Redwood Canopy Tour

Mt. Hermon does not change much from year to year.  Don't get me wrong, we looove it, but we know exactly what to expect.  This year I had the opportunity to do something so once-in-a-lifetime and different, it will top my Mt. Hermon 2010 memories forever!  Our family camp built the world's only Redwood Canopy Tour last year.  Campers can take the nearly 3 hour tour for a fraction of the price that everyone else pays.  The tour is essentially 6 zip lines and 2 sky bridges over a valley about 150 ft. in the air.  Let me say it clearer: Coastal Redwoods are the TALLEST TREES IN THE WORLD, we were HALFWAY UP IN THEM and FLYING from one to the next!!  I did this with my Mt. Hermon girlfriends and we left the tour on an adrenaline high and aching from laughing so hard together.

Words and pictures will never ever ever do this experience justice, but I'll try to describe it.  We arrived, signed a bunch of waivers and got strapped into these snug and flattering zip line suits.  We then were given some lessons in zip lining at ground school.  Each of us took a turn braking and backward climbing up a rope on a "bunny hill."  Then we ascended to the first platform via a shaky rope bridge.

The first platform was the lowest, but the new height was enough to turn us all into a bunch of tree-huggers!

Each of the 6 zips took us zig-zagging across this valley.  The longest zip was 440 ft. and for many we couldn't even see the destination when we took off.  The entire time we were in the trees, we were fastened to a safety line with 2 giant caribeaners.  Our 2 guides not only handled all our equipment and safely loaded us one-at-a-time onto each line, they also gave us these amazing lessons about the Redwoods on each platform.

Imagine having just flown several hundred feet, viewed a river whizzing by deep below you and are perched on a platform circling a Redwood trunk over 100 ft. in the air.  In this "classroom" we learned things like the canopy of the Coastal Redwoods has more species diversity than the Amazon rain forest!  Or the roots of Redwoods are shallow, but extend for miles.  Each of the Coastal Redwoods from San Luis Obispo to Oregon are literally connected and rely on each other for life! 

At the sky bridge in the middle of the tour, we ladies got our "Canopy Cover Girl" look on, while our guide dangled on a line opposite of us with our cameras.  We decided we are lovely enough to make a calendar for Mt. Hermon.  This shot is called "Scared!"

This is the view up.  Incredible, huh?

And this is the view down.  At this platform we were 150 ft. in the air. 

Mt. Hermon is all about reconnecting with family and God.  I can't think of a better time or way to worship our Creator.  What awe we were all in!  Be sure to check out the slideshow to the left (double click to see it larger) for more pictures of this experience and Mt. Hermon in general.