Zip into Adventure: Soar Above the Trees

You are conscious of a hum in the background and then screams. Is it terror or joy? You are strapped into a harness belt and the unfamiliar weight makes you feel like a lumberjack. The clank of the lanyards as you walk gives you a giddy feeling. The thunk of your hand against your hardhat as you adjust the strap, sinks into your brain, and for a second you feel lightheaded. Are you ready to soar above the treetops? Are you ready for a canopy tour adventure?

Yes, you are and the place to go to zip line is Cypress Valley Canopy Tours in Spicewood Texas. Nestled amongst cypress trees in the lovely hill country thirty miles from Austin is an eco-driven family adventure. The huge trees hold the vast involved pulley system that allows you to swing from tree to tree. Large platforms are built to hold a small group, so share the adventure with family and friends.

Safety first. Once you arrive at Cypress Valley Canopy Tours you are introduced to your guides for the day. Enthusiastic and interested in your well-being, they hustle to secure your equipment and get you strapped in properly. Not too tight, not too loose. Next the group moves to ground school. Here, the adrenalin begins to kick in. You learn the rules: the guides will hook and unhook the lanyards, watch for their signals, and do not grab the line. Practice on a low-slung zip line proves tricky for some. The stop technique should be easy, but for some it might take a few tries. You also learn a self-rescue pull, in case you stop short and need to reach the platform under your own momentum. Everyone passes and you move on to the first zip line.

Who wants to go first? There's a shuffle of bodies in the group. Some move to the back of the line and fortunately there's always one who's ready to go. Our guinea pig gets hooked up and the adventure begins. With a whoop, he lets it fly and swings out over the canopy of trees below. A cry of delight and he's landed on the other side. The group bunches up, ready for their turn. The initial swoosh and you forget to look around at nature. With the first run you want to stop correctly and not wipe out the entire family or group. Fortunately, that does not occur and everyone chatters with excitement. Each zip run gets easier. Folks swing their legs out. They look around and can see the nest in the trees or the crazy cactus growing out of one. The combination of height, greenery, and companionship deepens one's sense of nature's glories.

The guides point out various plants and trees. There's an abundance of growth and a bright green lizard thrusts out his red throat, enjoying the throes of spring love. Each zip line has a different length and offers new challenges. One called "The Screamer" is the length of a football field. The goal is to scream the complete length and that means a lot of lungpower.

Time passes far too quickly and after approximately 1-1/2 hours, the canopy tour ends. Exhilarated, you take off your gear and feel instantly lighter. You are no longer earthbound. You have soared through the trees and vow to return for the trickier challenge course. Until then, get your picnic basket from the car and relax under the cypress trees and enjoy the lake. If you haven't had enough, put on your swimsuit and use the fun zip line into the waters. You are hooked. Zip line offers a thrill and a new perspective on nature.