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| Alpine Rush Zip Line at Copper Mountain - photo by Tripp Fay |
It’s all about the rush, the sense of flying
through the towering treetop canopy, with a bald eagle’s view of the immense
whiteness of a winter wonderland. Winter zip lining started spreading around
North American ski resorts in the mid 2000s, adding yet another activity-based
après ski alternative.
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| Winter Ziptrek at Whistler - Courtesy of Ziptrek EcotoursWinter Ziptrek |
This was part of the ski industry’s push to diversify, appealing to a
wider demographic, keeping visitors on the hill longer into the evening, and
providing a menu of non-skiing options. Zip lining also adds a significant cool
factor and helps provide all-season appeal for ski areas.
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| Jori Kirk |
One of the early pioneers
of zip lining in Canada is Jori Kirk, who started Cypress Hills
Eco-Adventures Ltd in 2010 after
graduating from the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. “If
I'm not mistaken, the first commercial canopy tour
in the U.S. was built in 2005 in mainland Ketchikan, AK,” says Kirk. The first
in Canada was at Grouse Mountain, Whistler.
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| Super Fly Ziplines at Cougar Mtn |
Since the early days, there has
been some confusion in terminology between canopy tours and zip line tours.
“Canopy tours are guided, with a series of zips and suspension bridges through
the natural canopy of trees,” Kirk explains. Zip line tours,
on the other hand, take participants through a series of manmade structures. However, even the industry has used the terms
interchangeably.
The wide appeal of zip lining,
says Kirk, is the “storytelling factor” as well as the social aspect: it can be
enjoyed by any age-group, both genders, and in relatively large groups of
family or friends. “It is also very inclusive as it takes very little expertise
to conquer a zip line tour,” Kirk adds. Although most winter zip lines were
originally summer structures, it is relatively cheap and easy to winterize them
and keep them running year round. “People are already there, the zip line
course is there, staff are there. Close it down or make incremental revenues? I
would choose the latter 10 times out of 10,” says Kirk. “I don't believe the
places that do this are expecting to operate at full capacity, but it is a
great way of offering another option for guests.”
Zip lines vary considerably from resort to resort – some have seats,
some dangle participants from ropes and hooks, some are single, others double
lines, and some have more of an assault course set up with climbs and
platforms.
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| Take off at Copper Mountain - photo by Tripp Fay |
Copper Mountain’s ‘Alpine Rush’ is a
village experience with dual zip lines strung 30 ft above West Lake, enabling
tandem riders to traverse the ice rink between condos, shops and restaurants. The Guided Canopy Tour at Crested Butte Mountain
Resort has five lines ranging from 120 - 400 feet
long, connected by three wooden suspension bridges and massive platforms
designed for winter use with tough grips and snow grates. “It’s about a
two hour tour, with two guides, that make it fun and interactive,” says
Director of Innovations, Erica Mueller. “It is something different for people
to do on a day off from skiing or after skiing and really attracts all age
groups,” she adds, although participation is limited to those weighing between
70 and 250 lbs. It is open summer, fall and winter, with some weather-friendly
modifications in the colder months.
Vail’s all-season, four-line,
1,200-foot-long zip line provides another après ski
experience, next to the tubing hill at Adventure Ridge. The Purgatory Plunge at Purgatory Durango
Mountain Resort drops zippers on two lines off a massive tower, offering
vertical as well as horizontal plummeting. Gunstock
Mountain, New Hampshire has five ziplines, the
longest 1.5 miles, with speed control and opportunities to stop and appreciate
the scenery and wildlife.
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| Dual seated Zip Line at Park City - photo Dan Campbell/Courtesy Park City Resort |
The longest zip line in Utah is at Canyons Resort with two different routes
over mid-mountain pine trees. The Flying Eagle Zip Line at Park City, Utah
is a two-person circuit, 110 feet above the resort, starting and finishing at
the same spot.
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| Ziptrek Ecotours Twilight Winter Tour |
Two companies operate zip lines at Whistler Blackcomb, Canada. Ziptrek
Ecotours runs a network above Fitzsimmons Creek between the two
resorts offering Twilight Tours in winter. And the Adventure Group has multiple
side-by-side Super Fly Ziplines connected by trails
and boardwalks at Cougar Mountain.
So is zip lining here to stay? “I really do not know. I don't seeing it
going away any time soon,” says Kirk. “There will likely be less development of
new tours and closures of poorly managed ones as the profitable one rise above
the rest. If the current zip line companies place their focus on providing a
great experience, it is doubtful that they will disappear from the scene.” Kirk’s
company was named the 2014 Canadian Tourism Small to Medium-Sized Business of
the Year.
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| Super Fly Ziplines at Cougar Mtn |
