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Above It All

A DynaMath editor goes on an adventure to learn how engineers build wild zipline courses

May / June 2017
By Maggie Mead
Courtesy of Maggie Mead

In a helmet and harness, DynaMath editor Maggie Mead zips over a safari park in Ohio.

Standing at the start of the Wild Zipline Safari in Cumberland, Ohio, I felt a little woozy. I was 7 meters (24 feet) above the ground. Thick cables stretched between tall platforms in the hills below me. I was about to hang from those cables and zoom down from platform to platform.

I wore a harness that clips to pulleys on each cable. I took a deep breath and stepped off the platform. WHOOSH! I sped down the cable and began my journey.

I was at the start of the Wild Zipline Safari in Cumberland, Ohio. And I felt a little woozy. I was 7 meters (24 feet) above the ground. Thick cables stretched between tall platforms. There were hills below me. I was about to hang from those cables. Then I would zoom down from platform to platform.

I wore a harness that clips to pulleys on each cable. I took a deep breath. Then I stepped off the platform. WHOOSH! I sped down the cable. I began my journey.

Zipline Adventure
A video about a Scholastic editor’s trip to a zipline course in Ohio.
Image Courtesy of Larry Gerstner

Zipline engineer Larry Gerstner

Many zipline courses give riders awesome views of nature. But here, it’s possible to soar over the head of a zebra! The course is located at the Wilds Conservation Center, a 10,000-acre habitat for rare species.

I traveled to the Wilds not just to zip. I wanted to learn how the course was made. I met zipline engineer Larry Gerstner. He designed the course and several others in southern Ohio. 

Gerstner starts by studying an area’s terrain. He measures the height and distance between trees and other landmarks.

That data helps Gerstner know where and how high to build the course’s platforms. He has to make sure each platform is lower than the one before it. If a cable doesn’t have a steep enough slope, a rider could get stuck.

Many zipline courses give riders awesome views of nature. But here, it's possible to soar over the head of a zebra! The course is located at the Wilds Conservation Center. This is a 10,000-acre habitat for rare species.

I traveled to the Wilds not just to zip. I wanted to learn how the course was made. I met zipline engineer Larry Gerstner. He designed the course. He also designed several other courses in southern Ohio.

Gerstner starts by studying an area's  terrain . He measures the height and distance between trees. He also measure the distance between other landmarks.

That  data  helps Gerstner know where and how high to build the course's platforms. He has to make sure each platform is lower than the one before it. If a cable doesn't have a steep enough slope, a rider could get stuck.

Image Courtesy of Maggie Mead

Our editor Maggie!

Gerstner adjusts the length and angle of a cable to manage the riders’ speed. He aims for riders to reach about 64 kilometers (40 miles) per hour—a speed that’s both exciting and safe.

My favorite zip stretched 216 meters (710 feet) over a large pond. On its banks, I spotted a rare species of deer native to China. We also saw wild horses, giraffes, and a takin—an animal that looks like a cross between a goat and an antelope.  

For Gerstner, who has designed 45 courses around the world, the best part of his job is watching zippers finish their first course. “I love seeing how excited they are about what they’ve accomplished,” he says.

Gerstner adjusts the length and angle of a cable to manage the riders' speed. He aims for riders to reach about 64 kilometers (40 miles) per hour. That's a speed that's both exciting and safe.

My favorite zip stretched 216 meters (710 feet) over a large pond. On its banks, I spotted a rare species of deer native to China. We also saw wild horses and giraffes. We also saw a takin. That animal that looks like a cross between a goat and an antelope. 

Gerstner has designed 45 courses around the world. He says the best part of his job is watching zippers finish their first course. "I love seeing how excited they are about what they've accomplished," he says.

Adding and Subtracting Decimals
A video lesson about adding and subtracting decimal numbers, using a number line as a visual way to show the operation.

Decimal Operations

Add decimal numbers to answer the questions below.

Decimal Operations

Add decimal numbers to answer the questions below.

At the Wilds, a visitor travels 51.8 meters past a group of wild horses. She then zips 82.3 meters past a watering hole. What is the total distance she’s traveled so far? 

At the Wilds, a visitor travels 51.8 meters past a group of wild horses. She then zips 82.3 meters past a watering hole. What is the total distance she’s traveled so far? 

Platform A is 8.3 meters high and Platform B is 5.5 meters high. Say those platforms are on flat ground. How much closer to the ground is a visitor after zipping from Platform A to Platform B?

Platform A is 8.3 meters high and Platform B is 5.5 meters high. Say those platforms are on flat ground. How much closer to the ground is a visitor after zipping from Platform A to Platform B?

Say platforms C and D are on flat ground. Platform C is 14.1 meters high and Platform D is 11.6 meters high. Which zipline has the larger drop: the one connecting Platform A to Platform B or the one connecting Platform C to Platform D?

Say platforms C and D are on flat ground. Platform C is 14.1 meters high and Platform D is 11.6 meters high. Which zipline has the larger drop: the one connecting Platform A to Platform B or the one connecting Platform C to Platform D?

After the first 4 zips, a group has traveled a total of 351.7 meters. If the total length of the zipline course is 1,000 meters, what is the remaining distance the group has to travel to finish the course?

After the first 4 zips, a group has traveled a total of 351.7 meters. If the total length of the zipline course is 1,000 meters, what is the remaining distance the group has to travel to finish the course?

Say the group’s next zip is 158.05 meters. At that point they’ll have done 5 zips and will be halfway through the course. How far has the group traveled at the course’s halfway point? 

Say the group’s next zip is 158.05 meters. At that point they’ll have done 5 zips and will be halfway through the course. How far has the group traveled at the course’s halfway point? 

Let’s say Gerstner is adding an additional zipline to the Wilds course to take visitors near a cheetah habitat. He’s replacing a 152.47-meter zipline with two ziplines measuring 122.5 meters and 124.82 meters long. How much longer would this new segment be compared with the old one? 

Let’s say Gerstner is adding an additional zipline to the Wilds course to take visitors near a cheetah habitat. He’s replacing a 152.47-meter zipline with two ziplines measuring 122.5 meters and 124.82 meters long. How much longer would this new segment be compared with the old one? 

Number & Operations
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