Zip Wild!

I’ll admit it, I’ve never been to Northwest Trek before. It’s always been on my to-do list, but somehow I’ve just never gotten around to it. Until now. The Zip Wild zip-line/challenge course finally tipped the scale. It sounded like fun, so we went to check it out. And it was even more fun than I expected.

Stepping out of the car in the NW Trek parking lot, you’re reminded that you’re not in the city anymore with the first breath. I love that smell of Pacific Northwest woods. It takes me back to my childhood hiking with my family. The zip-line took me back to my childhood in a whole other way. Leaving the ground behind as I moved up the climbing wall, I got that same sensation I had as a kid climbing trees in the backyard – heart racing just a little, and feeling like real life was somewhere behind me. Getting to the top and looking back down, I realized that this was higher up than any of those trees had ever been.

Pushing off on the first zip-line at that level made me giggle like a school girl. Even though I knew I was secured to the zip-line in three different ways, the moment before I pushed off my heart was still in my throat a little. It was a rush. And the best part was I got to do it again. The lines were longer and higher up than I imagined, really giving me the opportunity to enjoy the sensation of zipping through the forest like some big awkward bird. What really gave me a thrill, I have to admit, were some of the other challenges. Navigating the cargo nets and rope bridges gave me a real sense of accomplishment. One in particular – with individual wooden steps swinging independently from the wires – gave me a huge rush. Stepping from one free swinging step to the next with nothing below my feet but the forest floor six stories below was a rush. When we finally stepped down from the course, I was ready to do it again.

Having so recently experienced NW Trek, it was certainly sad news to hear of the death last week of NW Trek’s long-time deputy director Dave Ellis. Ellis has left a pretty amazing legacy at NW Trek, not least of all the zip/challenge course, which opened only a few days before his death on the park’s 37th anniversary. I’m thinking the perfect way to honor his passing would be to visit the park again this summer…

Because it’s Northwest Trek, the wildlife is never too far away.

Safety first: double carabiners keep climbers safe.

Staff take visitors through a practice course to check for proper procedures.

The course starts off with a climbing wall up into the trees.

A variety of crossings test visitors’ skills and nerves.

Visitors get multiple opportunities to zip-line between trees high above the ground.

Read more about the course from the NW Trek Zip Wild Press Release. And don’t forget to make reservations ahead to make sure you’ve got a spot.

For tickets, visit www.NWTrek.org/zip-line.