The eNRG team got an opportunity to make some new friends at Tree Climbing at Silver Falls a few weekends ago! After meeting briefly Leo, the owner, at the Oregon Governer’s Conference on Tourism last spring, we organized a team bonding trip exchange in the hopes of further connecting the guiding community here in the Willamette Valley.
Starting bright and early at 8:00 in the backcountry of Silver Falls State Park, the eNRG guides harnessed up and were given the basic instructions for using ascenders and a rappelling device by our new friends and fellow guides. After a few short practice climbs in a tree near the parking lot, it was time for the big one! We followed our climbing guides back into the forest until we came upon a massive old-growth Douglass Fir with a host of ropes hanging down from its lofty branches.
After introducing us to our tree and sharing some of the importance of old-growth trees and their place in the local ecosystem, we connected to our ropes and began to climb. As we all broke through the first layer of branches and into the upper portion of the tree, the views looking over the Willamette Valley were incredible. From only halfway up the view over the rest of the canopy expanded over the entire park, eventually rolling down and into the expanding farmland on the edges of the forest. As we each reached the top there were only smiles to be seen aside from the breathtaking views that our almost 200-foot vantage point provided.
It eventually came time to descend, where we were then assisted with transferring to our rappelling equipment and began the journey back from the sky.
Now that we had battled gravity up to the highest treetops and returned safely, it was time to refuel with some Costco pizza and switch over to letting the river do the work. We reconvened at our rafting shop in Mill City, and our river guides proceeded to outfit our tree-climbing friends with the proper river gear, while others stacked boats and readied the equipment. From there it was a quick shuttle up to Packsaddle Park, where we taught our new climbing friends the ropes, or should I say the boats, of how to safely raft and self-rescue in the water. After wrapping up the safety speech and handing out paddles, we shoved off and into our two hours of wonderful whitewater back down to Mill City. Finding as many waves as we could on the way down.
By the end of the day, we were all plenty worn out and all incredibly stoked! Not to mention grateful for the opportunity for a two-sport day here in our backyard.
Thanks so much to Leo and his team for joining us and making this day incredible!
To meet the Tree Climbing at Silver Falls crew, Check out their website here.
They are a wonderful group of outdoor enthusiasts and a true pleasure to enjoy defying gravity with.
