Woman zip lines across the nation

Sue Austin is the unofficial expert of all things zip line related.

The 60-year-old Florida native has been zip lining her way across the country this summer, seeking out the fastest, highest and most obscure zip line adventures offered.

Austin made a stop at Whitefish Mountain Resort’s zip lines this month, marking her 86th tour since June. By the time she returns home to Florida this fall, Austin will have zipped across more than 500 lines on 100 different tours.

“Zip lines are absolutely awesome,” Austin said while on her tour across Big Mountain. “I love the speed and the views.”

Austin has zipped over the Colorado and Snake rivers, over snow in Alaska, and even through caves in Kentucky.

Her longest zip was in Indiana, of all places, on a 2,400-foot span. Her highest span was about 450 feet above ground, although she says anything over 300 feet feels really high up. The fastest she has gone is nearly 60 mph on a tour in Chelan, Wash.

While the thrill of flying on zip lines initially sparked her interest, it’s the friendly people and guides she has met along the way that keep her going.

“You never meet a depressed group on a zip line tour,” she said. “People that zip line are fun to be around and the guides have the best job in the world.”

She says at 60 years old, she is almost always one of the oldest on a tour.

“But zip lining is something everyone can do,” she said.

Austin was all smiles while riding the highest and fastest lines at Whitefish Mountain Resort. She even let out a few hoots on the Bad Rock and AdrenaLine spans as she took in the views toward Glacier National Park and Whitefish Lake.

She was impressed with the comfortable seat harnesses and beefy trolleys used at the resort, and noted that the compression springs at the landing platforms allow guests to hold more speed all the way through a span.

Austin has been documenting her adventures on her blog, www.zipliningacrosstheusa.blogspot.com, where there is a zip lining database. She eventually plans to write a book on her adventure.