Zipline Tour at Sunday River

By Melanie Brooks

This past weekend Sidekick Shane, our friend Nancy, and I met up in Bethel. Our mission? To tackle the new ziplines at Sunday River. For $40 you get to ride six ziplines partway down the mountain near the South Ridge Base Lodge.

While Saturday was sunny and unseasonably warm, Sunday was cool and wet. Ziplining is probably the most fun you can have in this sort of soggy weather. Our group of 12 adventurers were led by three guides who have been working the ziplines since they opened on August 7th. These three happy souls take three groups of people each day flying through the Maine woods. It's hard to hate your job when you get to have so much fun.

We geared up in the lodge and a bus drove us up to the top of the trail. We didn't even have to walk. This was definitely not a strenuous activity. "All thrills, no skills," the guides said. They couldn't have been more right. One of them hooked us on to the line at the start point and another person caught us at the other side. The third person worked the "brake" -- which was a rope attached to a wooden block that slowed you down at the very end. It was very safe and lots of fun.

Here's a video Shane took of me on one of the ziplines....



Each tour consists of 6 lines ranging in length from 100 to 300 feet and you travel up to 25 mph. If you go, plan on spending 2 to 2.5 hours in the woods. All riders must be at least 3 feet tall and weigh between 70 to 270 pounds.

It's a great fall event for the whole family -- especially with the gorgeous fall foliage. Reservations are recommended as they run tours from Thursday through Sunday only and they fill up fast. Call 800-543-2754 for more information or visit www.sundayriver.com.