Just getting ready to head down to Takilma, Oregon for the 11th Annual World Treehouse Convention. The event begins at noon Friday, October 5th, 2007, and runs thru Sunday nite at Out 'N' About Resort, about an hour north of the California border.
As living in treehouses is a recreational way of life, lots of fun climbing happens in conjunction with this event. Setup & teardown of the rigging classroom trees happens the day before & the day after the conference schedule. The beginning and advanced session of the rigging course is designed to allow treehouse construction contractors to remain safely suspended when working aloft, to hoist & secure floor joists, beams and roof trusses.
A tree village of hammocks is hung high in the old growth trees above this remote Illinois River Valley horsecamp. Between classes and overnight, new friends explore the 185' tall canopy with innovative rope tools and a free spirit. These extracurricular activities are designed by the dynamics of the international group. Climbers converge from Japan, Australia, and Europe, and are eager to spend time aloft in a forest ecosystem unlike any found in their homeland. The Serpentine soil is of geoglogically recent vintage, which yields a large variety of 200 year old conifers: Sugar and Ponderosa Pines; Sitka Spruce; Incense Cedar; and Douglas Fir.
The climbing trees found during these informal hikes are selected for their entry access potential, juxtaposition of trees in a grove for traversing, and capacity for several climbers in trees that have a complex structure with a multiplicity of tie-in points. The trees with busted up tops are more angular and interesting to climb because they have lots of gaps in the canopy with unobstructed views.
A new connecting link to the 4 zipline, tree-to-tree aerial trail is under construction. Entry to the starting points is via rope & saddle. Last year we test drove a new 650' zipline that runs parallel to the
700 footer
that screams across the pasture. It now runs alongside, above, and to the left of the original zipline, so two riders can share their ride simultaneously. The new line will start in a tree uphill, and run down to the uppermost existing zipline in a Tarzan Traverse.
For more information, check out
treehouses.com
http://www.treehouses.com/treehouse/construction/conv0.html
