Читать книгу Grant's Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids - Grant McOmie - Страница 12

2

Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah at Oregon Zip Lines

When I was a boy—say, 10 or 11—I lived for after-school free time—up in the trees! Really! I was a tree climber and my heart soared with each reach up into the giant Doug fir trees that bordered our backyard—the giants were like a haven to a kid who loved to really “get away from it all.” Other neighborhood kids my age did the same and some of the lucky ones even had tree forts that allowed us to spread sleeping bags, light a lantern, and spend the night.

Perhaps that’s why I have a newfound love affair with a popular recreation that is spreading across Oregon like wildfire: zip-lining, where you climb up onto platforms and soar across the skyline from one station to the next. I like to cry “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” at the top of my voice as I scream above or through the trees at two new zip line courses that are open to kids of all ages.

ROGUE VALLEY ZIPLINE

The sound gives it away—a distinct whirring and metallic noise as a dozen steel rollers spin across a thick cable. It’s a high-wire act that lets you glide over tree tops and leave all your troubles behind on a Rogue Valley ZipLine Adventure. It’s a ride that requires you gear up for safety so zip line guides Steve Carlino and Katie Fawkes show you the ropes of handling a harness and helmet before leading you up a short trail to ZipLine #1.

As we walked toward the first zip line, called Bunny Hop, which offers newcomers a short practice ride to get the feel of the flight, Carlino, a 10-year zipping veteran, was sporting a beaming smile and said, “Our biggest rule for the day is to have fun guys!” It’s hard not to have a blast when you ride across 2,700 feet of high-wire zip lines through and above scrub oak and pine in the arid climate of Jackson County—just outside Gold Hill, Oregon.

As our small troop of zippers, led by Fawkes, rode the practice run without a slip, she said, “OK—the easy part is done—now we zip above the canopy of trees and enjoy the views we were talking about earlier. Welcome to Southern Oregon!” The zipping speed can reach 50 miles an hour or more—Carlino said that’s a fact not lost on some first-timers: “We do get some folks who are a bit nervous about both speed and height. They’ll say, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this,’ but by end of the run they say, ‘Wow, let’s get going. I want more.’”

Each of the lines (they are numbered one to five and get progressively longer and higher) allows the zippers to gain more and more confidence. Fawkes said she loves it when she hears the zippers scream: “I do—because I know they are out of their comfort zone. I was out of my comfort zone when I first tried it too, but that’s when amazing things happen. I grew and gained more confidence. I’ve been guiding here ever since!”

Rogue Valley ZipLine Adventure is the brainchild of owner Lindsey Rice—who zipped her first high wire in Hawaii. As she flew through the air above Oahu, she thought: “We’ve got better views back in Oregon!” So 8 years ago she built Rogue Valley ZipLine Adventure across the 83 wooded acres that she owned. The longest zip line is over a quarter mile long and takes advantage of something special: “Oh, it’s all about the views—they are beautiful,” noted Rice. “You look down and across to both the Upper and Lower Table Rocks, you can see Mt. McLoughlin and even the rim of Crater Lake.” Newcomer Jessica Sites agreed and offered, “I almost wish I could have stopped in the middle of the last run to admire the scenery … sort of hang out for a bit and check it out—it was gorgeous.”

There’s more: Rogue Valley ZipLine Adventure is open to nearly everyone! “We are ADA-friendly,” said Rice. “We do whatever we can to accommodate all folks who come out. They may be in wheelchairs or they may be blind—even grandmothers in their nineties can go zipping with their grandkids. We encourage the entire family to come out and enjoy this fun activity together.” Note that children must be at least 8 years old, weigh a minimum of 65 pounds, and be in good physical condition. Riders aged 8 to 13 must also be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Drinks and snacks are available for purchase at their general store (water is available throughout the park) and they even have lockers to stow your gear. Allow 2½ to 3½ hours for the whole adventure.

CRATER LAKE ZIPLINE

When you travel to Klamath County in Southern Oregon, there are three words you must remember: Just—Let—Go! If you do, you will leave all your troubles behind! Visitors to the southern end of Oregon who pull in to the Running Y Ranch will discover a unique mix of residential development as well as fine hotel accommodations that spread across thousands of acres with stunning views to Upper Klamath Lake. The hotel rooms are generously sized and comfortable for a weekend stay, according to hotel manager and Running Y Ranch resident George Lusk: “A room with a king-sized bed and a view to either the golf course or our small village, but really you are looking at foothills, pine trees, and beautiful aspens across thousands of acres.” The Running Y Ranch is located 8 miles from Klamath Falls and the locals like to boast it is the “Sunshine City” of Oregon; it offers more than 300 days of sunny skies a year! The resort’s sports center provides facilities for family-friendly activities including tennis, basketball, swimming, pickleball, fitness classes, arcade games, seasonal activities for youth, and much more. And right next door in the winter months at the Bill Collier Community Ice Arena, your family can enjoy skating, broomball, and curling (minimum age varies depending on the activity).

The Running Y Ranch is a fine base camp for all sorts of outdoor recreation, especially golf on the only Arnold Palmer–designed golf course in the state. Weather permitting, a cleverly designed mini-golf putting course is fun for kids and grownups alike; allow an hour to play a full round. Lusk added the Running Y also boasts miles of hiking trails, canoe paddling, and wildlife watching: “Just a beautiful place to walk! It’s about 2½ miles of a nature walk right along the shore of Klamath Lake. Starting in December we’ll have the eagles migrate here and stay through the winter—hundreds of eagles will arrive and it’s just unbelievable to see so many in one place.” Your family can join thousands of birding enthusiasts who visit the Klamath Basin each year. You could even plan to join in the fun of the annual Winter Wings Festival (winterwingsfest.org) that includes several family activities.

Safety is everything on a zip line and includes a helmet and harness.

Other visitors are eager to visit the Running Y to sign up for something new: the chance to soar through the trees at the new Crater Lake Zipline. First opened in September 2015, all you need is a harness, a helmet, and a spirit of adventure and you are smack in the middle of a forest canopy. Crater Lake Zipline is the vision of Darren and Jennifer Roe, owners of Roe Outfitters, who wanted to offer visitors something that’s a bit daring, a bit challenging, and a whole lot of fun. The zip line—Oregon’s eighth, but the first east of the Cascades crest—has nine long, fast lines extending from the hilltop, a pair of swinging suspension bridges, and a couple of rappels, including a short free-fall at the conclusion of the run. From each platform, views extend across the colorful marshlands of Upper Klamath, the state’s largest lake. The 3-hour experience, Darren said, has already shown itself to be far more popular than he ever imagined it would be. Participating children must be at least 10 years old and weigh a minimum of 70 pounds. Lockers aren’t provided, so leave valuables at home or locked out of sight in your car’s trunk. Also, cameras and cell phones are not permitted, but the rangers will capture the experience on camera for you and those photos will be available for purchase at the end of your adventure.

Zip-lining is the newest but hardly the only recreational pursuit in the Klamath Falls area. Roe Outfitters itself has solo and tandem kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards available for rent. Three separate scenic areas, including the Wood River, which feeds Agency Lake on the north side of Upper Klamath, and Spring Creek, a Williamson River feeder near Collier State Park, have been designated for tours. Zip liners can also combine two adventures into Roe’s “Skyak” day, which couples a morning on the wires with an afternoon of kayaking in the serene Malone Springs area in the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. This combo trip is reserved for those 10 and older, but Roe Outfitters also conducts paddleboarding adventures and hunting trips (minimum age 8) and fishing trips for families with children as young as 4. Fly-fishing trips are also available for families whose children are a minimum of 8 to 12 years old, depending on the location and type of fish. All excursions require that children are accompanied by a responsible adult. Trips through the marsh-lined channels of the Upper Klamath wetlands are far more than physical exercise. They are also exercises in wildlife watching, not only for that of the four-legged variety. In fact, the Klamath Basin is world-renowned as a bird-watching destination.

“It’s the original ecotour,” noted Darren. “It’s the greenest thing out there and it’s just a lot of fun.” Seven years ago, Jen and Darren fell in love with zip-lining while on vacation and they wondered: couldn’t they do something like it near their home in Klamath County. According to Jennifer, they searched the entire Oregon countryside for just the right property but discovered there’s “no place like home.” “A good friend of ours said, ‘Hey, did you ever consider Tomahawk Ski Bowl?’ And I said, ‘No, but let’s go take a look.’” The Roes really liked what they saw of the defunct community ski area that opened in the 1950s but then closed in the mid-1980s. They spent 2 years turning the old ski site into their zip line course, the longest in Oregon.

The nine routes total a mile and a half and you are in the trees the entire time. Darren said that the spacious views of the surrounding countryside really set Crater Lake Zipline apart. “I can’t get enough of it: we have views to the mountains, to Klamath Lake—plus we are in these amazing giant trees that just take your breath away.” Jennifer quickly added, “You see Klamath Lake from just about every platform of the course and it is huge—some 30 miles long and it is the biggest natural lake west of the Mississippi River.”

As for the namesake, Crater Lake—Jen noted that the zip line course is just 30 minutes south of the entrance to the national park so they are a “gateway” of sorts to the park and they offer high adventure that is a fine complement to anyone’s visit to Crater Lake National Park. The zipping experience is positively exhilarating as you speed along cables and reach 30 miles per hour—in fact, two of the zips are more than 1,400 feet long.

Darren said that zip lining also makes folks stronger. “We have watched people’s reactions and it is amazing how much the zipping experience empowers people. We are proud of that—especially if it helps people overcome fears of heights or of trying something new.” Jennifer added: “Our guests will come off of the 3-hour long course experience sporting mile-wide smiles and they will say, ‘It was so much better than I expected—I feel more confident because I faced a fear and overcame it.’ That’s when I say, ‘Yay, we built it and now people love it.’ I am proud of our efforts.” You will love it too! The Crater Lake Zipline is open mid-April through October.

2A Rogue Valley ZipLine Adventure

Where: Pickup location at Laurel Hill Golf Course, 9450 Old Stage Road, Central Point, OR 97502

Web: rvzipline.com

Phone: 541-821-ZIPN (9476)

Watch the Episode: TravelOregon.com/Highwire

2B Running Y Ranch

Where: 5500 Running Y Road, Klamath Falls, OR 97601

Web: runningy.com

Phone: 541-850-5500

Roe Outfitters

Where: 5391 Running Y Road, Klamath Falls, OR 97601

Web: roeoutfitters.com

Phone: 541-884-3825

2C Crater Lake Zipline

Where: 29840 Highway 140 West, Klamath Falls, OR 97601

Web: craterlakezipline.com

Phone: 541-892-9477

Watch the Episode: traveloregon.com/CraterLakeZip

TIP

Zip-lining with Children

Zip-lining is exciting but your tour manager will put safety first. Maximize your experience by dressing for both safety and comfort—avoid baggy or loose clothing and items such as scarves. Tank tops and especially short shorts may not be a comfortable option with the required harness; closed-toe shoes are a must. Pull back longer hair into a braid or ponytail. Dress in layers for unpredictable weather. Make sure your children don’t have loose items in their pockets that might disappear into the forest below. If your child wears glasses, consider a retaining cord to keep them safely in place. Call ahead for reservations and remember that your zip line hosts have prepared staff and equipment based on the number of people designated in your group, so children (or adults) who have last-minute second thoughts about participating may not be entitled to a refund. Be sure to check each company’s policy before committing to participation.