Mt. Crested Butte, CO – This could well be the summer of the zip line.
These high-flying attractions are popping up this summer at ski resorts across the U.S. hungry for off-season revenue. At Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, the resort’s new zip line attraction opened last week for summer and winter thrill seekers alike with five zip lines and a series of bridge features in the Peachtree area of the mountain, just above the resort’s base area.
“We’re thrilled with the final product,” said Nick Herrin, CBMR’s director of resort services. “The new Zip Line Tour really helps to round-out our base area options for our guests.”
Crested Butte’s design includes zip lines ranging in length from 150 feet to 400 feet long. Platforms are approximately 10 feet by 10 feet, accommodating eight participants at one time. The tour is approximately a two-hour-long experience, starting with a 15-minute hike during the summer months. For winter participants, the Peachtree Lift will offer lift-served access. Speed is maintained by an auto-braking system, controlled by the weight of each guest, which brings participants to a stop on the ramp at each platform. Two guides accompany each group throughout their tour.
In California, last October Zip Tahoe built a new year-round zip line tour at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. The only zip line currently in the Lake Tahoe region includes eight different lines and multiple suspension bridges.
“The tour is a breath of fresh air for visitors to the Tahoe area looking for new excitement,” said Zip Tahoe manager Wade Beane. “Because the course is designed for a wide range of ages and abilities, everyone has a great time. It’s especially thrilling to see multi-generational families laughing and bonding over a shared experience 80 feet up in the trees.”
Summer tours have guests zipping directly over Kirkwood’s ski runs, and accessing the course via six-passanger ATV’s. A variety of tour options including breakfast, full moon, overnight bivy tours, and a popular “5 p.m. custom” are available throughout the summer months. Summer tours average 2.5 hours and cost $125.
In the East, Sunday River in Maine offers a zipline tour consisting of six lines ranging from 100 to 300 feet in length. New this summer, twin zips – also know as parallel zip lines – have been added to the end of each zipline tour and allow for participants to zip 750 feet back to the base of the resort side-by-side.
Sunday River’s Zipline Tours are available Thursdays through Sundays, as well as the Labor Day and Columbus Day holidays, at 9 a.m., 12, p.m., and 3 p.m. At Sunday River, Zipline Tours take approximately two hours to complete and are lead by certified guides who help participants on and off of each line. Zipline Tours cost $49 per person and each participant must be at least three feet tall and weigh between 70 and 270 pounds. Children need a signed waiver from a parent or guardian.
Twin Zips are available to try separate from the tour and are open to the general public Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $15 for two zips or $20 for two zips and one roundtrip scenic Chondola ride. Twin Zip participants must meet the same Zipline Tour height and weight requirements.
In New York, Windham Mountain opened a zip line course at the ski resort’s Adventure Park in the Catskill Mountains last weekend. Initial features include dual racing zip lines, which zip guests approximately 500 feet at heights as much as 40 feet above the ground. The dual zips land on a platform that connects to a single zip and rope bridge.
Windham’s introductory price to zip is $10 for one ride and $15 for two rides. Zippers must weigh between 80 and 270 pounds to use the zip line. The resort’s zip lines are open Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Windham’s Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 10.
This, of course, is just a sampling of what’s available. Be sure to check your favorite ski resort for other zip line offerings this summer, and winter, too.