Offended and saddened by Bad Rock zipline

When I read about the zipline going in by the House of Mystery a while back, I envisioned a line across the street going down Columbia Mountain where you would get a nice view of the valley and river from a respectable and safe distance away from the highway and business already established there. I actually thought it sounded kind of cool.

Then I read Joe’s letter to the editor and decided I needed to have a look for myself. I enjoy going to the House of Mystery and go periodically just for fun and have since it opened. It is an awesome place that can’t be explained to me, and I have enjoyed it as a nice recreational addition to our valley these past many years.

What I found out about this proposed zipline is both appalling and offensive to me. It is going to go right next to the House of Mystery, and it does cut through, and I mean right through, a Native American Sacred Ritual space.

Here is a news flash folks: To some of us out here, that is exactly like mowing a path by cutting down the trees and scarring the land right through your church yard. How offended would you be if someone wanted to put a zipline through your church yard?

There it is, right in the middle of dream catchers, feathers and other sacred totems, the start of your new valley zipline. Well, that is not OK with this taxpayer.

Then there is the safety issue. Who was the insane person who said it was OK to run ziplines overhead of the mouth heading into a death trap canyon? Right where they want to do this, I can think of six people who have died there, and that is just off the top of my head. Who in their right mind thinks having ziplines as a distraction on a very dangerous highway is a good idea?

Then there is the House of Mystery, a business that has been established for years. As someone who has been there often, the idea of people screaming overhead while I am contemplating the unexplained wonder of nature makes me sad because that is not a compatible thing with what is going on at the House of Mystery, in my opinion, and I think it will adversely affect their business.

And how is it someone can lease public land right next to the river, put up a business with no public input, start cutting down trees and bulldozing trails? When we and our neighbors had to shore up our shared bridge to access our property, when high water was washing away our bridge on private property, we were told the only thing we could do to fix it was pile rocks under the bridge by hand, period. Couldn’t even weld two pieces of rebar to hold hog wire to backfill with gravel. Had to do it by hand because you can’t work next to a creek.

But this guy can put in towers on flat ground to make ziplines, cut down trees, bulldoze wetlands and install a septic next to the river on public land? What the hell?

And last but certainly not least, there is the boat launch there. That is our favorite place to put our little boats in the river and float down to Columbia Falls. It appears the zipline will take that away from us, and I am definitely not OK with that.

So if anyone else is offended by this, it is time to speak up before this all goes through. I am not opposed to ziplines. I think they look pretty cool. I am opposed to the way this is being pushed through and where they want to put it. I will be sending a copy of this to my representative, Sen. Dee Brown.

Gail McLean lives in Columbia Falls.