Today started later than others, since we didn't have to drive far and the zip lines didn't open until 9. Still, we had some trouble finding it, tucked away in the tiny village of Evarts, Kentucky as it is. Black Mountain Thunder is actually mainly an ATV/tricked out truck track system, hosting some truly crazy races based on what I have heard. The zip lines are a relatively new addition, being only two years old.
We hadn't made a reservation or anything, but the folks there were really nice and got things arranged for us as quick as they could. Only my dad and I were there for the lines then, so it was just our two guides and us. Which is awesome, no waiting, no lame people panicking and getting stuck halfway down the line, and a much better opportunity to just talk with our guides.
I have only gone on one zip line before in Costa Rica, and the set-up in Kentucky was the same as there, a harness, a helmet and leather padded gloves for your breaks, old school! Though in comparison, Black Mountain Thunder puts the lines we went on in Costa Rica to shame. At it's highest point, the line is 500 feet above the valley floor, and you achieve speeds up to 60 mph while hanging from a steel cable by nothing more than a pulley attached to your harness. Two miles of zip line in twelve runs, a great deal of fun. There are also cameras set up to take your pictures and they e-mail them to you later, set up by a fellow Canadian, but it costs extra and we were more concerned with having a good time than having proof of said time.
Definitely a thrilling ride, though not for the faint of heart. The high lines are not immune to wind and if you do not know how to control yourself on a zip line it can spin you around. But such is the nature of these things, and Black Mountain Thunder Zip Lines are awesome and have staff who are very competent and helpful. So if hanging from a cable and hurtling about through the trees is your thing (I know it is mine) then you would be hard pressed to find a more fun and extreme set of lines anywhere. Great attraction for the area, I highly recommend it.
After the lines we went for the long haul to Virginia and Kings Dominion. Taking the most insanley winding and banked roads I have ever ridden on out of Harlan County, we found ourselves in Virginia after not too long. Like usual, the GPS was tripping out and seemed to want to take us down I-85 south for several hours for no reason, before we turned around and went north. So, like before, we bought a map and navigated more by that, using the GPS just as a frame of reference. I wish I had some coverage in the States with my phone, having access to Google maps would be godly.
Virginia has some nice scenery too, the claustraphobic mountains and valleys of Kentucky eventually gave way to the larger and more spread out mountains of Virginia, and we spent a long time going up and down until we reached only 30 metres above sea level in our destination.
Warning, if you are visiting Kings Dominion, do not even entertain the thought of staying in Doswell. It is a one-horse town with crap all around. We wound up going to Ashland instead (only 11 km from the park) and after far too much effort, found an Econolodge to stay for the next two nights.
We've covered a ridiculous amount of ground over the past two days, and staying in one place for a day is going to be a welcome change. Looking forward to Kings Dominion tomorrow!
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