The Roe Family Talk Zip Lining Adventures, Beautiful Sceneries, And Business At Oregon's Crater Lake ZipLine
The thrill of soaring 110 feet in the air, the green wetlands and river snaking below. The wind blowing past dangling feet, hair whipping. Speeding canopy to canopy, there's nothing quite like zip lining, the closest people can get to flying. And Crater Lake ZipLine, set amidst the Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, White Pine and Sugar Pine inside the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Klamath Falls, Oregon, is one of the most unique zip lining experiences in the country.
The zip lining course is made up of nine zip lines, which go from tree to tree. Unlike most zip lining courses in the states (that usually come back to the ground and require hiking to a different location), the course at Crater Lake ZipLine never leaves the trees. This was a very intentional choice by owners Jenifer Roe and her husband Darren when they opened last August.
The location – the national forest – was also a very intentional choice. According to Roe, they searched for months for the right location. The view from the canopy is what sold them. She explained: “When you get to the top of the mountain, the first view you see is of Mount McLoughlin, an amazing view of a mountain peak before you. You come out and look at the valley below and it's just beautiful. The entire time you're on the course you either have a view of the mountains or a view of the lake. There's just not a bad view in the place.”
Already the owners of Real Oregon Experience (ROE), the married couple is no stranger to adventure and thrill-seeking activities. Jenifer and Darren have been leading guided adventures for over 30 years.
After working for a bank when he was younger, Darren made the decision to run his own business and “he's never looked back,” said Roe. “When I met him he was just doing fishing and hunting. I've always been into travel, but I'd never done anything like this before.”
After meeting on a blind date, Darren found out Roe had never caught a fish before. Instead of heading straight to dinner, the two went fishing. She recalled: “I immediately had a fly catching lesson and learned to fly fish. I loved it. I love all of the outdoor adventures.”
ROE became a huge passion of Roe. But Jenifer, Darren and their two children are always looking for more excitement. They went on their first zip line trip in Belize five years ago and ever since they wanted to make their own.
“We loved it. We loved everything about it,” said Roe. “It was very fun. It was great because all four of us could do it together. There was no separation. Our boys were small at the time. We could still all do it as a family. That was fantastic. We felt it was something we could completely transfer to where we live.”
And the feedback has proved just that. Reviews have raved about the guides, the views, the excitement, the feeling of accomplishment. Groups of people taking the tour together have a sense of bonding while in the trees together, up in the longest canopy line on the west coast, at just over a quarter of a mile each. The community has shown their support and welcomed the zip lining with open arms.
“I just love zip lining,” said Roe. “I love the feeling of going fast. I love the freedom of being up there. It's so exhilarating. I love the view. But it's the people who truly make it come together for me. One time a 95 year old woman wanted to do this for her birthday. She was an amazing woman. She just took the bull by the horns and went full force. It was so amazing to watch her embrace life and have so much fun doing it.”
Soaring through the sky, 110 feet up in the air, up in the canopies of a national forest, Crater Lake ZipLine is a unique experience for all ages.
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
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