Thrill ride's views promise zippity ooh-aahs

The Catalina Mountains north of Tucson have long challenged outdoor adventurers with hiking, rock climbing and skiing.

Come November, thrill seekers will have another adrenaline-pumping option: ziplining.

A company called Arizona Zipline Adventures will offer “eco-zipline tours” on an interconnected course of five lines on a 20-acre parcel of private ranch land in the Catalinas south of Oracle. One of the lines will be 1,500 feet long and have “quite a drop” from top to bottom, says a company spokeswoman.

Ziplines, for the uninitiated, consist of pulleys suspended on a cable mounted on an incline. Users, harnessed to a pulley, literally zip down the line with the help of nothing more than guts and gravity.

Frightening?

“The perceived risk of ziplining is much higher than the actual risk,” said Emily Goff, one of four partners in the fledgling company.

And that perceived risk is part of the thrill.

“One of the biggest appeals of ziplining is that it pushes people out of their comfort zone to do something they don’t do every day,” said Goff, who grew up on the ranch where the course and accompanying conference facilities are nearing completion. “A zipline lets you gain the perspective of a bird — to view things from above.”

The new business — which will have facilities for conferences, corporate retreats and other events, but not overnight lodging — will cater to corporate, school and sports groups and will also be open to individuals seeking a zipline experience.

Sited about 6.8 miles from Oracle along an unpaved stretch of the Mount Lemmon Road, Arizona Zipline Adventures is expected to open in the first week of November.

ZIPPING INTO BUSINESS

Four partners — Goff; her father, rancher Charley Goff; Brandon Luthy; and David Thompson — launched the project about 18 months ago.

Their varying backgrounds, ranging from the construction industry and ranching to the design industry and corporate world, brought a mix of expertise and financing possibilities to the operation.

“Brandon Luthy is the one who came up with the idea and presented it to the rest of us,” Emily Goff said, “and we decided to get on board. Brandon has been kind of the visionary behind it.”

Thompson said he joined the partnership after being impressed with Luthy’s emphasis on safety standards and desire to create a business that would boost the area’s economy.

“We’re developing it to industry standards, and we’re going the extra mile to make sure that everything is extremely safe,” Thompson said.

He said the platforms at the top of the lines are in place, and work is being completed on getting all of the lines suspended in the air.

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The lines range from 300 feet to 1,500 feet in length. They will be suspended from 10 to 30 feet above the ground.

“There are five runs, and the last one is a dual line so that two people can go down side by side,” Thompson said.

Riders will be fitted with a harness and helmet for the zipline tour, which will take about 90 minutes for those who ride all five lines, Goff said. Short hiking trails will lead from each landing platform to the next takeoff platform.

“We will have guides to take you through the tour and educate you on flora and fauna and the history of the area,” Goff said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The project partners, all of whom live in the Oracle area or have family roots there, said they hope the new business will stimulate the area’s economy.

“We’re hoping to bring our area back to life,” Goff said. “We want to help grow the local economy, employ some local citizens and let people know how great it is out here.”

She said Zipline Adventures is expected to employ about 12 people. The partners declined to provide details on the overall budget and financing.

Thompson said that “it’s real important for us that it benefit the community — the stores, restaurants and guest ranches in the area.”

He said the new company plans to partner with area guest ranches to make it easy for corporate groups, clubs or individuals to arrange nearby lodging in conjunction with a zipline experience.

“We’re going to focus on corporate team building,” Thompson said. Meetings and other group events could be held in a large porch area of the building on the site, which has offices, a gift shop and dining area where deli-style food will be available. Group members will be encouraged to spend nights at one of several nearby guest ranches.

Tim Kanavel, economic development program manager for Pinal County, said the county is “in full support of this project. It was approved on a five-to-nothing vote by the board of supervisors.”

“Brandon (Luthy) and his crew up there are doing a great job,” Kanavel said. “We’re very proud of the project. It will be a boon to shops in the Oracle area and will help to develop more tourism.”

Adrian Darimont, who owns the 3C Ranch with his wife Kari, said the guest ranch near the Zipline Adventures site will “definitely benefit, no doubt about it.”

“The zipline will bring people into the area, and some of those people will need lodging,” Darimont said. “People who come from Phoenix might want to stay overnight at the ranch and maybe do a trail ride after doing the zipline.”

He said another business he owns, the Oracle Inn Steakhouse and Lounge, is also likely to benefit from increased tourism in the area.