The day we arrived in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho for our zipline adventure, it felt like we were in a small beach town during the height of the summer season. The streets were clogged with cars and pedestrians. Open trucks hauling rafters and their floats drove by as everyone whooped and waved. Lines of people in swim suites stood above the road, awaiting their turn down the slide to the pool below. I was delighted by the summer beach party vibe.
Of course there isn’t a beach in Lava Hot Springs. It’s on the eastern side of Idaho, in the middle of the desert. It does have lots of hot springs though!
We were in a hurry to catch our ride to the Zipline Adventure. We weren’t sure what to expect and when we saw the army truck we were pretty surprised. People sat on two benches along the sides and everyone else stood in the middle. The road bumps and turns so there was quite a bit of jostling, but at least no one fell out!
Once we arrived at our destination, the owner introduced himself and his staff. He informed us that for the next several hours we were going to be a family and had us each give our name. The funny thing was that the majority of our group actually Was a family. The 80-year-old grandfather requested they go ziplining again for their family reunion since he had such a great time there before. He was fearless!
We received our safety gear and got ready before hiking up a long, dusty trail to the first zipline.
I have to say, I was feeling nervous because I don’t like heights. Going ziplining was a little crazy.
I was lucky that we started out with one that didn’t require me to jump off a cliff. We ran (or walked) down a short gravel path and the line picked us up off the ground before we got to the end. It probably helped that I’m not very tall but before I knew it I was whizzing through the air! It went really fast and I was glad when I was going backward! I’m very small in the picture but that’s me flying through the air.
The ride was exhilarating and not quite as frightening as I thought it would be. The scariest part was at the end when they had to stop me. I was going so fast and felt like I wouldn’t stop in time. I had fingernail marks in my hands and was a little wobbly when they helped detach me from the wire.
The second zipline was a longer hike up and required us to jump off a platform. My fearless daughters jumped right off. When it was my turn I looked at the owner and said, “I’m afraid of heights.” He looked me right in the eyes and said, “So am I. But we can overcome our fears, can’t we?” I gulped and agreed that we can. He had me back up to the edge, facing away from it and told me to sit into it. Once the line is holding your weight it’s a lot less frightening leaving the platform. I was very grateful to him for his patience and kindness.
I made it! Here’s me coming in for a landing, however ungracefully. For me the zipline adventure was a success. I overcame my fears and had a really great time with my kids!
The day was not over though! We were presented with a ninja sky course, a climbing wall, the opportunity to jump from a tractor, and playtime in the geodome.
The entire Zipline Adventure took four hours. It was so much fun and it really Was an adventure! I would heartily recommend doing this if you are ever in Lava Hot Springs. If you would like to look into it you can visit their website here.
Stay tuned for more adventures in Lava Hot Springs!
What a
Love to try this. Sounds like a blast!
Thanks Ben! Let’s go to the one up north when we get the chance!
Oh my goodness this looks like a blast!! Brave lady 😉
Thank you!!
Thanks Beverly! It was fun and not nearly as scary as I thought it would be! 🙂
I would be zipping for hours if I went there 😀 Looks like you had fun with the family!
We would have to take nerf guns if you went, to make it a little more adventure-y. Haha
Holy cow! That’s pretty impressive! I’m glad you had fun and overcame your fear at least on that instance.
Thanks Boris! I really wasn’t too sure I could take off from that platform but the owner was so helpful. It was a fun challenge for me!
Yay You!!! You overcame your fear and tackled it like a champion, proud of you for doing it.
Thanks, Mike! Sorry it took me so long to reply. I was still afraid on that second, longer one but I did it and think I would be willing to do it again now that I know it’s (relatively) safe. 🙂
I’ve been there before and I don’t remember any ziplinning. Looks like fun. When I was there I did got to the hot springs a few times it was nice.
I don’t know how long they’ve been in business but it sure was fun! We went to the Lava hot pools a couple of times too. I liked them better during the day when they weren’t quite so crowded. They were packed in the evening!