To explain the activity I showed the girls the Sunday River zipline tour page online.
The website explained the tour as “a series of six lines ranging from 100 to 300 feet in length to take you flying through the woods and over a ravine and stream bed at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, followed by 750-foot Twin Zips.”
A video of the zipline in warmer weather was also featured on the page.
“Oh my God Mom, this is so awesome! When can we go?!” exclaimed my 14-year-old.
“Yeah mom, that is sooooo cool. I want to try it!” my 13-year-old chimed in.
Their immediate enthusiasm cinched the deal. During our learning to downhill ski adventure at Sunday River we also signed up for the zipline course.
Actually, my kids were more enthusiastic about the zipline than the downhill skiing. Lucky for us it worked out that the zipline course was the very first thing we did when we arrived at the mountain.
We were introduced to the zipline equipment by our guides, who explained slowly and methodically how to step into the harness, pull it on and attach each cord and carabiner to it. By the time the safety check was done on each one of us, we felt confident we were in good hands with our guides.
A trip up a ski lift and a walk across a trail to the first of the ziplines on the side of the mountain had us eagerly anticipating our first ride on the line.
At the first zipline location we found galvanized cable strewn between two large trees across a small ravine. My 13-year-old saw the line and declared she wanted to go first. There was not one moment of hesitation.
She climbed up the wooden platform and our guide connected her carabineer and trolley (a multi-wheel piece) to the cable. Then came the eight-point safety check. (This was done on every platform, every single time for every single rider. I really appreciated the diligent safety checks for my kids.)
Even with the serious business of safety, our guides also knew how to offer some silly fun as well. All-clear calls were made by the rider’s guide to the corresponding platform guide and breaker on the other side. The calls ranged from commercial jingles to animal sounds and the kids loved them.
The first zipline was not the longest, nor the fastest, but it was a great thrill. The belly laughing, “wow!” declarations and enthusiasm for getting to the next line confirmed everyone in my family thoroughly enjoyed that first line. It was also a great warm-up to the longer and faster rides on the course.
I brought along my GPS unit because we liked to record our speed, elevation and distance on various outdoor adventures, from hiking to cross country skiing (we‘ve even recorded our path through fall corn mazes). It’s one thing to feel like you are going fast or traveling a certain distance, it’s another to have an actual number to assign to the speed. The GPS readings turned out to be a great way for the kids to confirm they were in fact flying through the air.
The first zipline was recorded at 12.6 mph. The second line was a bit faster at 14.1 mph. To mix things up on the fifth zipline – the shortest on the course – we dropped off the platform backwards.
The speediest line was the last one, the Twin Zips. They are parallel lines rigged between two metal towers which allow riders to “race” against each other. We recorded 25.1 mph zipping across those tandem lines and the girls declared those the most fun of all the lines.
Our descent down the Twin Zips at the end of the line had my husband and I hesitating for the one and only time on the course. There are no steps down the Twin Zips tower so riders have to repel to the ground. We have done a fair amount of indoor rock climbing but I’m not a small woman. I’m aware that my large size isn’t always easy for my “anchor” on the ground.
= But our very capable guides made the descent from the tower easy and stress free – once I finally scooted off the platform to start my descent.
I think my family’s experience with indoor rock climbing helped us all acclimate quickly and easily with the modest heights on this course as well as the initial awkwardness of wearing a harness while suspended in the air. I also think at 13 and 14 years old my kids were at a great age to try this sort of adventure. I know some of my girls’ younger friends who have an adventurous spirit would do just fine on this course but I would caution parents not to push this activity. If you suggest the idea and the kids are excited, go for it. If not, give your kids a year or two and check in with them again.
“Mom when are we gonna do that again? Next week? You know, it’s cheaper than a lift ticket. Did you see that? I would much rather do the zipline than ski.”
And yes my 13-year-old, who is a quick study in working out her own agenda, is correct on that price point.
KID’S REVIEW
13-year-old: “I like that you’re riding in mid-air and you’re going fast. I went first every time except once when Mama asked to go first to get some video. I liked falling backwards on that one zipline, too.”
14-year-old: “I liked hanging from a rope and going fast. It’s lots of fun! And it’s fun racing too on the Twin Zips. I won that against my sister. Belaying down the Twin Zips was fun, too. Daddy didn’t like that part and mom hesitated like, forever, before she went down.”
QUICK GUIDE TO ZIPLINE COURSE AT SUNDAY RIVER
* There are six ziplines on a wooded course, plus the Twin Zips near the mountain‘s base.
* It’s $59 to complete the course; $49 if you have a lift ticket or season’s pass to Sunday River.
* A lift ride or snowmobile ride is required to get to the first zipline in the woods on the side of the mountain.
* The course will take approximately three hours to complete.
* The wooded ziplines have some cover from harsh weather conditions but zip liners should dress appropriately for the weather.
* Helmets are required and provided with the harness gear.
* Reservations for the course are strongly recommended.
* A ticket to ride just the Twin Zips is available for $15 for one run, $20 for two. No reservations for the Twin Zips are required.
* For more information about Sunday River’s ziplines, go to www.SundayRiver.com.
ZIPLINE GUIDELINES
* Rider must be at least 3 feet tall.
* Rider must be at least 70 pounds.
* Maximum weight is 270 pounds.
Sunday River\'s Zipline Course
EveryTrail - Find the best Hiking in Maine
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, March 2011
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