eXploring Brown County
~by Laura Gleason
I
am standing on a wooden platform 65 feet above the ground, preparing for my third zip line ride of the night. My guide, Greg, assures me that everything is set for my flight, so I take a deep breath, sit back in my harness, reassuring myself it is secure, and raise my feet off the platform, releasing myself into space. I glide for 190 feet in the darkness toward a second platform, supported by the steel cable which I’m secured to. When I get to the other side, a second guide, Drew, congratulates me on my landing skills like I’ve just achieved something remarkable, and I must admit I feel proud of myself, and exhilarated from trying something that feels so adventurous, yet safe at the same time. This is a typical evening at work for Greg and Drew, employees at eXplore Brown County at Valley Branch Retreat, an outdoor adventure center tucked away in the woods east of Nashville. The retreat, owned by Gary and Patricia Bartels, includes 13 zip lines, including the longest, fastest, and highest ones in the state. In 1994, the Bartels inherited 500 acres of Brown County woods from family, and instead of carving it into a housing subdivision, they decided to take it on as a family project with their two sons and make it into an adventure retreat center. Valley Branch Retreat, as they called it, eventually included a lodge, mountain bike and ATV trails, and paintball facilities, along with cabins and an event hall. Eight years ago, Patricia and Gary visited Costa Rica, the original home of the zip line. Inspired, they began to imagine creating their own version back in Indiana—eXplore Brown County was born.
14 Our Brown County • Sept./Oct. 2012
from the air
Zip On
photo by Kyle Spears
Although there are no national requirements for zip line safety inspections, the Bartels have taken it upon themselves to get their setup accredited by the Association of Challenge Course Technology, an organization that sets industry safety standards. Their staff does daily