Welcome to the Whistler TreeTrek and Ziptrek Eco-Tour.
Hey, before we start...
What's that below?!
Tall 400 year old trees, a frigid glacier-fed rushing river, spiky rocks, cougars and bears, and berries.
I was offered a choice:
Death by 
ziplining or death by canopy tree walk.
Just kidding.
The eco-tour operator made me sign a release of liability form, just in case I were to misstep and hurt myself or die.
People filled out the forms like crazy.
So I signed my name Donna Barnett and boarded a yellow school bus to begin our TreeTrek journey up the windy cliff road, passing a ski course to be used in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and as we drove I thought, 
I'm scared of heights because I can feel off-balance, and what if I feel off balance on top of a tree, and what if I were to fall, and as I contemplated falling in worst
case scenarios, I recalled a mantra--Cancel, Cancel, Cancel-- and then we arrived.
We walked on tree tops.
We heard the sound of cables zipping. People screamed as if they were happy.
Daredevils zipped gallantly 
on steel lines, proving that Tarzan's spirit lived on on Whistler Mountain.
And tamely, I put one steady foot in front of the other and joined our team of young Janes and our
personal Tarzan, a graduate student of environmental studies who could've easily doubled as Tarzan the Hollywood star.
He called himself Rob.
He did not wear a loin cloth.
I imagined he could.
And we Tarzan and Janes slowly swayed on platforms above the canopy of trees, which we were assured were made to sway, and we took photos as if to say, yes I was here, aren't I brave?
Not really.
We were humbled to this fact every three to five minutes when someone zipped by.
Yes, we strolled, we posed, we observed Tarzan eco-trekkers harnessed in unattractive vests shot like balls from a canon, zipping along canyons, through trees, screaming while we smiled broadly, "Cheese!"
Zip! 
Where'd she go?
I couldn't help but notice Rob and other eco-tour guides
looked equipped for more than just talking trees and zipping on thin wires. Indeed, I learned that they're committed skiers and environmentalists.
Side note: I walked atop a high canopy of treetops on Whistler Mountain's ancient rainforest, secretly pleased not one member on our tour was extremely fat.
And now before I leave you, it's time for another photo opportunity.
Zip!
Truth be told, I'd not only walk amongst the trees again--next time I'd consider zipping around on a ziptrek tour too.
What's the point of growing older on the outside, if I can't overcome obstacles and grow on the inside?
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