A high-wire act that's hard to beat

Rochester Voice editor Harrison Thorp takes a deep breath as he lowers the handlebars on his first zipline advenure last month at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilfore. (Sara Thorp photo)

GILFORD - When you're flying down Gunstock Mountain Resort's "Recoil" zipline at 65 mph you experience 45 to 50 seconds of bliss, wonderment, blood-rushing adrenaline, supreme solitude and euphoria all at once.
It's just you, the sky above and the trees whizzing by you 140 feet below.
It's not like a roller-coaster where everyone's screaming as they plunge down that first descent.
The only sound is the wind whistling by.
I went on my first zipline last month and was sorry I hadn't done it before when I had the chance.
The 3,981-foot "Recoil" portion of Gunstock's zipline attraction is just one of five segments you take, but it's the longest and the fastest.
Actually the first two ziplines you take are part of your training to enjoy this thrilling mountain adventure safely.
Before you get out on your first zip there's about a 20-minute training session that includes instructions on braking, correcting crosswinds and coming to a complete stop on the destination platform.

Rochester Voice editor Harrison Thorp getting ready to leave the platform to begin a speedy jaunt down the Recoil zipline (Sara Thorp photo)

After that you go down a very short zipline that gives you a feel for your safety harness followed by a slightly longer but gentle slope when you show instructors you can properly put on the brakes, which you do by raising your handlebars.
After that it's onto the four-seat Panorama Chairlift, which gets you to the summit in about 10 minutes.
After that it's all downhill.
First you get onto the Summit Zip, which travels 273 feet with a top speed of 25 mph, a vertical drop of 43 feet and about 20 feet off the ground.
Next you're onto the Recoil Zip, which is almost 4,000 feet long with a vertical drop of 688 feet, up to 140 feet off the ground and at a rio speed of around 65 mph.
Your final jog is the Pistol Zip, which is about 3,800 feet long with a maximum speed of 60 mph and vertical drop of 584 feet. The Pistol takes you over a small pond and

A map showing the various zipline segments you'll take during your zipline adventure (Courtesy Gunstock Mountain Resort)

parking lot near the base lodge at the foot of the mountain.

It should be noted you can use your brakes anytime if you want to slow down mid-flight. Guides at startoff points will also let you know what landmarks to look for when it's time to begin slowing down when nearing your arrival platform.

As for me, it may have been my first zipline experience, but I suspect it won't be my last.

To learn more about ziplining at Gunstock and watch a short video click here.