Today I spent the whole day ZIPLINING.

[cherokeeprogressive]

If you've never heard of it, it's sliding down a steel cable from point A to point B under a small trolley with rollers and ball bearings while hanging from a nylon strap connected to a harness that goes around your waist and both thighs. The average distance between you and the ground (at our site anyway) is about 40 feet.

It's a fucking blast!

I did it in the San Bernardino National Forest at 8475 feet elevation. For me, it was training. I work for a company called Action Zipline Tours, and we're opening for business in about three weeks. I am one of their Photographers. When we open, I will spend my day ziplining in front of each group of Zipsters so as to have a good vantage point to take photographs when they make their individual runs from one tower to the next. Today my fellow Photographers and Tour Guides made about 8 runs (down all 9 lines) each. What a rush!

We're going to have 9 different ziplines of varying lengths with the longest being just over 800 feet. Top speed for most Zipsters will be just under 50 mph. THROUGH the Pine Trees of the San Bernardino National Forest. From the starting point you can see all the way to Johnson Valley, which is 18 miles and 6500 feet below. Truly way cool!

Come visit if you get the chance! There is NOTHING like it in Southern California.

(This isn't an advertisement. Whether you come see us or not won't make a difference in my paycheck. I work for salary.)

[PaddyBlueEyes]

1. Ziplining is awesome......

I havent done anything that long though....that sounds way cool!!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear cherokeeprogressive!

I remember when you got that job, and how awesome it sounded!

It sounds amazing!

Good for you, and I hope the job is everything you want...

:hug:

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. CaPeg, after today I can honestly say that for the near future, I'll be performing a job

THAT I ABSOLUTELY LOVE. (The best part is that I'll be doing it not to pay the bills, but to pass time!)

It didn't seem real until today when the training finally started.

Tell ya what though, I'm SORE! Gonna go sit in a tub of hot water now... take a couple Alleve, and drink a huge teaglass full of White Zin.

You do me a favor, and have a Wonderful Night, K?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. I"m having it, and you too, sweetie!

:hug:

[Skittles]

3. you want I should kick your ZIPLINING ass, cherokeeprogressive?

I WILL YOU KNOW

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. Ya think?

You should pack a lunch, cuz after I'm done with you, I'll expect to be fed LOL.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. Ya know, I bet there are some good places in Austin to install a zipline.

Or at Lake Travis.

[darkstar3]

4. The only proper way to zipline

is after a long and challenging ropes course, where you have to conquer a ton of obstacles and climb your way to Point A.

"Let's do it again! Let's do it again!"

It's been at least a decade since I did that, I would LOVE to go back to that ropes course.

[cherokeeprogressive]

8. I spent a good part of the day "rappelling ".

We were training for Zipsters who for whatever reason needed to get down from the towers, so we went from one tower to the next, rappelled to the bottom, then climbed back to the top.

Midweek, we're going to start practicing midline rescues, where we lower Zipsters who get stuck between towers. That should be interesting.

[denbot]

10. Dude, PM me.

Alley and I looked at ziplining on a trip to Coasta Rica we ended up not going on. We would love to try this, and since we are only a couple of hours from any point in the San Berdoos' let us know the details.

[undeterred]

11. I'm so afraid of heights I couldn't enjoy it.

But it does sound like fun.

[soleiri]

12. That's not too far from me.

When I was a kid at summer camp (in San Bernardino Mountains), there was a zip line.
It was not more than 30 ft. off the ground, but it was so much fun.

But I have to ask, Has anyone ever gotten stuck?
That'd be my biggest fear.