Thursday, September 24, 2009

Zip Lining in Door County











Bailey selects our zip harnesses.













Bailey and Josh did all the technical stuff.




******************The first challenge was to climb the wall to the first platform. Wait. Actually, the first challenge was to ride our bikes from the store over a rocky, hilly trail to this site.








***********************Josh attached a rope that he held while I climbed. He was in control of me in case I slipped off the wall.









******** Sheesh, I wished I had longer legs!





































*****I made it!

















****************************That's platform number two, my first stop along the zip line.














********************I kind of like this tree. Maybe, I'll just stay here and bond with it.















Why was Lon smiling when he was about to trust his well-being to hooks, straps and cords?























Yup, Lon's crazy too!






























Ready to zip!

















Zipping along and loving the feeling of freedom.





































***************************While Josh and Bailey packed up the equipment, I paused to sit a spell on a big old chunk of weathered wood that looked so, so inviting. It was form-fitted and pretty comfy.

(The captions aren't appearing under the pictures as I placed them and those big spaces between photos aren't my doing, but I'm sure you'll get the drift of our adventure).
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When we checked in with our camping trailer at Wagon Trails Campground, we were told that kayaking, biking and zip lining were now available just down the road. Right then and there, I knew I'd have to give it a try.
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First thing the next morning, we went into the Gravity Trails bayside shop, half a mile away, and signed up. After donning the harnesses, we rode on trail bikes about a mile to the location that had recently been set up with platforms and a zip line.
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I watched closely, very, very closely every time my waist and leg harness was attached to the line. I wasn't going anywhere until I saw that the wheel that spun along the line was correctly positioned. It took some nerve to yell "ready to zip" to Josh and to step off the platform and find myself hanging in mid-air.
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After a zip or two from one platform to the next, the excitement began to wear off for me. I found myself disappointed that the platforms weren't further apart and higher off the ground, but then for our initial zip line experience, it was alright.
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My boss and his daughter zipped over treetops and across ravines when they vacationed in Mexico. Now that might be a little more adventurous than I'm up for. The only other person I know who has done anything like this is my friend, Gully.
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Business was slow, so Josh and Bailey took us through the tour two times for the price of one. That was an unexpected and allowed me to get more adventurous, spurred on by Bailey.
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If you ever get the chance, I recommend that you try zip lining. If you're sane, you should skip it.
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If you want to read more about Door County, Wisconsin, go to my previous and newer posts.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

HOW COOL! This is something I must add to my bucket list!

Rob said...

This is something I've ALWAYS wanted to try! Good on ya for taking the bull by the horns .. wait that's in Mexico .. the line by the well um line and facing the situation.

I also have to admit that I had a spoonerism moment when I first read your title. It came out "Lip Zining" in my head.

I'm strange methinks. /wanders off

Lia said...

Hi Shaddy,
I haven't done that for the longest time.
Isn't it fun.My daughter is brilliant at this sort of thing, I think it is being raised around boys, it makes you more adventurous.
I love your seating arrangements, it's as if mother nature knew you were coming.
Maybe Lon was laughing as he knew how much insurance he would get for you....lol.
Oh that's so bad of me.

much love,
Lia xx


Ps. Sorry I haven't been around much, my excuse is the web building, oh gosh it's time consumming. I have thought often over the last week or so about your writing style and how easy you manage to make it look. Suddenly I find that I am responible for every full stop and "spooling mistook" and wishing for your easy of writing. But I am getting there (SORT OF).
xxx

Cheryl Peters said...

darksculptures: Go for it!

Rob: Strange is good, methinks. Life would be way too boring if everyone thought alike.

Lia: Where have you zip lined? Was it scary? Thank you for the kind strokes re: my writing. It's hard to know if we're expressing ourselves in an interesting and agreeable fashion, so I take comments like yours as a go ahead to continue as I have been.

LenoreNeverM♡re said...

Wow Shaddy! How FUN!!
Gravity Trail indeed...
Happy Sunday to you dear friend!
xo*

Annie said...

I would love to zipline!!!! I would probably be the loudest one in the woods to screaming for joy!!!! Your pics are great!

Cheryl Peters said...

Lenore: Experience grave danger on the Gravity Trail! It was fun, I can say that now that I'm down on the ground.

Annie: Screaming is allowed so start practicing!

Lia said...

Shaddy,

The first time I zipped lined was out my brothers bedroom window, I was about 8. We did it all the time that summer until one of us got hurt. Then after Mum had nearly killed the rest of us we had to stop doing it.

Next time was when Mum took us all on a course, so we would all learn to do it without breaking our necks.
After that I was hooked and wanted to be a Marine, but they didn't take girls back then.
But I have done it in many places as well as ab-sailing and rock climbing.
I always enjoyed it, but don't do it any more.
Oh but it's such fun and over to quick.

You should try sky diving, amazing.
This is what happens to a girl when you raise her with boys. I'd rather climb a mountain than paint my nails etc....

Much love,
Lia
xx

Cheryl Peters said...

Lia: How many boys were in your family? I have four brothers and no sisters.

Cheryl Peters said...

Lia: Out the bedroom window! That's crazy and I have to admire you for it. I wish we'd thought of that, although, we didn't have a second floor so it wouldn't have worked.

I love your adventurous spirit. Jumping from an airplane...I don't think so. Lon wouldn't let me even if I decided to try it. He's more sensible than me. Thank God for that.