Big Sky Resort opens new Adventure Zipline
By Lauren Rieschel Explore Big Sky Editorial Assistant
BIG SKY RESORT – Trusting a metal cable and nylon harness to hold me as I flew along at 35 miles an hour, 150 feet off the ground was petrifying – at first. I’d never been on a zipline before.
By the time my tour on Big Sky Resort’s newest zipline was complete, however, I was ready to do it all over again.
Just opened July 20, the new Adventure Zipline lives up to its name. In its entirety, the course is composed of four ziplines with lengths of 1,200; 700; 1,300; and 1,500 feet, as well as a small rappel station.
The tour begins at the resort’s Base Camp, where guides fit participants with equipment, strapping them into full-body harnesses – more comfortable than regular seat harnesses.
After meeting the other members of our group and guides, we rode up the Explorer lift beneath views of the Spanish Peaks and Lone Mountain. A couple of minutes walking downhill from the top of the chairlift, and we’d arrived at the first zip tower.
The guides conducted safety checks and, when at last it was my turn (after watching everyone fly screaming away), Rachel the guide gave a bright smile and motioned for me to go. As it turns out, ziplining is ridiculously fun! The wind blew me around a bit, but the view as I spun around was just as delightful.
After the rappel from the end of the second tower, our tour was already mostly over, to everyone’s chagrin. The young girl who protested at the initial tower was now clamoring to be first, along with the other kids on the tour. I felt refreshed. Flying through trees appears to be somewhat therapeutic.
The only hiccup was on the last zipline, the twin zip. It turns out that some of the smaller kids aren’t heavy enough to make it to the last tower and must be retrieved. Although they seemed to enjoy dangling there, I was told that the Base Camp team is working to improve the line so everyone makes it to the end.
I would go on this zipline tour again in a heartbeat. Our three guides Adam, Willis and Rachel, were helpful and kept us laughing at their jokes and antics.
If hiking and fishing aren’t adventurous enough for you, Big Sky Resort’s Adventure Zipline Tour is a must-do.
