Zip Line and Canoe Races

Adam, Brent(Adam's Dad) and I took an early afternoon before the 2012 canoe races this year and tried out the new Gunflint Canopy Tour.  It is a series of 8 zip lines through the Superior Nat'l Forest above Gunflint Lake.

 We went out with a group of 7 riders and 2 guides; everyone lands on the platform, most of which were built right into majestic 300 year old pine trees.  Sometimes the platforms can be close quarters and they are pretty high up(couple hundred feet).  At least we are all strapped in with our harnesses.

Some of the zips were pretty long and you can get going pretty fast.  The only thing to break your speed is your gloved hand dragging on top of the line.  If you want to go faster you curl up like a ball, like Brent is showing in the above picture.  

Here is Adam coming in for landing from the final zip.  I am not sure who enjoyed it the most, but Adam continuously claims to many of our guests that it was me.

The kids got to hang out with Grandma, Rashel & Bekah(a couple of our summer staff) and Kerri and her boys while we took the ride.  They had lots of fun having minnow races, and enjoying the other kid activities before the canoe races started.  The Canoe races were fun to watch especially the gunnel pumping(where you stand on the back of the canoe and pump your legs to move the canoe forward) race which we missed last year due to in inclimate weather.  Here we are-along with everyone else on the Gunflint Trail that day too- enjoying the races.  We kept waiting to be lucky and win something from the drawing, but the only one who seemed to be lucky was Rashel.  She bought 2 tickets and they drew both of hers.  No one else got a thing.  The funny thing was though, she won what we donated.  That takes real luck!