensity it makes up for with good, plain fun for just about anybody. And did I mention that it is unbelievably smooth?
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