By Nicole Cheslock
North Tahoe Adventures ·
When a friend invited me to the Treetop Adventure Park in Tahoe City, my interest was piqued, and I didn’t hesitate. Truckee resident Alice Meng was eager to go on an aerial hike before returning to the modern adventure park at Granlibakken with her 5-year-old daughter, Talia. And, I was a fortunate test subject.
The adult area includes five courses each culminating with a fabulously fun zip line. With the Smart Belay, a mechanical system that only allows one carabiner to be unhooked from the safety cable at a time, any fear of being disconnected vanished and the main challenge was trying to experience all the courses during the 2½-hour visit.
Organized by difficulty, similar to a ski resort (using green for beginner, blue for intermediate and black for most challenging), all of the courses offer an opportunity to put core muscle groups and balance to the test. It’s fun – and more exercise than I anticipated.
While we were going through the entry-level course, aptly titled Fuzzy Bunny, a fit looking woman in her 20s suggested we check out the most difficult course early on because it would be a workout. How hard could it be? Well, the rings got me.
Challenged by the need for strong abs and precise foot placement, I felt a sense of accomplishment – or perhaps it was relief – when I made it to the platform on the other side of more than a dozen rings suspended from a cable. Each step forward marked a goal accomplished and, a bit worn out, I slid my leg through one ring just to dangle for a brief break.
North Tahoe Adventures
One of the advanced courses, Windchimes, offers a variety of bridges and activities. As I stepped from the top of one rounded log to another, the long pieces of wood began to sway into one another making a wonderful sound. From there, we were off to a really fun segment that includes a snowboard hooked up to cables. It’s like taking a straight surf run in the air. After the first zip line, my hands relaxed, I understood that I really did not have to hold on and let my arms stretch out as I enjoyed the ride.
The most exciting and rewarding part of the experience was the peaceful atmosphere and opportunity to look around from 30 and more feet off the ground. The view is grand.
A couple of weeks later, Alice returned with Talia.
“Soon she was off and running on her own, with a new found friend on the green and blue courses, hanging upside down on the zip line,” shared Alice when asked how much Talia enjoyed the Flying Squirrel, a course set up just for children and parents, as well as cautious beginners.
Alice Meng
Little ones, as young as 5-years-old, experience the Flying Squirrel courses, which include a continuous belay system that is impossible to disconnect from while going through the course. Safety is built into the courses, which may make it easier for anyone scared of heights to challenge themselves or at the very least offer assurance that you’ll stay connected when climbing, sliding, swinging and stepping from one treetop platform to another.
Jesse Desens, who owns and operates the Tahoe Treetop Adventure Park and Squaw Valley Adventure Center, truly appreciates the immersive experience. He’s been in the business for 25 years since he started the climbing wall inside the Squaw Valley Tram Building. It was there that he saw the positive impact of maneuvering through holds and striving to reach the top of the indoor climbing wall.
“It was such a big accomplishment for some people,” shares Desens, and it led to his proposal to Squaw Valley to run an outdoor ropes course in 1998. The Squaw Valley course is more of an “old school” climbing experience with top roping anchor and a belayer below.
Desens evokes the adventurous spirit in each one of us by providing courses that may push you just a little bit while surrounded by magnificent towering Cedars under the bright blue Sierra sky.
North Tahoe Adventures
What is an aerial trek?
Desens opened the first Aerial Treetop Adventure Park in California three years ago after approaching the owners of Granlibakken about updating and upgrading a ropes course on the property that wasn’t getting much use.
“The industry has evolved over the last 15 to 20 years to include contemporary designs, called aerial treks or adventure parks, that offer self-guided tours where each participant can go at their own pace,” Desens says.
Aerial treks include bridges comprised of various elements such as rings, logs spaced apart, cables or ropes to walk along, and zip lines linking tree platforms.
For more information or to make a reservations, visit northtahoeadventures.com or call (530) 581-7563.
Alice Meng
Tahoe Treetop Adventure Park
725 Granlibakken Road |Tahoe City
Open daily to Sept. 1 hourly from 9 a.m.-5 p.m
$50 ages 13+ | $40 ages 5 to 12
Squaw Valley Adventure Center
Beginner and intermediate aerial trekking circuits and vertical climbing elements.
Open daily from mid-June to Sept. 2 hourly from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
$35 per person
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