Durango ~ Day 2 ~ Zip Lining with Soaring Tree Top Adventures

Yahoo! This was the day we were scheduled to zip line with Soaring Tree Top Adventures. I was really looking forward to it but I confess that when I first woke up, I vacillated between nervous and excited. After all, I was going to jump out of trees tethered to a cable! It's just not my typical day.

To top that off, let me tell you here and now that I'm afraid of heights! Big time! I can't even watch a TV show where someone is on the edge of a building or a cliff or even standing on a little bitty foot stool.

I get panicky!
I hyperventilate!
I break out in a sweat!

Even writing about it here causes me to envision that I'll tumble out of this desk chair and plummet four feet to my death! Right in the middle of typing a sentence!

I don't know why my fear of heights doesn't apply to zip lining though. I think there's something about the security of the harness that makes me feel better or perhaps it's the coziness of the gorgeous trees that erases my fear. After all, I do love trees and maybe their beauty takes my mind off of falling.  I don't know.

By the way, just for the record--my nervousness quickly gave way to complete excitement before we even left the room! It was a little cool outside but the sun was shining. Perfect weather for soaring through Ponderosa Pines and Aspen trees of course!

There is no road access to Soaring Tree Top Adventures. The only way to get there is by taking the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train. We love trains so that was right up our alley, or should I say right on our track.

The train departed on time at 8:15. When I booked it, the gal told me to sit on the right side of the train because it was the most scenic and we did. It was an excellent and very true tip!

This was the view from our seats inside
the train--Hollywood memorabilia
from movies that featured the train.

A train photographer took our picture.

You know what song I hear
when I look at this picture?

Sunshine on my shoulders,
Makes me happy!
John Denver singing in my ears!

I cozied up to the window,
opened it wide,
and took pictures of the
extraordinary views all the way.

I leaned out the window to take
this pic of the train moving
very slowly around the bend.
No fear either!
I love it!

Stunning countryside around every turn!

The closer we got, the more the sun disappeared leaving us with skies that were quite overcast but we didn't care!  To us, it was still perfect weather for zip lining!

After a captivating two-hour train trip, we arrived at our Soaring destination, the Tall Timbers Depot.

We were greeted by a group of Sky Rangers that would fit us into our harnesses and guide us throughout the experience. The first thing we did was fill out the legal stuff and pick out our lunch. Next, we were fitted into our comfy harnesses and educated about what to do and what not to do.

The starter tree was conveniently connected to a small building. Inside, we climbed a few steps, went out a door, and crossed an iron walkway that took us to our tree top starting place where I was about 8th in line and George was right behind me. They hooked me to the cable and told me to go.

I flew exactly like a bird connected
to a wire, hooked to a cable,
linked to a harness and
it was great fun indeed!

The first few trees were shorter spans so
that we could get accustomed to the ride.
On many of the zips, we got 
to go first or second.

After a few zips, it started to rain a little. We even had a few seconds of hail but it never felt very cold or interfered with our Soaring experience! To us, it was still perfect weather for soaring through Ponderosa Pines and Aspen trees!

This is Aspen Alley, a very long

and narrow clearing of trees.
I'm the pink dot in the middle.

George zipping in Aspen Alley.
Does he look laid back or what?

I had George take the camera
with him which explains why
he's not in many pictures!

Zippity do dah,
Zippity aye,
My oh my!
What a wonderful day!

Our lunch was quite tasty and especially
the homemade ice cream for dessert!

The zips after lunch all

crisscrossed the Animas River.

Can you see the zip lines running 
back and forth above the river?

Off again!
Whooppeeeeeeeee!

George snapped a picture of this show off
as he passed him going the other way!

As we neared the end, the sun came
back out for our train ride home.

In the end, there were a

total of 24 zips and 32 platforms.

It was an awesome, very fun experience,
and I want to do it again!

In one of the pictures above, I refer to the folks with their backs to us as "employees" but instead of Sky Rangers. Whoops! I wasn't about to redo that collage since I just now discovered it. 

We asked one of the Sky Rangers when was the best time to come when it wouldn't be crowded. He told us that they're open from April through October, and suggested September because it might still be warm. He added that May or the beginning of June is good too. Their busiest time is from mid-June (we just beat the rush) through the end of August.

Before we started zipping, they told us they had a guest video camera that we could pass around to take video of each other which they later post on YouTube. Apparently, they only select a few minutes of video to post from the entire day, and it just so happens that I'm the only person on the video that you actually see zip line! I was quite surprised! At the very end of the video, you can catch a quick glimpse of George walking through the woods in front of me. Other than that it's me zip lining, and a family from Alabama (Cowboys fans too) talking.

The video is below! I'll post Day 3 of our trip soon!

With Soaring Smiles,
D~~~~