Page 30 - Flathead Beacon // 5.13.15

30 | MAY 13, 2015 FLATHEADBEACON.COM
BUSINESS
Glacier Highline a Family Affair
West Glacier area’s first outdoor aerial adventure park scheduled to open in June
BY TRISTAN SCOTT
CORAM – When members of the Fisher family set their sights on a new challenge, they aim for the sky.
In that respect, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that their newest sky-high business venture in- volves 29 challenges, including swing- ing through the treetops and bounding across aerial obstacles on the family’s forested parcel of property near Glacier
National Park.
The Glacier Highline Aerial Adven-
ture Park in Coram is set to open June 1, when the public can enjoy a suite of high-flying activities of varying diffi- culty while suspended approximately 30 feet off the ground.
The elements include bridges, ca- ble walkways, cargo nets, ladders, Tar- zan rope swings, and more, with Gla- cier Park’s mountain-scape serving as a prominent backdrop.
“It’s a fun and challenging experi- ence with a variety of challenges, and we worked really hard so that the course is an actual outdoor experience and not just a manmade park or playground,” co- owner Keshia Fisher said.
Keshia, a Columbia Falls native, and her husband, Chris Fisher, a Coram na- tive, partnered with Chris’ parents to build the aerial adventure park on the family’s property.
Bob and Karen Fisher purchased the land four decades ago, built their family home there and raised three boys, all of them now married and raising families of their own.
For years the family had been in the vacation-rental business, capitalizing on the busy corridor that leads visitors
FROM LEFT: The Fisher family, Karen, Keshia, Chris and Joe. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
to the west entrance of Glacier Park. But with Bob and Karen approaching re- tirement, the Fishers began looking for a new business venture, with an eye to- ward something different while keeping their growing family rooted in Coram.
Indeed, the decision to start an aerial adventure park stemmed from the fam- ily’s roots in the area, and its desire to
invest in the future of Coram.
“We decided we wanted to do some-
thing that not everyone was doing, and we knew there was a need for more ac- tivities in the area,” Keshia said.
Equipped with a tenacious streak than runs deep in the family but with lit- tle experience in aerial adventure parks, the family hired a consultant from the
Seattle-based Aerial Designs and set to work engineering and constructing the course.
After breaking ground last August, the Fishers have been hosting tours for their large circle of family and friends all spring, and will open in earnest to the public June 1.
Along the way, they encountered
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www.blacktailmountain.com
mail to: PO Box 1090 Lakeside MT 59922
fax: 844-0987 office: 844-0999
www.blacktailmountain.com • 406.844.0999
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Pre-Season Pricing