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MY ADVENTURE Zipping through a Hawaiian jungle Comment By Ellen Gardner and Jerry Hauck for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ellen Gardner and Jerry Hauck for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Ellen Gardner and Jerry Hauck for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM --> SHARE YOUR ADVENTURE The Mail Tribune wants to share your adventure. We’re looking for accounts of hikes, climbs, river runs, fishing trips, bike rides, ocean outings, camping t... » Read more X SHARE YOUR ADVENTURE The Mail Tribune wants to share your adventure. We’re looking for accounts of hikes, climbs, river runs, fishing trips, bike rides, ocean outings, camping trips, wildlife encounters and anything else you’ve done outdoors. Email your story (and pictures if you have them) to Mail Tribune features editor David Smigelski at [email protected] . » Social News The tall, good-looking Kamuela was waiting with the other adventurers when we slid in five minutes past our appointment time. We had signed up with Skyline Eco Adventures to go ziplining on the Big Island of Hawaii. Because of road construction, we were running late. Delighted to see they had waited for us, we hurried through the requisite waiver-signing before our guides Kamuela and Corey strapped us into harnesses. We donned our helmets, stowed our cellphones in fanny packs and climbed into the van that would bounce up a narrow, pot-holed road to where the first zip would be performed. On the way, Kamu gave us a detailed history of the area and the various plantings. He also talked about the lost sugar cane fields and how the Big Island was managing to use the area for many new products. Not extreme sports types, we nevertheless had decided we wanted to try ziplining, and the first run, the training wheels of ziplines, was easy enough to give us confidence. Hooked up and grasping firmly to the ropes, Ellen stepped off the ramp and flew over a small ravine, coming to a stop at the end when her carabiner collided with a brick. Jerry had been taking a video of Ellen as she defied death, and she came in smiling. Next it was his turn. Jerry was nervous at first. He loves to fly in airplanes but otherwise likes having his feet on the ground. However, the harness provided a seat of sorts that held his weight, so it made him feel secure. And with all the checking and double-checking of the ropes, Kamu and the other staff members made him feel very safe. There were seven runs, each in a jungle clearing surrounded by tropical flowers, and after each, we hiked or rode to the next with the guides providing additional history and background of the area, one of the benefits of having locals as guides. Each run was higher and longer than the one before, and each more thrilling. We were shown how to use our thumbs to make the rope turn so we could swing completely around and see not only what was in front of us, but to the sides and behind, as well. The views of the lush forests, streams, and waterfalls were incredible. Jerry found coming in backward to the finish point was easier on the legs. On our last ride, we launched from a two-story platform that was anchored to a tower four stories high. The run was 3,350 feet long, so for a full minute and a half we were suspended 400 feet above a lush green gorge looking down on a gorgeous 250-foot waterfall. Exhilarated, we exchanged high-fives, took pictures and climbed back in the van for the bone-shattering trip back down the mountain. At 72 years of age, we feel proud, and are anxious to do it again. By Ellen Gardner and Jerry Hauck for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ellen Gardner and Jerry Hauck for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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