Treetop Tourism

I flew through the air above the gurgling creek.  Hot summer sunlight sifted through the leaves above me, but the breeze among the trees was cool on my skin.  Distant whoops from above and below reminded me that no, I wasn't dreaming about flying again.  I was on one of the many ziplines at the high ropes course known as the "Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course" in treetops outside of Bolton Landing, NY.  The course, a favorite summer activity of mine, consists of 1.5 miles of ziplines, bridges, nets, rope swings, and "swinging surprises" suspended at varying heights in the canopy.  The gorgeous surroundings and genuine adrenaline rush have made Adirondack Extreme popular with me and countless others in the park, offering an Adirondack experience that provides a truly unique way to experience the grandeur of the northern forest.

A view of one of the course's obstacles from a path on the forest floor below.

The ropes course, along with ice and rock climbing companies, white water rafting tour services, and other adrenaline-focused companies, is a part of a more modern tourism in the park that highlights the rigorous and extreme qualities of exploring the Adirondacks.  Completing all six levels at the ropes course can take over half a day, which despite its rigor is considerably shorter than the weeks or months-long trips into the wilderness often taken by early tourists to the park.  As the owner of Adirondack Extreme explains in a promotional video I found on their website, you can "think of [the course] as an amusement park up in the trees, but you're not on a roller coaster, you're on a self-guided tour and you're the one that is creating the adrenaline rush for yourself."  Indeed, the guides are far removed from the climbers in the trees, monitoring anyone who may be struggling or acting dangerously from vantage points near access ladders on the ground.  Dizzying heights, trees swaying in the wind, and free-fall features like the "Tarzan swing" in the difficult "black course" can be experienced with a rush that is offset by the security of the double and triple-checked harness system that is taught to all climbers in a 20 minute safety course.  Some of the most adrenaline-inducing and physically challenging obstacles of the black course (aka the part that has left me sore for several days after completing the course) can be seen in the video below:

 The inspiration for the course came from similar attractions in Europe, but has undoubtedly found an ideal atmosphere in the Adirondacks.  It is currently the largest course of its kind in the country, and has been visited by climbers aged 7 to 87.  I highly recommend giving it a visit if you can.  As one visitor on the website said:  "You're like Peter Pan flying through the forest!"

 Sources:

• https://www.adirondackextreme.com/
• https://www.adirondackextreme.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/DSC_48581-e1435077715636.jpg 
• https://youtu.be/co8uH9RHfsM