Adventures on the Gorge - Family Day in the TreeTops

Earlier this week, our family of four (Matt is on leave and I strongly urged Becky to take a
day off) experienced an Adventure on the Gorge in West Virginia. The day was gorgeous - clear, not the rain as earlier forecast, and quite comfortable.  The rhododendrons were if full bloom.

 

I made reservations for the TreeTops Canopy Tour.  I had wanted to try zip lining for years and this was the year I actually acted on my desire.  I needed my entire family for support and encouragement and for a possible push (or shove) if I hesitated at any step of the outing.

 

 

We arrived at the venue early which gave us enough time to sign the all-important ‘no liability’ paperwork and to make the even more important last trip to the restroom.  When one is spending hours in the treetops, a pre-trip restroom stop is imperative.

 

 

 

 

Our two very capable tour guides helped secure our harnesses and helmets.  We were off.

 

First stop…a baby zip line for technical instruction.  Once dangling from the cable, we were only about two feet off the ground which provided a definite false sense of security for the real zips which could be up to 90 feet off the ground. We learned where to place our hands, how to cross our legs, how to straighten ourselves from a misguided twist (a failure for me which I discovered later through several of my later zips), how to self-rescue in the unfortunate circumstance if we stopped out on the line and not on the platform, slowing down and the most important stopping procedure.  Everyone had their turn on the baby zip, and we all passed.  The entire group of 9 (our family of four and another family of three) plus Rine and Derek (tour experts) were ready to proceed.  Next stop…tree tops.

 

To put this adventure into prospective, I am a complete novice with no experience, no athletic ability and a huge fear factor.  And, why did I have this desire to zip line?  Well, it looked like a lot of fun when seen on television commercials. Or, maybe, it was my loyalty to the Saturday TV Tarzan movies of my youth.

The procedure was simple.  Once on the platform,  step up on a tree stump where Rine would attach the gear to the cable system.  Step off said tree stump to set the gear in its proper location on the cable, place hands in proper position, fold ankles over each other and zip…and yell.  Then, quickly watch for Derek, who had already zipped to the next platform, where he awaited and helped with the safe landing. 

 

At the end of the first zip, we were standing high in the treetops on a small wooden platform that surrounded the anchor tree.  Once all of us were on the same platform, it was time to zip to the next, just as small and just as high in the tree tops, platform. 

 

Matt entertained the group with jest as we waited our turns.  Matt jumps out of airplanes in the Army, so this zip line business was pure enjoyment especially with a bit of harassing of Mom…me.

Several zips into the forest, I heard that the more you weigh the faster you travel.  I was, needless to say, definitely the fastest one in the group…ugh…I was getting my money’s worth of adrenaline rush.

Of course, once on the platform, there was no escape, no retreat.  We were standing at tree canopy level.   We had to proceed from one platform to the next platform. There was no easy out.

Becky was the slowest zipper and she had the best, picture perfect landings on all 10 zips.  She came in at the right speed and stopped exactly on top of the tree stump as instructed with ease and finesse - a ballerina of the treetops, a capable Jane. Unlike me, who looked like the proverbial ‘fish out of water’, I never landed on the stump, I was usually coming in too fast, and I flailed in desperation to stay secure on the platform once my feet touched the wooden planks. I would certainly NOT be featured in any marketing brochure.

Can you see the fear running throughout my entire body?




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This tour also included five sky bridges.  As a kid we called these types of bridges ‘swinging bridges’ which I usually steered cleared  of and stayed on firm ground for several reason…fear and motion sickness. 

 

Now, I had to face five bridges. Again, there was no other route than crossing those bridges.   Matt always seemed to follow me and the bridges always seemed to be bouncing more than necessary.  I could not turn around and look back, but I had a notion that Matt was contributing the extra motion.  I had two Dramamines in me.  I tried to prepare myself by taking a Dramamine the night before and another in the morning before our drive.  Still, the swinging and the fear of falling into the abyss below were daunting.  I felt a bit woozy.  But, I made it, extremely slow and without incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The worst was yet to come.

 

The adventure ended with a 30’ rappel down a rope from the last platform.  It was the only way down to terra firma.  I aborted my first and meager attempt by sitting down on the platform. I was downright scared.  I knew I had to complete the rappel. There was no other way down.  Visions of a past, my first and last, rappel flooded my thoughts.  Over 40 years ago, as a young (I stress young as I am not young any longer) college student, I was invited to go rappelling at Giant City with a group of friends.  Again, I was the least experienced with no experience.  Harnessed in, I hopped over the edge of a rocky cliff and immediate did a 180 flip and after slamming into the rock wall with my entire backside, was hanging precariously upside down.  I remember the yells, “Don’t let go of the rope!!!!!”  I discovered later that the rope was truly my life line.  It kept me from plunging to…well, you get the picture.

This rappel was rock free, but I assumed that the ground would be hard. 

I gingerly made my way to the edge of the platform.  I swung out over the edge. And, down I went.  The friction caused by the rope slipping through my gloved hands resulted in an unexpected heat that was intense, barely bearable. There was no stopping until I made contact with the ground.  I did, gently, standing on both feet.

I am grateful and thankful to our two experienced, very patient, and very helpful guides.  With their encouragement,

I SURVIVED and I had FUN!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before returning home, we stopped to view the New River and the towering New River Gorge Bridge. 

 



crossing the bridge and looking down into the Gorge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE:  I highly recommend a visit to Adventures on the Gorge.  There are many accommodations and many Adventures tours to participate in covering all levels of expertise.   ENJOY!