Bootleg Canyon Flightlines
Ian Green of Bootleg Canyon Flightlines is trying to bring eco-tourism to Nevada by installing aerial trails that send guests flying down Red Mountain at 60 miles per hour. The crew gives a detailed history of the area while hiking up to the summit of Red Mountain providing views of Lake Mead, El Dorado and the Las Vegas Strip.
More Info
To book a tour with Bootleg Canyon Flightlines, call 293-6885 or visit bootlegcanyonflightlines.com. Cost is $149 per person. There is no age requirement, but riders must weigh between 75 and 250 pounds.
So this is what Superman feels like.
With wind rushing in their faces, the desert passing by and spectacular views, people are now able to enjoy Bootleg Canyon from a bird's-eye view.
It's a way no cyclist or hiker has done before — simply slip into a harness and connect to a series of four giant cables, or flightlines, that range in length from 1,150 to 2,546 feet. Think a zip line from "American Gladiators" only much, much longer.
The new attraction, called Bootleg Canyon Flightlines, opened last Friday.
"Everyone wants to fly," said Ian Green, a founder of GreenHeart Conservation Co., which built the flightlines. "There are few people that don't want that experience, but not everyone is comfortable with jumping out of a plane. These are engineered zip lines that are much more about flight. You learn how to travel through the air."
Riders are first taken on a test run — one that is smaller, slower and lower than those encountered in the canyon — where they learn to control their flight.
Initially, riders are encouraged to lie back and point their feet forward to build speed. Once the end approaches, they are instructed to sit up with arms and legs spread apart to slow down. The third and final position to learn is to hang on and brace before hitting the brakes.
"Before they go down, some people are shaking and don't know what to expect," said Scott Stemmer, an ex-Marine and flightline guide. "Then they go down that training line and every single reaction so far has been, 'That was awesome. Let's do it again.'"
After the test flight, the real tour begins. Guests are driven up a narrow, bumpy dirt road close to the top of Bootleg Canyon. From there, it's a 10-minute hike to the top, where they are presented with a panoramic view of Las Vegas, Boulder City and the surrounding mountains. Then it's off to the first flightline.
Before taking off, the sheer height and distance of the cable the riders are about to conquer can be intimidating. And after hopping off the launch platform, riders quickly hit speeds up to 50 mph with the mountains rising on either side.
Keep in mind, there is no windshield. The rush of wind hitting your face is like the blast one feels standing up in a convertible on the freeway.
The actual flight is fast but smooth, and no less a gut-wrenching experience than a standard roller coaster. It provides a thrill, but the true essence of the experience is the perspective that can be obtained nowhere else.
"There is tremendous beauty here. You realize that the higher up you are," said Gary Jenson, a Boulder City resident who got a chance to take a ride before the attraction officially opened. "You can see the canyon from so many different angles. And it accommodates all levels. I saw children go on this ride plus heavy people who you'd expect to have some trouble. But they did just fine."
At the end of each flight, brakes are mounted on the cables, followed by giant springs to ensure riders' safety and rule out a crash. Depending on how fast a rider is going, hitting the brakes carries an impact that ranges from soft to violent, but the guides advise the riders on how to maximize or minimize this, depending on preference. Heavy riders, however, naturally go faster.
After the initial flight, the second and third flightlines carry less of an incline and are slightly slower. The fourth and final flight is the shortest and fastest and is meant to bring the rider back to "Vegas time," Green said. It can reach speeds of up to 60 mph following a quick acceleration.
Green said he hopes the flightlines, or "aerial trails" as he also likes to call them, will attract outdoors enthusiasts as well as those looking for a rush.
"People are usually stuck in an office all week and it's so much fun to get outside and look at nature," said Danielle Stemmer, executive coordinator for the attraction. "There is a great opportunity to see all sorts of animals up here. But you get a great adrenaline rush as well."
Construction of Bootleg Canyon Flightlines began in February and took about five months at a cost of $2 million.
GreenHeart Conservation Co. signed a 30-year concession agreement with Boulder City. The attraction will generate revenue for the city as $10 from every paid rider will go to support Bootleg Canyon Park, Green said.
"There are ground trails and bike trails that are a good benefit but don't generate revenue," Green said. "That"s how we got into these aerial trails. They are very low-footprint and eco friendly. Then we realized we were in Vegas, so we decided to build something beyond. We wanted something that would get people off the Strip and say, 'Let's go to Bootleg Canyon and see what this is all about.'"
Those who don't enjoy the test flight can get a refund. Cost per rider for all four flights plus the test run is $149, and the tour lasts 2 1/2 hours.
Christopher Drexel is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-8929 or [email protected].
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