Zipline & Canopy Tours

Zip lines are sprouting as fast as foliage in the tree canopies you'll slide through during a zipline adventure. Once, considered an exotic way to view nature from above, now days, you can find a zipline adventure (sometimes called a "canopy tour") in dozens of places around North America, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Peru, New Zealand and many other countries. Click on any of the links below to learn more about specific zipline and canopy tours. In many locations, zipline tours are offered year-round.

What is a Zipline Adventure?

Zipline adventures let you soar from tree to tree in rain forests, across canyons and through a variety of landscapes, giving you a bird's-eye view of the world surrounding you. Imagine flying high, wrapped in a body harness (picture a massive diaper) that's clipped to a steel line strung through a canopy of trees. As you fly along, you may see monkeys and birds in the trees or a chasm below you, depending upon where you are taking your zipline adventure. On many of these zipline tours you reach the ziplines by climbing stairs or ladders to platforms high in a tree. On other canopy and zipline adventures you'll also walk across bridges strung between trees.

10 Best Zipline Adventures inthe U.S.

Do you agree these choices are the 10 Best Ziplines in the U.S.?.

A Zipline Adventure in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

You can take zipline tours in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, after a day on the ski slopes in the winter or a round of golf in the summer. This five-zipline adventure takes you through the dense forest between the adjacent Whistler and Blackcomb ski mountains. Whistler Zipline Ecotours offers zipline adventures where you'll move from one zipline to the next on a network of boardwalks and trails, and by aerial stairways and bridges at heights reaching eighty feet above ground.

A Zipline Adventure at Heavenly Resort in California

Be prepared for a fast, steep descent if you're zipping down the Heavenly Flyer, which stretches 3,300-feet, because the 525-foot vertical drop matches that of the Space Needle. This zipline at Heavenly Resort, which straddles the California and Nevada state line, is open year-round, so whether there's snow on the ground or the slopes are summer-green, you're guaranteed spectacular views of Lake Tahoe as you descend.

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A Zipline Adventure in Tsitsikamma, South Africa

Zipping along 10 zip lines in one trip was a wild intro to the world of zip line adventures. But that's what you get when you take the Zip Line Adventure at Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park in South Africa. (Adrenalin junkies note: When you've done this, head over to Bloukrans Bridge and do the bungie jump.)

A Zipline Adventure in Maui, Hawaii

The Haleakala Skyline Tour take you on the slopes of a massive volcano on Maui, Hawaii. The zipline tour by Skyline Eco-Adventures includes a short hike, five picturesque zipline crossings, and a walk across an "Indiana Jones" style swinging bridge.

A Zipline Adventure in Kauai, Hawaii

During Kauai Backcountry Adventures seven- zipline adventure you'll descend a mountainside. It's a spectacular way to see Hawaii's Garden Isle.

A Zipline Adventure at Utah Olympic Park near Park City

Even if you've already been on ziplines elsewhere in the world, the Xtreme and Ulta Ziplines at the Utah Olympic Park, just outside Park City and less than 30 minutes from Salt Lake city, Utah, will give you a thrill. The steep Xtreme Zip takes you right over the K-120 ski jump hill.

Zipline Adventures in Thailand

Contestants in Amazing Race Asia 3 flew along the Flight of the Gibbon ziplines and you can, too. If you're on a trip to Thailand and visiting Chiang Mai, take the Flight of the Gibbon. You'll spend three hours zipping along cables and walking on bridges high in the Mae Kompong rainforest. Treetop Adventures runs this tour. There's a video of the Amazing Race contestants stop here, and how they felt about going on a zip line, on the Web site.

Side-by-side 160 meter zip lines which come off a wooden deck nestled along the side of a limestone karst cliff - and zip on down to a tree-lined meadow. Located just 2 Km NW of Chiang Rai at Boomerang Adventure Park.

A Zipline Adventure in Icy Strait Point, Hoonah, Alaska

The ZipRider cable ride at Icy Strait, Alaska claims to be the longest zipline in the world at 5,330 feet, and includes a 1,300 vertical drop. During the ride - when six people head downhill side by side at the same time - you'll pass through woods then over open ground ensuring spectacular views of Port Frederic and Icy Strait. This locale caters to cruise ships, so if you're taking an Alaskan cruise that stops here, book early. Click on Icy Strait Point for more information about the ZipRider, but you must book through your cruise line.

A Zipline Adventure in Costa Rica

About a quarter of Costa Rica is covered with rain forests and many of Costa Rica's national parks have canopy and zipline tours. Your choice might be dictated by where you are staying. Click on this link to learn more about the companies that offer canopy and zipline tours, and the specific tours. The Original Canopy Tour company has several zipline and canopy tours in Costa Rica, and other countries including Jamaica, Belize, Nicaragua and Mexico.

A Zipline Adventure in Mokai Gravity Canyon, Taihape, New Zealand.

Definitely for thrill seekers, a ride on the Fox is a straight shot off a ledge toward the river below in Gravity Canyon. Click on Gravity Canyon to learn about the Fox, and the other stomach-droppping rides.

A Zipline Adventure on the World's Largest Cruise Ship

On the Oasis of the Sea, the world's largest cruise ship, you can ride a zipine strung nine decks above Boardwalk. If you want to see what it looks like, About.com's cruise editor, Linda Garrison, has a picture of someone flying overhead on the Oasis of the Sea zipline, while people shop below.

How to Take a Zipline Adventure

Before you hook onto a line and start zipping, reputable zipline tour operators give you basic training, which may include a fast ride on wire close to the ground. Click on How to Take a Zipline Tour to see how easy it is to take a zipline tour. Pre-teens to grandparents are loving canoy and zipline adventures.

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Adventure Travel Wannabees: Win the Adventure of Your Dreams

Ask ten travelers their definition of adventure travel and you'll get ten different answers. If they've entered the competition for Outside magazine's first annual Adventure Grant, one of them might win a $10,000 endowment.? To celebrate its 35th anniversary, the magazine will "help fund a smart, creative, and (perhaps) slightly foolhardy project" that will be featured? in an upcoming issue.

The types of far-out ideas, according to the magazine, include sailing a homemade raft down the Hudson River, walking a perfectly straight line across Canada's Prince Edward Island, and paddling a canoe from Portland, Oregon, to Portland, Maine.

To enter,? go to Outside Adventure Grant, read the application carefully then create a 500-word essay outlining your idea and explaining why it's so unique.? Entry deadline is May 8.

Photo: c Lois Friedland

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Define Zip Lines

Definition: Zip Line: A zip line consists of a cable stretched between two points at different elevations. On zip line tours, which are very popular, you wear a harness (like a big diaper) that is hooked onto a pulley, which is hooked onto the cable. Step off the platform on the first point and gravity will "zip" you along to the other platform.

Find Zipline Tours

Zip line tours are offered in countries around the world. For a list of many of the best zip line tours from the United States to South Africa visit Top Zip Line Tours. If you want to know how to take a zip line tour (and it's easy and lots of fun) visit How to Take a Zip Line Tour

Also Known As: canopy tours

Alternate Spellings: ziplines, zipline tours, zip line tour

Examples:

Zip line adventures let you soar from tree to tree in rain forests, across canyons and through a variety of landscapes, giving you a bird’s-eye view of the world surrounding you.

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Summer Trips For Adventure Travelers

Would you like to watch polar bears running through wildflowers instead of snow?? How about swimming with sea lions?? Does mountain biking and hiking in the Rockies, or kayaking in Alaska sound appealing. Here are some terrific adventurous summer vacations.

Photo: (c) Lois Friedland

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Rock Climbing in Montana

"Montana is one of the last places in the country where you can climb a dramatic seemingly classic rock face or ice line and have it still feel like a complete adventure. No matter how often the rocks get climbed in Montana, they still get much lower traffic than basically anywhere else in the country. If you're looking for an adventure, Montana is still a place where you can get that." says Justin Boening, Missoula Rock Garden Manager and 12-year climbing veteran.

If you're looking for dynamite rock, crowd-free climbs and enough terrain for every skill level, Western Montana is the place to fill all your climbing needs.

ROCK CLIMBING DESTINATIONS

LOST HORSE: Located in the Bitterroot Valley, approximately 15 minutes south of Hamilton, this area offers crag climbing and bouldering. Lost Horse is known for its diverse terrain, great rock quality and numerous climbing options in a small area. It offers routes as long as six pitches, although most routes run at an average of two-- three pitches.

BLODGETT CANYON: Located right outside of Hamilton, this canyon is one of the most beautiful climbing destinations in the area. Known for its serious characteristics, this is the place to go for an adventurous climbing route. The canyon offers longer routes (in the range of 1,000 - 1,200 feet) that are eight - 10 pitches in length.

"It is a big commitment to do any of the routes," said Boening. "But it is also the most beautiful that I know in the area. If you're in climbing for the adventure, this is the place to go."

In winter, there will frequently be ice at the beginning of the routes, offering a fun mix climb as you make your way up the ice toward the upper rock pitches.

KOOTENAI CANYON: Located in the Bitterroot Valley, Kootenai offers a variety of climbing routes, ranging from steep, sport routes to traditional climbing lines. Offering paths for every level of climber, this area presents the widest range of grades and is a fine place to learn the ropes. Plus, no climbs are longer than two pitches.

"If you want to have a fun, relaxing day, Kootenai is the place to go," said Boening. Insider Tip: If you are new to climbing in the Bitterroot, keep in mind that the rocks can be variable and crack systems are frequently smaller than they seem from the ground. Be prepared by carrying a variety of equipment and be sure to wear a helmet.

ICE CLIMBING

BEAR CREEK: Bear Creek - located in the Bitterroot Valley. "This is one of my favorite places for ice climbing," said Boening. "This rock quality is good and it is bolted for mixed climbs."

MISSION FALLS: This popular ice climbing destination is located outside of St. Ignatius in the Mission Valley. The longer approach compensates climbers willing to put in the effort, rewarding them with a huge wall of ice. This is a great place to cut your teeth ice climbing.

FINLEY CREEK: Located outside of Arlee, this area offers a short approach and about a dozen climbs, making it a superb option for a half-day destination climb. Insider Tip: Most of the climbing areas in the Mission Valley are located on tribal lands. Be sure to attain the appropriate permit.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK: It's no surprise that the "Crown of the Continent" offers world-class ice climbing. Designed for the more-experienced climber, most of the routes offer direct, exposed, steep and logistically complicated climbs. If you are a well-seasoned climber, this is a place you will not want to miss. The quality and aesthetics of the climbs are incredible.

This climbing route information was compiled by Glacier Country Tourism and Justin Boening specifically for www.adventuretravel.about.com.

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Early Detection System Against Identity Theft

You're walking down a street in a foreign country and someone grabs your wallet.? Or, you hung your purse on the back of your chair while eating in an outdoor cafe and when it's time to pay the bill you realize it's gone.? If you're a member, just call ProtectMyID and they'll call all your credit card companies and monitor the Internet for other illegal uses of your identity.

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It's "Never Too Old to Play" Month

May is "Older American's Month" and some of the adventure travel companies that cater to the active travelers age 50+ are promoting active vacations for this age group. "How older vacationers travel today is far different than from just a generation ago."says Alan. E. Lewis, Chairman and CEO of Overseas Adventure Travel.

While a decade ago it was perceived that the 50+ crowd like bus tours, today this group prefers to be active, hiking. biking and exploring on foot or with smaller group tours.

Lewis says that top ten travel destinations for this group include Botswana, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, Baltics, Peru, Turkey, China, Vietnam, Costa Rica, India and the Serengeti.

Both OAT and Road Scholar offer a variety of soft- and harder adventure travel.

Photo by Frank Montanaro - Riding a camel in Uluru, Australia, while on a trip with Road Scholar

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Take a Zipline or Canopy Tour

Ready to soar like a bird from tree to tree in a rain forest? Zipline or canopy tours give you a bird's-eye view of the forest, move you across canyons and show you scenery that can't be viewed from the ground. Before you hook onto a line and start zipping, however, reputable zipline tour operators give you basic training, which may include a fast ride on wire close to the ground.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 30 minutes to a few hours

Here's How:

1. What is a zipline tour?

   One zipline lover describes it as "being as close as you can get to flying across the top of the jungle." Participants don a harness with a caribiner that is attached to a wheel on a cable strung between trees. You push off from a platform on one tree and zip along the cable to a platform on another tree. You can be anywhere from 20- to 80-feet off the ground and, literally, flying between the trees at a height in jungles where birds and monkeys hang out on the branches.

2. Different types of zipline tours

   Zipline tours vary both in length and style. Many tours in Costa Rica and other countries with jungles or rainforests include a jeep tour to the zipline site during which a guide tells you about the wildlife and flora. At some mountain resorts, the zipline experiences are near the base of summer-green ski slopes and the first zipline is reachable via a chairlift. Some experiences only have five or six ziplines; others have many more strung between trees.

3. What does the basic training include?

   Ideally, the experience will include some "how to" information plus a safety briefing. You'll learn how to put on the harness, latch onto the cable and how to brake if you want to slow down while zipping on a cable. After you learn the basics and watch a demonstration, you may get a chance to practice once or twice on a short zipline that is just a few feet off the ground.

4. Who enjoys zipline tours?

   Many zipline experiences can be enjoyed by entire families. But before you book, ask about the number of ziplines and the heights at which they are strung to make sure you are comfortable with the heights for both you and your children. Also, make sure of the age, weight and height limits.

5. What do I need to wear and bring?

   You should wear long pants and gym shoes or hiking boots. Shoes must not have open toes. If you have long hair put it in a pony tail. Use a strap to keep your glasses secured. Don't have any sharp objects, such as keys or pens in your pockets. Keep your camera in a case close to your body, not dangling on a strap. The company should provide the harness, a helmet and gloves. But, confirm that they provide all three.

6. Do I need to be in great physical condition?

   The answer depends upon the tour. A basic zipline experience requires little physical exertion, although it's not for anyone who has a serious fear of heights). If the tour you want to take includes hiking, mountain biking, kayaking or other activities, you’ll have to be in the proper shape to participate.

7. What's the minimum age?

   Always verify the minimum age before you book the tour. Some tours require participants be 18 years or older.

8. Are there minimum and maximum weights?

   Brad Morse of Canopy Tours, Inc., says that anyone on the big side concerned about fitting into a harness properly should check in advance with any waist-size requirements and ask if there is a chest harness or full body harness.

9. How much do these tours cost?

   Prices vary dramatically depending upon whether it’s just a zipline experience, or if the zipline tour is part of a longer tour that might include a jeep tour to the site where the ziplines are set up and lunch. They can cost as little as $45 for just the zipline experience up to $120 or more for a zipline experience and other activities.

10. Companies offering zipline tours

    Zipline tours are offered in many places around the globe from Whistler and Alaska in North America to Hawaii, Costa Rica and New Zealand. Canopy Tours, Inc. has a directory of Zip Line tours around the world. With Kauai Backcountry Adventures you can zoom down a mountainside on a series of 7 ziplines.

11. How do you find zipline tours?

    Start at Top Zipline and Canopy Tours. If you already know where you are vacationing, many vacation packages offer a zipline tour option and other countries you can usually book them through the hotel concierge or front desk. You can also book before you go directly with a company via its Internet site.

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Would You Follow His Footsteps?

He's one of several adventurers on an expedition led by famed mountaineer Conrad Anker, along with photographer Cory Richards.? The team seeks to repeat the historic climb of the 1963 National Geographic-sponsored American Mount Everest Expedition.

The two athletes are attempting to summit via Everest's seldom visited West Ridge in the coming weeks.? You can see more images and videos of? the expedition on the daily blog.

You? might get vertigo watching what it's like to climb Mount Everest on videos made by sherpas carrying cameras on their helmets.

cPhoto by Samuel Elias: Stepping over a crevasse on the way to camp 1

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Drive a Tank

Add Drive a Tank to the list of offbeat adventures for travelers. Drive a Tank is the only venue in the United States where civilians can spend a day learning how to drive military tanks. During the Drive a Tank adventure, you'll start by operating a FV-433 Abbott with an open hatch. Once you've had this experience, you can move onto steering a FV432 Armored Personnel Carrier by looking through a periscope. You may even be able to shoot blanks from a tank's cannon.

A Day at Drive a Tank

The day starts with a general briefing where you learn about the various armored vehicles (which have been brought here from Britain) and see how they are used and stored in a Motor Pool. Then, you'll ride to the field command HQ in a classic military transport, where you'll get a briefing from an instructor about how to handle tank controls and operate the tank. Finally, you get to drive the first tank looking through the open hatch. You decide if you want to drive the second tank looking through an open hatch or through a periscope. An instructor is with you in the tanks and dual control systems have been installed in the tanks with a "kill switch" the instructor can hit at any time.

After driving the tanks, everyone gathers at an indoor firing range to learn about Drive a Tank's stash of historic firearms. Following a firearms safety, small arms familiarization and usage course, participants have the opportunity to shoot these historic military firearms in a controlled environment.

Want to Crush a Car a Drive a Tank

What a way to get rid of your hostilities! It costs a lot extra, but you can arrange to climb into one of the tanks and crush an old car! Before you flatten the car, there will be a session going over "basic car crushing tips" and the required safety guidelines. An instructor stays in the tank with you during the adventure.

How to Book Drive a Tank

Drive a Tank schedules event days every other weekend from April into November. Call and ask about event days in the winter. You can also book the adventure at other times, but there must be a minimum of three packages sold before they will fire up the tanks. Groups can book private days for corporate gatherings, birthdays and other special events.

Drive a Tank is located in Minnesota, about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Minneapolis. For more information and booking visit Drive a Tank or call (507) 835-5607.

More Extreme Adventures

If you enjoy oddball experiences during an adventure travel vacation, check out these experiences.

• Drive a bulldozer and build a road, or move massive rocks with an excavator, right in the middle of Las Vegas at Dig This
• Tour Beijing in a vintage sidecar

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Jeep Tours Reveal a Country's Rugged Side

Our jeep dislodged rocks that fell a thousand feet toward the Dead Sea far below.? We were on the last part of a trek through Israel's Negev desert, inching downward on a road that was as tightly coiled as a rattler about to strike.?Jeep tours reveal a country's rugged side.

Photo: (c) Lois Friedland

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Where Are the Most Dinosaur Tracks in North America?

Put your foot in one of these dinosaur footprints and you'll get a sense of the massive size of a brontosaurus and other dinosaurs. In Colorado, there are several places where you can hike among dinosaur tracks and see fossils of these fascinating distinct creatures.

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3 Guide Books For Travelers Seeking Volunteer Trips

Here are three guide books that offer different takes on where to find great volunteer trips and what to expect when you go.? Between them, you'll find lots of entertaining ways to go off-the-beaten path wen you travel, help others and enrich your own experiences.? To check out the adventures take a look at these guide books.

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Active Travelers & Students Combine Volunteering & Adventure

Would you like to go scuba diving in the Caribbean off the coast of Mexico to do coral research? How about monitoring the elusive white lions in Zambia?? Smaller Earth has lots of exciting? trips that combine volunteering and adventure travel.

Photo courtesy of Smaller Earth

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Volunteer Vacations

Definition: Definition: Volunteer vacations, sometimes called VolunTourism, involves taking a vacation (or part of a trip) and participating in activities centered around furthering a charitable cause. In most cases, the traveler pays for the trip, and a portion of the trip fee may go to the charitable cause.

For excellent sources of volunteer vacations visit Voluntourism - Taking a Volunteer Vacation

Also Known As: Voluntourism, volunteer travel

Examples:

Some travelers taking a volunteer vacation will spend their entire vacation volunteering to, for example, help rebuild houses in New Orleans or working at orphanages in Third World countries. Others taking volunteer vacations will spend a few days teaching children in remote villages, feeding lion cubs in Africa, or helping count the caiman population in a small South American country.

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Peer Into Modern Lives While Walking on These Ancient Walls

Walking on centuries-old walls that surround a blend of ancient and modern buildings is a novel way to see a city.? Here's where to find some of the best wall walks.

Photo: c Lois Friedland

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Easy Way to Double Your Smartphone's Battery Life

The Mophie Juice Pack is a rechargeable battery that looks just like any other iPhone4 or iPhone 4s case. But, it can double your phone's battery life. Here's a review.

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Take Copies of Key Documents

Suppose you’re walking down a street in a foreign country and a thief cuts the strap on your waist pack or slips your wallet out of your pocket. Or, you were laughing at a friend’s comment when leaving that outdoor cafe and forgot to grab your purse that was hidden under the table. Either way, your money, credit cards and maybe even your passport are gone.

What do you do now?

If you have photocopies of your passport, credit cards, driver’s license, health-insurance information and other important travel documents it will be easier to replace the originals faster. With a copy of your passport information and number, for example, you can go to the nearest embassy and have your passport reissued more quickly than if the number had to be tracked down and you have to prove that you are “you.” The copy showing the back of your credit cards should have the telephone numbers to use if there’s a problem.

Make Photocopies Before Leaving Home

Even if you’re in a last-minute rush to prepare for a trip, don’t forget to make copies of the first page of your passport, the front and back of your credit cards and details about any medicines you must take on a regular basis. (The wisest approach, of course, is to make these copies long before leaving on a trip.) If you must take a written copy of your passwords and personal ID numbers for the credit cards don’t keep them with the photocopies.

Where to Keep the Copies?

Put one set of copies in the travel bag you are taking on the plane. If you’re traveling with a companion, each take the other person’s photocopies. If your hotel room has a safe, leave the copies in it. Leave another set home with someone you trust.

What Not to Bring

Don't bring any credit cards you don't intend to use. Leave home all passwords and personal identification numbers, especially for bank accounts, that you might have tucked in your wallet.

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Top Day Hikes in Switzerland's Alps

The other day a reader asked for information about hiking in Switzerland. Contributing author Greg Witt spends much of his time walking around the Swiss Alps. Here are his top day hikes around the Swiss countryside.

As Witt says, "Where both vacation time and money are tight, you may prefer to spend your limited time in the Alps on day hikes. You'll be able to enjoy the mountain scenery, waterfalls, glaciers, wildlife, and wildflowers during the day, and still be back in town or on to your next destination before sunset."

Photo: Alpine guide/author Greg Witt in the Swiss Alps

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Trek in the Himalayas or Europe With Just a Daypack

We've all seen pictures of heavily laden hikers trekking in the Himalayas but on trips with One World Trekking you only need to carry a daypack.? The rest of the gear is carried by a strong support team including a cook, various assistants and porters and/or pack animals.

National Geographic Traveler Magazine has included one of the company's newest trips, the Lost Valleys of NarPhu Trek, in its list of '50 Tours of a Lifetime' 2012. The lengthy list of treks at One World Trekking ranges from Peru and Scotland to Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan.

Photo: Entering the lost Narphu Valleys in the Himalayas

Photo by Andy Crisconi, One World Trekking

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Earth Day Events & Activities

This year's Earth Day - Sunday, April 22, 2012 - is again a day of action and civic participation, to encourage people to promote renewable energy, practice responsible energy consumption and create quality green jobs.? If you can't play hooky, there are lots of Earth Day activities and trips on surrounding weekends. For events and activities worldwide, visit Earth Day. Earth Day is always April 22.

During National Park Week, April 21-29, 2012, entrance is free at the 397 national parks. In addition, there are lots of deals and discounts in the parks and in nearby cities.

1. Find Earth Day Activities and Events around the World

(c) Lois Friedland

Here's where to find links to activities, hikes and events in countries and cities around the globe.

2. National Parks Week, April 21-29, Includes Earth Day Hikes & Activities

L Friedland

During National Park Week, April 21-29, 2012, there are free entrance fees to all 397 national parks. Several parks have hikes and activities planned on Earth Day, and the weekends surrounding it. Several parks have Junior Ranger programs on the weekends. Others have a variety of activities including family nature walks, sailing adventures, birding and fix-up the trails projects.

If you want details about national parks near you, visit About.com's National & State Parks Web site.

3. The Nature Conservancy Celebrates Earth Day

The Nature Conservancy has links to places in almost every state, where you can volunteer to help clean up protected reserves, which are popular places for hiking, bird watching and family walks. This year, the goal is to create a Picnic for the Planet that will set a world record!

4. Earth Day Hikes and Bicycling with the Appalachian Mountain Club

Lots of hikes, bike rides and even climbing trips are scheduled in eastern states, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island on Earth Day and later that week.? Go to the outdoor activity page to see what's happening near you.

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Where to Combine Luxury and Hiking in Colorado

Some Coloradans have a mission in life: to climb the 54 mountains in this state that rise more than 14,000 feet above sea level.? Park Hyatt Beaver Creek offers the luxe route to climbing one of Colorado's14ers.

During a hiking week, you are prepped with shorter hikes during the day, and spa treatments and gourmet dinners at night. At the end of these hiking trips you get the chance to climb a 14er.

Photo (c) Lois Friedland

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Would You Ride 100 Miles in 100-Degree Heat?

This is the challenge for anyone entering the Hotter/N Hell 100 summer race in Wichita Falls, Texas.?? This endurance bicycle race had almost 40,000 entries last summer! Of course, you could just go to the parties wrapped around the four-day race event. There's also a USA Cycling Road Race and USA Cycling Criterium racing at this too-hot-to imagine event.

Photo courtesy of Hotter'N Hell 100

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Wife Carrying Championships

Entering and winning a Wife Carrying Championships might bring the couple five times her weight in cash and her weight in beer. Could you carry your wife through a 278-yard obstacle course? The "Estonian carry," where the wife holds her husband around the waist and tightens her legs around his neck, so his hands are free, is the carry of choice at these races. At the annual North American Wife Carrying Championship, the winners receive five times the wife's weight in cash and the traditional prize of the wife's weight in beer.

Wife Carrying Contests may have started as a joke in Finland, where supposedly a man would court a prospective wife by racing into a village, grabbing her and carrying her off. Whether it's true or not, today the Wife Carrying World Championships are held in Finland, the North American Wife Carrying Championships are held at Sunday River, Maine, and there are regional contests in other states.

Couples do not have to be married, but must include a man and a woman, and both must be at least 21-years-old. Since 2005, women have been allowed to carry men.

Annual North American Wife Carrying Championships

The 10th annual North American Wife Carrying Championship is part of the entertainment at Sunday River resort's annual Fall Festival. This year, the contest is Oct. 9, 2010.

If you would rather run a race, Sunday River has three planned. The 4-mile course is do-able for most athletes and tops one peak, the 8-mile course covers 5 peaks and the 12-mile course covers all 8 peaks of Sunday. Around these events, there's an arts and crafts fair, music by Entrain, food and wine tastings, kids games and a lot more. For more information, visit Sunday River's Wife Carrying Championship.

This competition actually started in Finland, reportedly as a joke. It was a take-off on an old tradition when a man ran to a village and grabbed then carried off the women he wanted to marry. If you want to see the competition, watch this video on YouTube.

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New Hands-free Zip Line Tour Includes 9 Lines and 9 Sky Bridges

With the opening of two new zip lines this weekend, you'll be able to soar over a river and through the trees on the largest set of zip lines in the Midwest.? This? new experience in the Midwest is a hands-free guided Tour on nine zip lines and nine sky bridges.? Ozone Zipline Adventures is located between Cincinnati and Columbus.

Photo courtesy of Ozone Zipline Adventures

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Midwest's Largest Zipline

You can soar through the trees on a series of zip lines and walk across sky bridges on the Midwest's largest zip line canopy tour. With the March 31, 2012 opening of two new zip lines, you'll be able to zip from YMCA Camp Kern (Ozone), soar 200 feet above the federally designated "scenic" Little Miami River and end up by the Fort Ancient state memorial. Zipping over the water the view encompasses a 360-degree view of the river, and if you twirl around even the valley and the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge, Ohio's tallest bridge.

Ozone's Newest Zip Lines

The two new zip lines take you over the river and back again. One starts at the top of Ozone Tower, a multilevel platform that is 45 feet above the ground, and more than 200 feet above the west bank of the Little Miami River. After a 50-second ride across the 1,300-foot-long zip line, you'll land on a platform on the Fort Ancient side of the river. From this platform, you can connect to the second 1,100-foot-long zip line and zip back across the river to Camp Kern.

Details to Ride Ozone's Zip Lines

The "Traditional Tour" includes seven zip lines and seven sky bridges, lasts approximately three hours and costs $75 per person. The new "River Tour" includes nine zip lines, and nine sky bridges, lasts approximately four hours and costs $95 per person. The new "Ultimate Tour" includes 11 zip lines, nine sky bridges, and bag lunch; this tour lasts approximately five hours and costs $120 per person.

The season-long schedule of Full Moon Night Zipping includes five zip lines, six sky bridges and lasts approximately one-and-a-half hours. It costs $60 per person. The 2012 dates for Full Moon Night Zipping are April 6 and 7, May 4 and 5, June 1 and 2, July 6 and 7, August 3 and 4, August 31 and September 1, September 28 and 29, October 26 and 27, November 30 and December 1.

Camp Kern is located between Cincinnati and Columbus on I-71. The zipline canopy tour is open seven days a week March 31st through December (weather permitting). For more information and reservations visit Ozone Zips, or call (513) 932-3756.

Find Zip Line Adventures Around the World

Zip lines adventures keep growing in popularity. Once you had to travel to Costa Rica, Thailand, South Arica or other exotic countries to go on a zipline, but today there are zip lines around the globe. Click on Top Zipline Adventures to see if there is one near you, or one in the locale you're planning to explore on your next trip.

It's easy to soar like a bird from tree to tree. Zip line or canopy tours give you a bird's-eye view of the forest, move you across canyons and show you scenery that can't be viewed from the ground. Here's where to find out exactly how a zip line adventure works.

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Where to Find Extreme Sports

Searching for places to experience extreme adventures, such as BASE jumping, inbounds skiing and snowboarding on serious steeps, parcour or cliff diving?? Here's where to find extreme sports.

Photo (c) Dick Friedland

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Yellowstone in the Winter

Yellowstone in the winter is an adventure traveler's paradise. You can snowmobile or cross country ski past steamy clouds drifting from blue-tinted hot springs, or go snowshoeing on paths in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You photograph bison from the safety of your snow coach and watch wolf pups play as the adult wolves lope past bison rooting in the snow for winter grass. During a night snow coach tour of Yellowstone you'll see a canopy of stars overhead. The nation's first national park, Yellowstone is a two million-plus acre playground.

1. Winter in Yellowstone is More than Old Faithful

(c) Lois Friedland

Winter in Yellowstone National Park is incredibly beautiful. Steam rises from the hot springs, geysers and fumaroles; bison wander across vast snow-covered fields and drink in streams sparking with ice crystals, and Old Faithful performs for guests at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. You can see it all from a snow coach, driving a snowmobile, cross country skiing or winter hiking. You can also enjoy snowmobiling on the vast trail system just outside the park. Click on these pictures to see what Yellowstone and West Yellowstone look like in the winter.

Yellowstone National Park Lodges (two are open in the park in the winter) has packages for adventurous travels. You'll find links to the 2010/2011 adventures below.

2. Gliding Silently on Trails Through Woods on Cross Country Skis

(c) Lois Friedland

Yellowstone has many miles of cross-country trails threading the park. The trails are listed in a series of pamphlets available at the park's visitors centers and hotels open during the winter. Shuttles offers drop-offs and pick-ups at trail heads. Equipment can be rented in the park.

West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside the west entrance to the park also has miles of groomed cross country and ski skate trails in the Rendezvous Ski Trails system.

3. Snowmobiling to Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

(c)Lois Friedland

Snowmobiling is allowed on specific roads in the park but only on guided tours. Snowmobiling excursions to Old Faithful are offered by several snowmobiling companies in West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside the park. Inside the park, Xanterra, the company that manages the park's hotels, offers a snowmobiling package that allows riders to spend a night at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge then ride 90 miles to Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel the next day. Snowmobilers leaving from West Yellowstone also have the freedom to explore hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobiling trails and slopes in the U.S. national forests.

4. Watching Wolves, Bison, Foxes and -- Maybe -- A Bear or Mountain Lion

(c) Lois Friedland

The Yellowstone Association, which partners with the National Park Service, offers a variety of animal-watching day trips and multi-day programs. The Lodging and Learning programs include overnight stays so you can see Yellowstone at dawn then view wolves, bull elks with massive racks of horns, and other animals with spotting scopes. Naturalists lead the tours to help you understand how these animals survive and interact in the park. The "Trail of the Wolf" package combines wildlife watching and snowmobiling. For more information about various packages for 2010/2011, visit Lodging and Learning Packages

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5. Spending the Night in Yellowstone During the Winter

(c) L Friedland

Just walk outside your hotel at night to see a canopy of stars overhead. During the winter only two hotels are open in the park: Old Faithful Snow Lodge and the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. In the morning, look down from your guestroom window at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the odds are excellent that you'll see an elk foraging for grass. Staying at the Snow Park Lodge, it's a quick walk to see Old Faithful erupt.

Yellowstone National Park Lodges offers a variety of cross country skiing, adventure, snowmobiling and other packages for the 2010/2010 winter season. For more information call (1) 307-344-7311 or toll-free 866-GEYSERLAND (866-439-7375), or visiting the web site Yellowstone Park Lodges.

6. A Night Tour of Yellowstone by Snow Coach

Yellowstone National Park Lodges

Mist rises around you while carefully following the dark outline of your guide along boardwalks, to the tune of hissing geysers erupting in the dark. It's not the prelude to a horror movie, it's the start of an incredible snow coach journey to see how alive Yellowstone is at night. At one point during your evening's trip, the snow coach stops and everyone gets out to stand quietly and look at a star-filled sky that one can only imagine while living in a light-infused city. You'll enjoy the Steam, Stars & Winter Soundscapes tour the most on nights when the sky is clear.

7. West Yellowstone is a Gateway to the Park and a Winter Playground Itself

(c) Lois Friedland

On a Saturday morning in West Yellowstone, Montana, there are more snowmobiles driving along the streets than cars. This town is primarily lodging, bars, restaurants and shops for visitors who want souvenirs or cold-weather clothing, but it's a perfect gateway to exploring the park and the Gallatin National Forest. The town edges against the park, so you can take day-trips into Yellowstone via snowmobile or snowcoach. Be sure to visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, a non-profit wildlife park, to watch bears tussle and wolves prowl. There's also an exstensive cross country trail system.

8. A Chance to Wear Warm Winter Clothing

Yellowstone in the winter can be very cold. Pack lots of cold-weather gear, preferably high-tech undergarments that will wick away moisture, especially when you're cross country skiing or snowshoeing. Bring fleece tops or warm sweaters that you can layer under a wind-resistant/water resistant jacket. Best to have wind-resistant and water-resistant pants, too. Take a warm hat, a fleece neck gaiter and warm mittens or gloves. Bring along a bag of the chemical hand-warmer packets that you shake to activate then stick inside your gloves or boots to keep your hands and feet warm. Don't forget your camera!

9. Makes You Want to Visit Yellowstone in the Summer, Too

(c) D Friedland

Not many people visit Yellowstone in the winter so there's space to enjoy the beauty. The quiet is disrupted in the summer, when tourists from around the globe come to the summer-green landscape, vibrant with colorful wildlflowers and green grasses.? See what Yellowstone looks like in the summertime.

10. Information Contact for Yellowstone National Park

(c) D Friedland

For more information about visiting Yellowstone, go the the National Park Service Yellowstone Web site. Lonely Planet Guidebook to Yellowstone and Grant Teton National ParksIf you'd like a Lonely Planet Guidebook to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks click on Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks Guide.

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