I write a lot of posts about travel to distant locales – – last year I wrote 57 posts about 14,000 miles and 4 months’ travel through Canada and Alaska, for example. But every now and then, something “in our own back yard” pops up that’s worth putting up on the blog. This time, it was a day trip out to Mt. Hermon Redwood Adventures, a mere 20-mile drive from our front door. Here’s a nice shot taken from their web site, www.mounthermonadventures.com.

The site is situated among a large grove of redwood trees near the Scott’s Valley area (just north of Santa Cruz and 20 miles south of San Jose). Originally, there was a redwood “canopy tour”, which still exists today. Later, some adventurous tree-to-tree pathways were constructed, with appropriate safety lines of course. It proved so popular that additional levels of height and difficulty were added just this year.

This all seemed like a made-to-order outing for me and the grandkids, and Karin came along to help with the photography. Karin is a little skittish about heights though, so she stayed on the observation platforms while Opa (that’s me) chased after the nearly fearless kids.

First, proper safety gear and some basic training.

Then off to the trees, and a confounding maze of interconnected “pathways”. Each pathway connects between two tree platforms, with fool-proof safety lines to prevent falls. There are always two or three different ways to get to any given tree. There are simple suspension bridges – – –

– – – and lots more complex passages with planks and ropes.

Some are quite a bit trickier than they look.

And some are just as tricky as they look.

It’s important to note that this is a self-driven tour. Nobody tells you where to go or how fast to go there. This is a very cool philosophy, and it adds to both the fun and safety of the experience. Needless to say though, Opa kinda had to go where the kids went. Mostly.

Some of the pathways were not only Draconian, but also some of the most strenuous upper-body working-out I’ve had in a long time. This rope-net clamber was one of those.

In short, there were difficulty levels from simple to insane, all of them totally safe, but still a bit breath-catching.

Fact is, hanging by your arms, legs, and wits 80 feet above the forest floor is just a bit attention-getting, even if you’re equipped with nerves of steel. Which of course Opa is. Of course.

The course wraps up with a zipline run, followed by a leap-to-your-death vertical drop.

The cute thing about the vertical drop is that there is no resistance for the first 15 feet or so — it’s a free fall until the safety line starts slowing you down. Phew.

All in all, it was a fabulous afternoon, hugely enjoyed by all. There are so many different “runs” for adventurers of all skill and nerve levels, and it’s easy for the bystanders to safely and securely watch the goings-on, and take a few snapshots too.

It shows that it pays to explore your own neighborhood now and then.