When logging began to take on the form of a profitable market in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains around the 1850's, few would have imagined its true future impact on the region. By the turn of the century, lumber was where the money was, and Appalachian residents right and left threw down their plows to get in on the action. A couple generations later, however, and everything that could be logged had been logged as the railroads hauled off the last shipments of lumber to the sawmills. It may be over seventy-five years later, but pretty soon a familiar sound is going to re-emerge in the foothills of the Smokies: "Tim-berrrrrrrrrrr!" Yes, the logging business is back in full force, but not in the way that any of those nineteenth-century loggers would have envisaged.

The modern logging business was kicked off again in a little valley named Thunderhead Gap in 2003 when one heck of a new lumber railroad opened, nicknamed Thunderhead. When Pigeon Forge, Tennessee's resident theme park Dollywood decided to extend their illustriousness into the world of wooden roller coasters that year, they decided that a reflection on the days of the Appalachian logging industry would be the perfect theme for the ride. That theme encompassed the entire five-acre section that was introduced with the twisting $7 million wooden coaster, and in 2006, that lumber-camp-themed section is going to grow to six acres and include the first ride of its kind in the country. This spring, a new tree is going to sprout up in Thunderhead Gap, and this is going to be one expensive tree.

Timber Tower is a $6.5 million "Topple Tower" ride from Huss Manufacturing of Germany, and this imported toy is sure to do everything for the world of twirling, toppling tower rides that Thunderhead did for the world of wooden roller coasters. Huss put this unique new type of ride on the market in 2004, and since then, three parks have taken them up on the limited-time $6,499,999.99 sale: Bellewaerde Park in Belgium, France's Walibi Lorraine, and the Zhuhai Ocean Hotspring Resort of Guangdong, China. Dollywood became the first park in the United States daring enough to order one of the new Huss puppies in 2005, and its announcement late that year for the park's big twenty-first put a smile on the faces of thrill-ride lovers. And while the multi-million-dollar price tag may seem a bit steep for a spinning ride, Dollywood didn't stop there with the investments.

The park vowed to entertain visitors further with a meliorating ride theme and special effects surrounding it: a 5,100-square-foot marsh turning the ride's launch pad into an island. While this ride lifts passengers like a traditional freefall tower - though a minuscule one at sixty-five feet in height - the astonishment on the faces of some riders and spectators comes when the entire tower begins to keel over. Nope, not a case of failed safety inspections; toppling over is what this ride does best. Toppling like a tree sawed off at its base straight towards onlookers as shouts of "tim-berrrrrr!" or just plain shouts fill the air. And those aforementioned special effects come into play in a major way as the tower tilts sixty degrees towards pointed tree stumps and geysers being emitted from the waters beneath. But to fully comprehend the uniqueness of this ride experience, strap in and hang on for dear life on Timber Tower.

Hanging a left after entering the park, loggers ready for some action make their way into Thunderhead Gap. Thunderhead herself may be the stronger draw for ride lovers, but sooner or later they'll find themselves captivated by the unique show that Timber Tower provides. A ring of riders, spinning around a rotating tower, fifty feet up a sixty-five-foot tower, toppling straight towards horrified, unsuspecting members of the gathered crowd. Thrill-seekers wanting in on the experience cross over the pond on a bridge and wait their turn to take a seat on the ring. Finally, the previous cycle comes to a stop and the riders lower back down to the ground to exit safely. The next group of forty collectively hops into the 360-degree seating surrounding the twenty-six-foot-diameter base of the ride.

Over-the-shoulder restraints secure and checked, and the ride starts in motion. First, the ring ascends to the top while it begins rotating to give passengers a panoramic view of the surroundings. Spinning around the tower at nine rotations per minute, the vehicle is towed up to reach the five-story maximum height while people below stare upwards and riders stare back down through their dangling feet. Wave to mom now, because you may be hanging on tightly in a minute. Like a normal freefall tower ride gone wrong, the entire tower falls rather than the car at the top of it. "Tim-berrrrrrrrrrrr!" The tower reaches the sixty-degree angle and stops on its hinge, safe from reaching the ground and the dreaded tree stumps poking up menacingly at riders. Still spinning while the tower itself rotates slowly, the ride reverses direction of the fall and swings back in the other direction. At the top, riders are given a unique sensation as they reverse the direction of the fall and either head backwards, forwards, or to the side again depending on their position on the ring.

While the tower and ring continue to rotate, it falls to and fro, toppling towards the ground at differing locations each time as the tower's rotation decides where it's going to fall next. As it falls over the pond, the water splashes up towards riders, not far enough to dampen clothes, but still just enough for a noticeable visual effect. Finally, after two minutes of the wild motion have elapsed, the tilting begins to decrease. The tower finally stands straight up like any healthy tree, unable to be felled this time. The ring is gradually lowered back to the concrete base of the loading pad and the rotation ceases. The two-and-a-half-minute ride over at last, passengers can take comfort in the solid ground beneath their feet after their unique logging experience. And with thrill appetites satisfied - temporarily, at least - they can head next door to the new Lumbercamp, a themed restaurant with room for up to 150.

Dollywood has made a strong effort to become the Tennessee region's premier theme park over the past several seasons, and with new rides like Thunderhead and now Timber Tower, it shows.

Currently, the ride stands in limbo due to contract disagreements between the park and HUSS. After the rides completion in March 2006, it only took a few months before the ride started experience problems and malfunctions. In October 2006, however, HUSS Maschinefabrik filed for insolvency and was taken over by HUSS Park Attractions and HUSS Parts and Services. Maintenance was performed by HUSS in January 2007 after negotiating a new contract with Dollywood. Again, within just a few months, by April, the ride was experiencing new problems, which led to the June 17 incident that year which left 38 riders stranded at the top of the tower. Dollywood then had to replace the ride’s main hydraulic pump and the circulation pump, in September and November 2007 respectively. Later, in June 2008, after just over two years of operation, Dollywood had to replace the gondola motor drive.

The problems continued over the next couple of years, with the ride operating only sporadically, and with HUSS requiring more payments and contract negotiations to get the ride fixed. Finally in late 2010, Dollywood closed the ride indefinitely until the contract disputes with HUSS could be resolved, and the ride has been Standing But Not Operating (SBNO) ever since. Dollywood has been in the process of suing HUSS Park and Attractions and HUSS Parts and Services, the companies that are responsible for building and maintaining the ride, for a sum of $500,000 for breach of contract, breach of warranty, and negligence. Until those contract issues are resolved, the ride will remain SBNO for the forseeable future.