GULF SHORES, Ala. — I live in paradise with the awesome ever changing gulf for a backyard, but I saw it from a whole new vantage point when I hitched a ride on the Hummingbird Ziplines Gulf Adventure at the Gulf State Park. Glorious views paired with several adrenaline rushes made for a thrilling experience.

A southeast salty wind blew on my way to the center but the temperature was balmy. I made sure I wore the sensible clothing suggested with jeans, t-shirt, tennis shoes and pulled my hair into a pony tail so that nothing loose could get caught in the gear.

Ten fellow adventurers joined me at basic training to learn about our gear. There was a mix of excitement, hesitancy, and curiosity among us but our guides were well-prepared to train and keep us safe whether we were ten years old or sixty.

Guide Craig Bryan has worked in extreme sports his entire life as a certified skydiver, a pro-motorcross racer and on super-cross mountain bikes. Fellow guide Kyle Shepard worked as a canoe trip guide.

They outfitted us with a Deimos harness belay rated for 5,000 pounds. You stepped into a blue loop and red loop and pulled up, tightening the straps and adjusting the loops wrapped around your legs. Two straps with clips went under one arm and over your shoulder clipping at the front.

Top of the line and made in France, the trolley hung in front as well. Next we donned gloves and another piece of leather on our right hand which was to function as a brake when applied against the cable.

Kyle told us to hold the leather flat like a quesadilla against the cable or to cup it like a taco but to never grab the cable like a burrito because it would be no “bueno.”

These clever instructions provided a visual for us to remember our most important skill, how to stop. Helmets finished off the ensemble.

During the final part of training we walked to the first platform which was just a couple of steps up from ground level. Craig hooked the two safety lines onto the cable explaining that even if one failed the other would keep us connected. He hooked on the trolley and sailed off to the other end where we would each repeat the procedure and meet up with him.

If we couldn’t stop on our own the guides would apply an emergency stop to aide us. I made it through the basic training and headed to the first tower. But first I had to cross a bridge and climb the tower steps to reach the top where I would make my first launch.

The view at the top was amazing. Gulf waves pummeled the shores, the sun peeked from snowy white clouds, and Lake Shelby framed the rest of the view. Kyle bantered with us and we all got to know each other as we waited for our turn.

Soon I was hooking my trolley to the cable and stepping off the platform flying high with the wind whistling past my ears and watching for Craig to signal when to brake. That turned out to be more of a challenge because my first impulse was to try to want to grab the cable as I saw myself nearing the end. I landed safely thanks to Craig’s guidance. What a rush!

With seven towers and six ziplines, the highest part of the course stands at 90 feet off the ground. I zipped over treetops, sand dunes, and lake waters filled with all kinds of waterfowl like loons, mergansers, gannets and Herons. I had a great time laughing with the guides and fellow travelers.

Best of all, the last tower has two lines where you face off against another zipliner racing to the finish!