What do you do with over a mile of cable, a few trees and an entrepreneurial spirit? You build what’s called a zipline on the side of Purgatory Mountain outside Asheboro, NC.
Years ago, Buddy Hammer marveled as he watched on National Geographic as scientists used ziplines to study the Amazon Rainforest. That was almost twenty years ago.
That gave him an idea of what to do with the 50 acres surrounding his home.
Buddy waited for retirement and for his children to graduate from college. With plenty of free time, he decided to give that little pet project of his a try. Thus was born Richland Creek Zip Line.
I first met Buddy and his wife JoAnn a few years ago. Since that time, they’ve added new lines, (bringing the total to 15) and several sky walks. Their longest and fastest line runs 1400 feet long. But it’s probably not the most fun line.
That title belongs to what’s called the bouncy line.
As a rider crosses the creek bed below, one of the guides mans the end of the cable and literally puts all of his weight into pushing and pulling the line in every direction possible.
To say the rider is catapulted in every direction is an understatement.
It’s a jolting, scream-inducing thrill ride. And it’s the culmination of a two-hour fun-filled tour that will leave you wanting more.
