Monday, January 26, 2015

Frontierland, September 1976

One of my favorite things from all of Frontierland (past or present) was the sight of the little Mine Train as it passed Cascade Peak along the Rivers of America. And one of my favorite sense-memories is of being on the train, passing that very waterfall, and hearing the roar of the water and the cool spray on my face. It's funny that such a little thing would make such a lasting impression, but… there it is. I love the milky look of the river, somehow it feels more "real" than the blue-green water of today.


And here's a lovely shot of the Mark Twain, with bicentennial bunting in place (it IS 1976, after all). I can almost hear the banjo music.


10 comments:

Nanook said...

Major-

Only you, and millions of other folks who were fortunate enough to experience the Mine Train passing beneath Cascade Peak. It's a great memory.

Thanks, Major.

Alonzo P Hawk said...

Cascade Peak two mondays in a row! Now you are just spoiling us Major. Not that I'm going to complain or anything. By far my favorite ride and most missed extinct attraction.

The twain appears to be playing hide n' seek with the camera too. Awesome monday post! Thanks.

Chuck said...

One of the few times you hear banjo music and don't feel the need to paddle faster.

Is my memory correct that you went behind a different waterfall before looping around the front of Cascade Peak?

K. Martinez said...

Major - Your recollection of passing that waterfall is a great memory. I remember that as well. I feel so fortunate I was able to experience Disneyland of the 1960's-70's.


Chuck - Your memory is correct. You see the backside of water first, then pass in front the various cascading waterfalls of Cascade Peak along the shore.

http://davelandweb.com/cascadepeak/popup.htm?images/60s/KTPBKYC_1_61_N15R.jpg

Tom said...

Poor little mine train was not long for this world when this shot was taken. So sad.

Chuck said...

Thanks, Ken, for confirming my 38- & 39-year-old memories from the perspective of a six- and seven-year-old. They check precisely with this photo.

Funny - I remember the backside of water, but I don't ever recall taking a long look at the falls as we skirted the peak. I was always focused on the view of Tom Sawyer Island across the river.

Anonymous said...

Ouch, this was the year of everyone's last ride, including mine. So sad.

Great pics, though.

Thanks, Major.

JG

Major Pepperidge said...

Nanook, I wonder, actually… I'm sure a lot of people have forgotten the ride entirely. It's the enthusiasts like you and me that remember the little details!

Alonzo, I do love me some Cascade Peak. You wouldn't think a boat named after Mark Twain would be shy….

Chuck, a "Deliverance" joke! You don't get many of those on this blog. Yes, there several sets of waterfalls on the Peak.

K. Martinez, thanks for the link to that great pic on Daveland's blog! It's very helpful.

Tom, it IS sad. I've always wondered… if the ride had survived to today, how would it have changed. What would be added or removed? It's an interesting thought.

Chuck, man, I don't even remember being aware of the island across the way. I was just looking at what was right in front of me!

JG, I have no idea when I last rode the Mine Train… we had moved to the East coast for a few years, so I'm sure I missed the last few years of its existence.

Unknown said...

Thanks Major,

That first shot shows off something that is easily overlooked: the forced perspective of waterfalls at Disneyland.
The uppermost falls are small and thin, and fall into a basin that is fed from the upper falls input as well as pumps, so that the nest fall's volume is bigger and wider. And so on. Then at the bottom, say Big Thunder Falls, the volume is nice and thick and heavy. It's a typical Disney attention to detail.

Dave said...

Ahh, the Bi-Centennial, I was in 7th grade. Being an Orange County kid (Fountain Valley) we had a school field trip that year to D-Land, for the "historic" exhibits. Basically Disney gave us free admission and we got free tickets to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the Mark Twain, and I don't remember what else, and we HAD to do those! After that, off to the races. Not sure how it was elsewhere, but in my lily white neighborhood every family had that "junk" drawer in the kitchen, and that drawer was full of old ticket books with the leftovers your parents never used, we were loaded, screw history! I was the star, man, I had THREE E-tickets among my leftovers! Seriously, even if we didn't get to go off after the "historical" stuff, let's see, School, or Disneyland...
I'll never regret where I grew up, it was great back then, not to mention all I knew. Would I ever live there again? Not on your life! I'm 51 and live literally in the middle of a national forest 12 miles from Yosemite..... It's pretty nice to say the least.