I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to find it (mapping in the countryside can be a bit sketchy), but there were signs for Denver Zipline Tours, so it was not a problem.
Waiting for things to get rolling at Conifer Community Park:
There was a wide range of folks, mostly tourists, and from what I could tell only a few locals. There were 21 guests in all. Here we are on a little test cable trying out our gear beforehand:
The first zipline was a rush; something I'd never done, surrendering in trust to forces beyond my control and technology I'd never used. It got the adrenaline pumping.
Immediately after that baptism came the hike to the highest point of the day, the second longest zipline in CO -- and the fastest. Denver Zipline also has the longest line in the state, which we'd ride later.
This zipline started near the top of the high point you see here:
The line is 1,500 feet long and they've clocked speeds of 50 mph on it. My GPS read 42 mph. It was definitely beyond my comfort level at first. I've recorded 35-40 mph on skis, but this had the added factor of being way above the ground.
One might think of this as a passive endeavor where the participant is carried along with nothing to do, but it quickly became apparent that we were actors that had an effect on the outcome.
If you don't have sufficient momentum, you may not reach the end and have to be retrieved by a guide after you roll back out to the bottom of the line. Heavier individuals tended to come in "hot" and require slowing down via an arrest line. A tiny waif of a girl in our group was at risk for not making it far enough, and had to be given an extra push each time. Whether your legs and arms are tucked, for example, has a significant impact on your rate of travel.
The type of pulley setup used allowed the participants to rotate as they traveled. This was perhaps bad for photos and video (it was tough to limit the rotation with one hand), but has the advantage of putting less lateral friction on the pulleys, causing less wear and drag. The sideways torque of trying to remain straight also puts drag on the pulleys which may not be what you want if you are small and you're trying to make it to the other side. And I'm OK with less wear when I'm 100 feet above the valley floor. Here's "Tiny" being reeled in:
I got a very short (20-second) video clip of the first part of a zipline traverse where I'm rotating freely as I zip across. I stopped shooting before the end so I could prepare to "land" on the other side and not be a flailing goof that required special assistance.
It would have been nice to get longer video, but I just wanted to stay focused. Here's a video from the tour company of the longest line, which was the most interesting because it was like a tunnel of trees.
By coincidence, a South Park episode aired recently based -- I'm guessing -- on the zipline place in Conifer. I realized after the fact that some of the guides had referenced things in the episode, like "Shaka, bra!" and a "45-minute" shuttle ride to the ziplines (in reality, it was only about 5 minutes uphill). I was laughing pretty hard having just been on a tour. Although all the details were different, some things -- like waiting for the other tour participants -- are certainly true, although everyone in our group was cool. I'd say there was about 2 1/4 hours of waiting in the 3 hour total. But there are many worse things than hiking and waiting on a peaceful mountainside in Colorado. Seriously.
By the way I would recommend the outfit, Denver Zipline Tours, although admittedly I'm not really that high-maintenance. The guides were great, and I always felt like they had my interests in mind and were focused the whole time. Their concern was following protocol and getting everyone across safely. They supplied a bottle of water on a complimentary attachment with a non-load-bearing 'biner to clip on the belt or harness, and a small number of snacks. As with all mountain outings, I'd have a decent meal first. My six-line tour took 3 hours.
There are also trails in the town park, which I'll be back to see some other time.
Thanks, sis!
