Hawaii’s
Back yard
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Zipline tours keep
an eye on the ainaDuring a visit to Costa Rica in the fall of 2001, Buck Boren and his son, Danny, came upon an activity they thought would really fly in Hawaii.
Hiking the hills in Monteverde, the longtime Maui residents were intrigued by 10 ziplines that a tour company had set up in the heart of a lush cloud forest. Securely strapped in harnesses attached to sturdy cables strung between treetops, participants were able to glide through the scenic locale, enjoying its beauty without affecting it in any way.
It was an adventure the intrepid Borens couldn't resist.
"The thing that strikes me most about riding down a zipline is the total sense of freedom," says Danny Boren. "You fly down a cable that's thinner than your pinkie. You're out in the open air, and everywhere you look, you see spectacular scenery. It's akin to racing downhill on a bike, where gravity keeps pulling you faster and faster. It's a real rush!"
RON DALQUIST / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
Buck Boren zips along one of Skyline Eco-Adventure's four lines set up on the slopes of Haleakala. The company, based on 10 acres at Haleakala Ranch, is the first in the United States to offer zipline tours.
Convinced a similar tour could succeed on Maui, the Borens dived into research.
"My first concern was whether we could do it in a way that would be responsible to the people of Hawaii," notes Boren. "I know that sounds canned, but the truth is, until we figured out how the tour could benefit the local community, I wasn't interested in starting it.
"The island lifestyle that we love so much is a fragile balance of so many things," he said. "I want this island to be preserved for future generations to enjoy the way that I enjoyed it when I was growing up."
After several heartfelt discussions, Boren and his dad determined a zipline venture could be a good vehicle for educating the public about environmental matters and contributing to conservation groups. It also could provide a financial incentive for local landowners to keep their property undeveloped.
Recalls Boren, "That was when I wholeheartedly got behind the idea."
A year and a half later, in March 2003, Skyline Eco-Adventures welcomed its first customers. Based on 10 verdant acres at Haleakala Ranch on the slopes of Haleakala, it is the first company in the United States to offer zipline tours.
Environmental protection is one of Skyline's top priorities; its aim, according to its mission statement, is "to provide clients with a safe and exciting means for seeing and experiencing the natural wonder of the Hawaiian Islands, while always aiding in the preservation of the islands' land and culture."
Boren points out that many of Hawaii's endemic plants and animals are engaged in a tough battle against invasive species. He has joined the fight, pledging 10 percent of Skyline's profits to local ecological organizations. He also offers a free tour to anyone who volunteers for a total of four service outings for the Maui Cultural Land Trust's Project Malama in Honokowai Valley, the Auwahi Forest Restoration or The Nature Conservancy's Waikamoi Preserve (mix and match projects if you like; any combination counts). Boren himself has started a koa tree reforestation effort in a fenced area near the company's headquarters at Haleakala Ranch.
RON DALQUIST / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN
Buck Boren zips through the trees at speeds reaching 35 miles per hour.
THIS IS ALL serious stuff, but Skyline's 90-minute zipline adventure also is about fun. It begins with a half-mile hike through the woods at the cool 4,200-foot elevation of Haleakala. Your adrenaline starts pumping even before you're hooked to the 3/8-inch aircraft-grade stainless steel cables, which, amazingly, can hold 15,900 pounds or the equivalent of a semitruck.
Takeoffs and landings occur on wooden platforms, which have been erected to avoid erosion in the area.
Says Boren, "It would have been easier and cheaper for us to go directly off the ground, but in that case we would've wound up having an impact on the cliff edges, which, of course, we wanted to avoid. The platforms allow access while minimizing impact."
The tour provides participants not only with thrills but with valuable information about Hawaii's unique ecosystems. Guides explain the surrounding forest is primarily eucalyptus, an invasive species.
According to Boren, eucalyptus trees drink up to 80 gallons of water a day and blanket the ground with leaves, which doesn't allow water to soak into the soil. In contrast, native koa pull moisture from the clouds and passing fog. From their downward-pointed leaves, water drips into the ground where it is absorbed, replenishing aquifers, nourishing neighboring plants and creating sources of potable drinking water.
"We also talk about native birds and the introduced species that threaten them," says Boren. "We point out a few native plants such as the amau fern, aalii (a shrub), a type of maile (twining shrub), koa trees and a mamane tree, and describe their uses in ancient times. We are in an alien forest that has small areas where the native species are struggling to survive. We tell guests how we are working to bring them back."
Skyline's four ziplines are named after endangered Hawaiian birds. Line 1, called Alala (Hawaiian crow), is 125 feet long. Akohekohe (crested honeycreeper), Line 2, stretches 160 feet. Line 3, known as Poouli (black-faced honeycreeper), crosses 225 feet. The final line, Io (Hawaiian hawk), extends 300 feet.
Seated in a light but durable harness fastened to the cables, participants soar up to 70 feet above gulches, waterfalls, trees and vegetation at exhilarating speeds reaching 35 miles per hour.
Boren notes, "The fragile little pockets where the last native plants in the area are located are not adversely affected by our tours because we zip over them, leaving them completely untouched."
He dispels any notions that this is an activity only for the young and daring.
"A woman in her 80s did the tour during one of our first weeks in business," he says. "Following the tour, she told us that she was going to bring her granddaughter when she came to visit over spring break. A couple of weeks later, the woman was indeed on our tour again with both her daughter and her teenaged granddaughter. All three ladies were whooping and hollering as they zipped through the trees. That was really something to see -- three women with up to a 65-year variance in age, all just loving the adventure!"
By attracting a broad range of customers, Boren believes Skyline Eco-Adventures can make a difference.
"We can educate visitors who may not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about the challenges that face Hawaii's native plants and wildlife," he says. "I want to share the knowledge I have with others so that they become aware the way that I have. The more people who know and help out, the better off we all will be."
Skyline Eco-Adventures
Place: Meet at Skyline Eco-Adventures' headquarters in Upper Kula on the slopes of Haleakala. Take Highway 37 (Haleakala Highway) to Highway 377. Turn left on Highway 378 (Crater Road) and drive 2.5 miles. Look for Skyline's red-and-white building on the left.Tours: Offered daily at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before departure times.
Call: 808-878-8400
Cost: $69 per person, $59 if booked online. Kama'aina receive a 30 percent discount.
Notes: Participants must be at least 12, weigh between 80 and 300 pounds, and feel comfortable with heights. Wear closed shoes and long pants. A hike-only option, which goes on a path adjacent to the ziplines, is available for those 6 and older ($35 per person).
Web site: www.skylinehawaii.com
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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.
