Ziplining

 

I’m not a “yes” girl. I don’t trust things or people. I know, I’m not proud of it, it’s just the way that I am, and I’m working on it, I promise. But, writing blog posts means that I need to have substance, which is pretty darn cool...because I’m out and about and doing more things than I would have ever done. This season of life has been extraordinarily busy.

One day, I asked my friend Rachel, "Do you want to go zip lining this weekend?” This girl is an adrenaline junkie. She’s jumped from planes, she’s jumped from planks with a bungee cord in a different country—so I already knew her answer.

We loaded up and I’m not going to lie, zip lining above trees and in the middle of nowhere was extremely out of my comfort zone. I don’t have a fear of heights, but I have a lack of trust for anything and everything, so to place all my hopes on a small cord and a large carabiner was a tough concept for my brain to grasp.

Rachel and I drove about 20 minutes away from our house to Adventureworks Zipline Forest at Fontanel and it was lovely, but immediately, I looked over at the “hills” and got butterflies in my stomach. However, I was ready to conquer.

Once we had our harnesses on and approved by the guides, we headed in a van with seven other people and rolled up to the first plank where we would start one of eight, zip lines. We hiked up a small hill and all stopped in “U” shape while our guide showed us how to start and stop, important things to know, like how to not lose fingers, how to not fall off the rope, and how not to bleed. My brain was spinning because I felt for sure that I’d get something wrong and get stuck hanging in the middle of the zip line. (I could already see the rescue in my head) As our guide spoke, I tried to soak up as much of the knowledge as possible. I watched five other people put their carabiner on the rope and walk off, giggling as they started. Then it was my turn...

With shaky hands and jello like legs, I walked up on the plank, stepped up and stood on the box, clipped my carabiner where it was supposed to go, and after getting the go ahead from the guide, I stepped off the box. I started slow, and before I knew it, I was backwards, facing the plank I had just jumped off. Panic started to surge through my body. Oh my gosh, I’m going to crash land. This is what they were talking about, and I’m going to do it. Immediately, I began pumping my legs in a walk motion, which is what you do when you want to slow down, fyi. I’m sure I looked really calm while doing this. *she says as she shakes her head no* Although I came in a little hot on my landing, I still didn’t crash!

One by one, we would walk up a hill, click our carabiners on the line and head off. Each one was higher and faster than the last, one we had to walk on wood slats about 20 feet off the ground, just to get to the plank to jump off. (That’s the zip line I may have shouted an obscenity as I began my descent, echoing throughout the trees and making others giggle around me, because I didn’t realize what I was saying out loud.) But each zip line was spectacular. Each one was more magnificent than the one before because I wasn't scared. I was doing something I had never done before, and I loved every single moment of it.

Then, it came time for a zip line that they nicknamed the “Drunk and Wobbly”. Basically, you don’t shove off, forward...you do a trust fall backwards, off the plank and you wobble all around until the very end. It was the highest zip line we did that day. And, guess who was the first trust faller, off that plank? Yeah, you guessed it. Me. While I asked for more clarification on how I do a trust fall, I spread out my arms, and looked down. My heels were already suspended in the air, and then... I was off and soaring through the air backwards and wobbling all around, looking as if I was going to take out the trees until I’d get closer to them. My helmet felt as if it were going to come off, but I couldn’t help but think how amazingly spectacular this day was! I landed great and waited for Rachel and the others at the other end, listening to high pitch screams and cuss words as each one trust fell.


As a group, we were now sharing videos of each other as we hiked through to each zip line. The guides began sharing horror stories of people dragging their butts, or cuts on hands because past riders wouldn’t listen to them. We encouraged and laughed and sang songs, a whole group of random strangers. Lastly, the greatest thing happened, the last zip line where we could go with a partner. Yes, Rachel and I chose to do it together. The only caveat was that we had to hold hands and we would be coming in straight and front facing. As we walked off the plank, we laughed and Rachel took a video. We were “woo-ing” and laughing and as we neared the dock at the end, we let go of each others hands to stabilize our own landings. We landed quick. I landed with my feet and Rachel landed with her knees, as if she was stealing home plate at a baseball game. The whole thing happened so fast, and it wasn’t until I had unhooked my carabiner that I looked over at Rachel looking down at her knee and saying, “oh no, not my $80 dollar leggings”. Watching the playback of our landing still makes me laugh out loud and I often put it in slow motion to laugh more (mainly because I’m such a good friend), however, for me, it was a perfect ending to the most fun day I’ve had in a long time.

So, if you guys ever get the chance to zip line and it scares the tar out of you, DO IT. And, that goes for anything, if it scares you, chances are, it’s an experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your days. As for Rachel, RIP Lululemon leggings and thanks for being a trooper and encouraging me.

 

3 comments

I’m afraid of heights too. Did this in Hawaii with my husband. It was something I thought I would love, but unfortunately I didn’t. Don’t know that I would do it again.

sandy December 15, 2020

I have gone skydiving and LOVED it !!! I AM afraid of heights!!!
I have gone ziplining once but it wasn’t the greatest place to go (Meramec Caverns in Missouri) I have been trying to go zip line again somewhere but has bigger and better zip lines!!! It’s on my bucket list !! 😁

Brenda Wright June 17, 2019

I’m terrified of heights I don’t think I’ll be zip lineing lol I’m glad you had that experience though. I guess if I’m ever invited I’ll do it but I barley make enough money to eat much less pay for any type of fun they would have to do it!!

Vanessa Byers March 26, 2019

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