Adventures north

Posted 10/26/22

OUTDOOR Adventures By Brian G. Schommer It has often been written right here in this column how blessed we are to have so many opportunities for outdoor adventures right here in our neck of …

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Adventures north

Posted

OUTDOOR Adventures

By Brian G. Schommer

It has often been written right here in this column how blessed we are to have so many opportunities for outdoor adventures right here in our neck of “Minnesconsin.” From hiking to hunting, camping, skiing, biking… well, you get the idea, we pretty much have it all. Sometimes though, part of the adventure is getting away from your common surroundings and doing something completely new and different. Sometimes, trying something new is an adventure in and of itself. In the past couple years of writing “Outdoor Adventures,” one adventure that has never gotten any ink or for that matter, much thought even, is ziplining. The time has come to share a little information about this exhilarating activity.

This adventure starts on a road trip to Bemidji State University, the alma mater of my bride. The adventure would start with a BSU versus University of Minnesota-Duluth football game, which the BSU Beavers thumped the visiting Bulldogs quite handily. This was a big deal for the home team as it put them solely in first place in their division of the conference. Even though in unfamiliar territory for the most part, it was amazing to run into so many familiar faces. For example, when longtime friend from the old neighborhood Pete McGinnis and his wife Angie were spotted finding a seat, or when I heard “hey Schommer,” echo from the mouth of Will Lavin, Hastings High School Grad, Hastings Hawks Ace Pitcher, and Student/Athlete at BSU. Even four hours from home, for a few moments, it was like we never left. Oh, and let us not forget chatting with the Schaffer’s by the concession stand that Jackson, another HHS Grad, Hastings Hawk, and BSU Student/Athlete, was working at during the game and crossing paths with Mark and Carol Howd, also longtime friends whose son Eric is a student at BSU (and one of the most pleasant kids I ever coached). A couple of key playmakers for the Beavers played their High School football at Park, so there was plenty of Wolfpack gear floating around the stadium as well. The game was great, but it really was just the start of the weekend’s adventures.

Once we got checked into the hotel, the toughest decision of the day would be where to eat. After a little discernment and advice from the hotel staff, we decided to check out a Mexican Restaurant on the other end of town because, well… when in doubt, I choose Mexican Cuisine about 99 times out of 100. It did not disappoint, and the Street Corn Dip was something new that I had not experienced on any menus previous. The little things in life sometimes can make the biggest differences. After a night’s sleep that did not include my CPAP machine, due to unforeseen technical difficulties, we got up early to go ZIPLINING. Yes, this would truly be a new adventure for both of us and a definition I found for the word adventure in the good old online dictionary is “a daring and exciting activity calling for enterprise and enthusiasm.” Daring would be a fitting word to describe it.

We drove from Bemidji to Nisswa, just outside of Brainerd to the location of the Brainerd Zipline Tour. Here we would experience exactly what their website describes. Seven ziplines, a suspension bridge and over 15 miles of breathtaking views. The staff was incredibly inviting, knowledgeable, and courteous. All equipment necessary was provided and expertly maintained. Along with two other families of four, 10 participants and two guides were taken to “ground school” where we each learned the key elements of braking, hand signals from the guides and what to do if you were to stall out on the way to the landing spot. Upon passing, we all began a short, but uphill trek to the tower where our zipline adventure would really begin. After a climb of 91 steps, we all anxiously awaiting our first line.

The lead guide went over the last-minute reminders and then it was our turn, as we watched her leave the tower and literally fly solo to the next landing. As it came to be my turn, I ran through the instructions one last time in my head and before I knew it… I was ziplining. A few hundred feet over the ground below me, I was zipping freely down the line and the word breathtaking certainly is fitting. As I came into my first landing, the guide started to wave her arms a bit quicker, telling me to brake a little more. As I hit the “e-brake,” which is a rope hanging from the line, I smiled and said, “coming in hot.” She laughed and said, “we may need you to use that brake a little sooner,” with a laugh.

By the end of the day, with the guides jokes getting a little cornier at every little twist and turn, we made our final descent back to the chalet where we viewed and of course, purchased photos, shared some final pleasantries with our new friends, who of course, we probably will never see again, and headed for home after a stop in Brainerd at the 371 Diner. I would encourage you to check out www.zipbrainerd.com for more information and maybe add this to your bucket list. Who knows, you may run into people you know, and you will for sure meet new people while participating in an adventure that you never really considered doing before. No matter what you do, Get Out and Enjoy the Great Outdoors.