Ever wondered what it would be like to soar through the Colorado canyons – majestic sights from a birds-eye point of view – the ground below looming hundreds of feet beneath your toes? How about the exhilaration of leaping from one cliff edge to return safely to the other side? No, it’s not a fantasy excerpt from an ever-popular vampire saga, though I’m sure athletic fictional heroes would be a most excellent selling point, ha. This is the REAL!

#ColoradoBucketList item…Zipline Adventure, CHECK.

Destination Captain Zipline. There were several aspects of this particular editorial review that I was nothing less than ecstatic about…a prominent one: the fact that this zipline company is located in a favorite little town of mine in the Heart of the Rockies – Salida, CO. That, along with the fact that my younger sis was home from college and my bff and her hubby were able to join in on a day of cherished memories and lots of laughs!

Our day’s adventure commenced with a bus tour from the Captain Zipline office located on “H” Street near the Safeway {insert the ‘you know you’re from a small town if’ giggle here} into the canyons just east of town. After gearing up in the cabin at the top of the mountain and receiving a thorough safety lesson at the demo zipline station, we were ready to jump off a cliff…and not in the miserable sorta way.

I sat back and watched for a while – not because I didn’t want to be the first person ever to fall to an untimely death…but because dutifully, I was documenting our trip for the photo journal, of course! Some members of our tour group stepped slowly off the edge, shoes skidding with hesitation across the pebbles, which would bounce carelessly over the edge, smacking against jagged rocks as they made their way quickly to the bottom of the dry canyon. Others took a leap of freedom, the slightest bit of hesitation noticeable only in the strain of their grip on the cord that stretched between their life-saving harness and the line overhead. After many reassuring observations, I made a run for it. It was beautiful, amazing and surprisingly contenting. There’s something undeniably reassuring to me about the double carabiner click ~ or maybe I just have adrenaline issues.

Of the many impressive aspects of the zipline adventure, one really stuck with me. This is an epic Colorado adventure that not only requires relatively little skill (although I do believe we were at the top of our game that day!) but also is available to those with physical restrictions. We had one such member of our group – a young boy with limited use of his legs. His father was able to assist him in the trek to the launch sites where he could effortlessly, click and zip. It was touching to see how the zipline allowed for freedom in motion.

Scenic terrain + top-notch tour guide entertainment + the illusion of risking your life ~ all with good friends = priceless. A Colorado vacation must-do, ziplining is fun for the whole family (Young children have the option of zipping tandem with an instructor!). Handsome blood thirsty (un)villain not included…sorry, ladies.

FULL PHOTO JOURNAL