Barnardsville Racing across the sky
By Matt Tate Ever gazed up at squirrels bounding
across tree tops and been envious of their perspective? If so, Navitat Canopy Adventures in
Barnardsville has a spot for you. Te new zip-line tour, which opens
Saturday (May 15), soars guests through and above some of Moody Cove’s most distinguishable ecological elements via of series of platforms, lines, sky bridges and rappels. Guests can take in views of the
Craggy Mountains from tree platforms as high as 200 feet and race above the forest floor at speeds up to 35 miles per hour while harnessed on zip lines reach- ing 1,100 feet in length. Te experience Navitat supplies is
one that is unique to Western North Carolina, an area known for its outdoor enthusiasts. “Tis is going to be an experience
unlike anything you’ll find in this part of the country,” managing partner Ken Stamps said. “It will be thrilling and enlightening, and will give our guests a new perspective on their natural sur- rounding and, hopefully, on them- selves.” Te tour lasts for more than three
hours, and guests travel through the course by racing on zip lines from plat- forms constructed high in the trees. In all, the tour contains 15 tree platforms, 10 zip lines, two sky bridges and two rappelling exercises. Tere are three short hikes as well, bringing the course distance to more than a mile. Groups of up to eight can tour to-
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gether along with two guides. Costs are $85 for adults and $75 for teens from 10-17. It will be open through Tanks- giving. Stamps said preparations on the
course began last summer. Bonsai De- sign, which has courses in New Hamp- shire, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Califor- nia and Alaska, designed the course, putting the cables in first, Stamps said. As the anchoring of the zip lines
and sky bridges progressed, trees were trimmed to provide optimal viewing as well as bringing guests as close to the surroundings as possible.
Commitment to nature In addition to providing an exhilarat-
ing experience, the Navitat team is also committed to educating its guests about the Moody Cove land. Asheville-based Equinox Environ-
mental identified some of the unique ecological aspects of the area prior to the course’s construction. Te developers then designed the course to ensure each feature was highlighted, Stamps said. Some of the tree species guests travel
through include white oak, maple and American beech. Guides also discuss the rare plants in
the area, such as bloodroot and Eastern spotted coralroot. Te platforms individuals perch
upon were built using wood recycled off the Navitat site and were constructed to allow for the tree to grow in diameter over the years.
Safety at the forefront Any venture that sends participants
racing across the tops of trees also has safety at the forefront. Guide David Newton said the cables
www.marshillretire.com 8 THE TRIBUNE - May 13 - May 19, 2010
are inspected daily. Tey were also con- structed to allow for augmentation as the trees age. Garrison Tanoy, also a guide who has experience with similar tours in Alaska,
said he went through a week of intensive training on the Navitat course. Guests arrive about 30 minutes be-
fore departure to get secured into their harnesses and put on their gloves and hats. While certain medical conditions
or prescriptions do not necessarily pre- clude anyone from participating, guides do ask to be aware so they know how to act. Te first two zips break guests in
slowly where they learn the basics of zip- ping, including how to stop, steer and pull themselves to the platform should
they stall out. A trolley-like device at- tached to the harnesses are fastened to the two zip lines. Once the zip is over, a guide will un-
hook guests from the zip line and attach their lanyard to an anchored cable while they wait on the tree platform for their next zip. While height is not a major concern,
individuals should weigh between 90 and 250 pounds, Tanoy said. Navitat is located about 10 minutes
off I-26 on Poverty Branch Road. For more information or to make a reserva- tion, go to
navitat.com.
www.weavervilletribune.com
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