Zip Idaho!

Although it may not always appear so, I'm a big fan of adventure - and used to be a bit of a thrill seeker in my pre-mom days. It's been awhile since I've been able to pencil in some whitewater rafting, rock climbing, rappelling, or skydiving -- so imagine my exhilaration when I won a certificate for a zip line adventure for two at Zip Idaho in Horseshoe Bend! This adventure was an added bonus to buying our Chevy Tahoe last summer at Edmark Superstore. I entered a contest on their facebook page just for fun...and I WON! Anyway - Gary and I were excited to cash in our prize on the 4th of July this year - now that I'm no longer pregnant and my parents were visiting and more than willing to hang out with the kiddos while we zipped.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the site for our zipping was 360 degrees of beautiful scenery, just northeast of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho.

Awaiting our turn, one of the other members of our zip party set off on the first stretch of our tour.

While waiting our turn, we took in the lovely sights around us.

Gary & I decided to take turns with the camera so we could get shots of each other. Here's Gary following me on our first zip, coming toward me.

Pictures don't do justice for how lovely the day and our views all around....

A unique date for us - a full day together! (Thanks a million, Mom & Dad!)

And there's me below - this was our 3rd tree-to-tree zip.

Gary, talented photographer that he is, snapped this cool shot of the hammock where one of the company's owners hangs out most days while waiting to help with the tree-to-land zip and oversee operations, I guess. What a career. He and his brother started up this business about four years ago on their great-grandfather's property in the mountains. Sweet idea!

Snack time: Kool-Aid and Peanut Butter Crackers

This was our first super fast and long zip line, voted our very favorite by both Gary and me. It's called Wild Turkey and is 1700 feet long. According to the website, riders reach speeds upwards of 40 mph on this one! What Gary and I enjoyed about it was the speed felt accelerated as we were whisked over the tree tops and the wind whipped our faces. This was an excellent ride! The second video I posted below was taken of this line.

Gary right after he landed back on the ground following Wild Turkey.

Beautiful.

After a little hike down and up the valley, we arrived at the departure point of our last zip line - Double Trouble. Two lines run parallel to each other and we get to zip simultaneously, side by side. (Video clip below)

We were part of a fun group! Minus our two expert guides, here we all are.

Watching other members of our group gear up for the final zip....

Again, Gary captured a great shot of the beauty around us.

For best audio, pause the music box to the right so you can hear the sound better on these videos. The first clip Gary shot as we zipped together on the 1800 foot long line, Double Trouble, our final zip line of the day. The second video I shot of Gary as he enjoyed Wild Turkey, out of sequence. Gary couldn't help but spin around while shooting the first video, so be prepared for possible dizziness. ☺ And in the second video, I wasn't able to zoom in with my camera for a closer look at Gary as he zipped along at a distance, so mostly you just hear the vibration in the cable - but if nothing else, it gives you an idea of how long and fast the ride is. ☺ If you follow the subtle clearing down and up the valley, you can see the pine trees at the top of the opposite ridge where the zip line begins.

Both Gary and I had experienced zip-lining before, but this was super fun...and wonderful that we got to share the awesome tour together. Again, so many thanks to Mom & Dad (and Melissa, Joey, Leah, and Dave) for taking such great care of our kids while we had so much fun!

For more information, or if you're interested in an entertaining activity just north of Boise, check out this link to Zip Idaho!