Gettin’ Seriously Scared, Just for Fun

When was the last time you were scared? As in heart pounding, blood pumping, palms sweating, brain spinning, deepbreathdeepbreathdeepbreath scared? It happened to me on a gorgeous summer day in Tahoe last weekend.

I was absolutely terrified.

And it felt fantastic.

My family and I embraced the fear factor when we showed up at the brand new TreeTop Adventure Park and Ropes Course at Granlibakken, just outside Tahoe City. The first aerial adventure park in California, this European inspired playground is comprised of a series of tree platforms – ranging from 15 to 50 feet in the air – that are connected by a series of increasingly mind-boggling bridges, ropes, and zip lines. Thanks to professional-quality harnesses and safety equipment, it’s completely safe. But when you’re 50 feet up, pedaling a bicycle across a tightrope, try telling that to your brain.

After three hours of climbing, scrambling, leaping, stretching, dangling, and holding-on-for-dear-life, I was pooped. Sure, my muscles were sore (although not as much as they would be 24 hours later), but I was more aware of another kind of fatigue kicking in. Since I’m not a fan of roller coasters, parachutes, or bungy jumps, it’s been a long, long time since my adrenaline had pumped so hard and for so long (although I do have under my belt a six-hour day of “canyoning” through a wild New Zealand gully, not to mention the indescribable effort and exhilaration of giving birth without drugs, twice).

As nerve-wracking as it was, however, I knew at the outset that I was up for the challenge. I out-scaled my husband and convinced my uncertain 10-year-old that yes, we could conquer the next level of obstacles. (I also unclipped and clipped my son’s harness at every platform, thereby risking and then saving his life repeatedly — at least, that’s how it felt.) By the end of it all, I felt like a super woman. Make that Super Woman. It’s true that I haven’t yet crossed the “wind chime” bridge or climbed the 30-foot ladder, but I plan to conquer both feats the next time we return. In the meantime, I’m going to sit back and enjoy the exhaustion, exhilaration, confidence, and pride instilled by a day of serious fear – and fun.