I do not appreciate heights. They don’t bake you dinner or have a cute cousin they can set you up with. They really serve no purpose other than to make you feel queasy and wimpy. However, in recent years, heights have gone from intimidating to insignificant for me, which is good news because the story I’m about to relay might be a whole lot wetter otherwise.
One of my birthday gifts from Jason this year was a zip tour at Sundance Resort. Finally, months after my birthday, we made it to Sundance to enjoy this present on a perfect fall day. And, may I boast, my previous elevation anxieties did not blight our pleasant experience in the least.
With 2,100 feet of vertical drop, Sundance brings it down more than any other group of zip lines in the United States. They have four spans including Flathead, which runs 500 feet above the ground, and Outlaw, the sixth longest zip line in the United States at 3,871 feet. Notwithstanding those impressive stats, my favorite section might possibly have been Bishop’s because its view is even more impressive than its dive.
Zip lines are aptly named. Sundance’s fastest span, Outlaw, averages speeds around 80 MPH and can hurl riders over 100 MPH. Frankly though, you don’t realize just how fast you’re going until whole clumps of trees vanish behind you in an instant.
Despite these speeds and spans, I didn’t hesitate at any point or have to muster my courage. I just pulled on that handle and shot down the mountain like a string of snot on a waterslide. So why the change in valor? It really comes down to exposure not guts. The first time I took on a zip line I was a little terrified but I did it anyway. (Thanks stubborn streak!) A whole bunch of zips and ropes courses later, I could jump off a five-foot bridge and not notice. Yay!
What an ideal day to travel two miles dangling hundreds of feet in the air. Thanks Jason for the present and thanks Rachel for doing the things that freak you out until you no longer find them freaky.