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Tarzan
had nothing on these guys!
Feature Story in Heart of Ohio Magazine,
Spring 2011 Issue
Some people go on vacation and they bring home a t-shirt.
Bruce Baker and his wife Laurie went to Puerto Vallarta
and brought home the idea for a business. Given the
first-year success of Tree Frog Canopy Tours, they most
likely have picked the better of those two options.
Bruce Baker is Vice President of operations at Tree
Frog, and he explained, “We did our first zip
line, and we loved it! So much, in fact, that we thought
it might be a good thing to do after retirement. Later,
as we got into it, we knew we didn’ want to wait
that long to start our own business.” Their business
partners, Jody and AnnaLee Christiansen, already had
a love for recreational tree climbing, so they decided
to explore this new adventure together.
The couple says the toughest part of finding the place
for their new venture was locating land that had not
been timbered. After looking at three sites, they finally
arrived at Mohican Wilderness Campground, and they knew
right away the 50 acre site was perfect for their needs.
The Tree Frog zip line was designed by Bonsai
Design, the same company who installed the
well-known zip line in Alaska. “Once you saw the
differences in the installation work, there was no question
who we wanted to work with on our project,” Bruce
stated, “but our wish to work with them also meant
moving our project along quickly to keep our place in
line.” The work was finished and the season started
late for the new operation on August 1, 2010. The fact
that four of their first nine days of operation were
sold out suggests that a lot of people were anxiously
waiting that opening day.
Tree Frog Canopy Tours feature some of Ohio’s
most outstanding zip lines, one reaching 1,095 feet
in length, and the tallest a towering 120 feet in height.
Bruce Baker says, “We used a different design
philosophy. We chose quality over quantity. The course
consists of only seven zips, but we designed them higher
and longer.”
The most important safety equipment at Tree Frog is
the crew of guides. The entire team is nationally trained,
and one of only two crews in the country to attain ACCT
certification. Most of the guides have a “real
job” in addition to being a zip line guide; a
chemist, educators and engineers make the staff varied
and interesting, but the same love of riding the zip
lines keeps each of them coming back.
Each customer starts with, and must graduate from, ground
school where they
learn the basics and are given safety instruction. The
course is designed for average or above mobility, so
it is necessary that the adventurer is able to
perform a “self rescue” which consists of
leaning back and pulling themselves to the platform
in the event the run doesn’t get them there. Weight
requirement is between 90 and 250 pounds.
Two guides work with a group of no more than eight,
strapping on and adjusting harnesses, then securing
each participant to the line. One guide is first across
the zip line to assure the “zippers” know
when to slow down. The second guide is the last across
the line to make sure everyone has crossed safely. Each
zip line adventure averages two and a half to three
hours in length.
Although the age range for Tree Frog is from ten years
to whatever age you happen to be, you might think that
only adventurous teens would be booking zip line excursions.
That kind of thinking would be wrong. Bruce smiles as
he tells the story of eight sisters who booked a trip
because it was on their “bucket list” of
things to do. The women ranged in age from 60 to 82,
and they had a wonderful time. Bruce says there have
been a few who have backed out at the last minute. “Usually
it’s right at the entry zip. They’ll take
a look at the first element, which is a 50-foot suspended
bridge, and just back out. It really doesn’t happen
often.”
What was the most memorable event during the
first season? Right at the top of the list
had to be the couple who became engaged while on the
line. The groom-to-be went across the line first, and
proposed to his girlfriend as she zipped to the platform.
Tree Frog Canopy Tours group looks forward to a successful
second season with the addition of helmet cams,
which means you have the opportunity to take your adventure
home with you to share with friends and family.
You can find Tree Frog Canopy Tours at 21899 Wally Road,
in Glenmont, Ohio,
just nine miles south of Loudonville.
Article used with permission from
Heart
of Ohio Magazine. |
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