Zip lining is one of my favorite alternative outdoor activities. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, “zip lining” is the process of holding on to a pulley that rides along a steel cable, often suspended between two trees. Over the course of setting up around 15 ziplines, I have had some interesting experiences with the activity to say the least.

For some reason or another, about 5 years ago my dad and I were inspired to put a small, 100’ zipline in our back yard. We set it up between two trees, with a relatively flat expanse of land in in between. You climbed a ladder on the one tree, grabbed on to the trolley, and then zipped down to the other end. This worked great, so long as the rider put their feet down before they hit the tree on the lower side. Needless to say we learned a lesson on zipline setup after a few people smacked into the tree(no injuries thank goodness). The prime geography for a zipline has a drop off at the upper end, and a gradual upwards slope on the finish. This looks much like a Nike swoosh. The reason this geography is so good is because the steep drop off creates a fast and thrilling start, and the gradual slope on the finish gives the rider plenty of time to put their feet down and slow safely. Often, the best way to get this geography is to set up over a ravine or body of water.

Surprisingly, you really don’t need too much of a drop in elevation to get a fast ride. In fact, if you drop more than say 10’ for every 100’ run, then the ride will probably be too fast to be safe. I have had the privilege of testing ziplines that go too fast, and too slow (too flat). Neither are fun because you either end up hitting whatever is at the bottom end, or conversely getting stranded in the middle.

After finding good location, you must find good anchor points for the steel cable. We have experimented with many different anchor points, from trees, to trucks, to excavation equipment to wooden posts. The critical thing to consider when choosing an anchor point is the fact that it will have to stay put despite the fact that it will have a lot of force pulling on it. The cable itself is tensioned, and there is additional tension from the weight of the rider. I really don’t advise using trucks, since the attachment points are so low.  Heavy machinery is great because you can adjust the tension by driving it forward or backwards, and height can be adjusted by lifting the bucket up or down. Trees do a fine job as well (although hopefully they don’t move). One must consider the type of tree (pine is weak), the diameter, as well as the height of attachment. The higher the attachment point, the larger the diameter the tree needs to be (Because of torque). I would only use a tree less than one foot in diameter if you are tying onto the base

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Some people like s’mores, others like hot dogs, but my favorite food to make over a campfire is peach cobbler. Mr. Soifer taught me how to make it while I was on a scout camping trip. Mr. Soifer is truly stuck in the 60’s/70’s, with his scraggily pony tail, tie dye shirt and purple tinted glasses. While making the cobbler, he didn’t know exactly how much peach filling you need, or how long it needed to cook, he just “feels it”. Somehow, the cobbler turned out just perfect. So even though I’ve never seen a recipe (it’s not complicated), I’d like to share my cobbler making knowledge.

I make cobblers is what’s called a Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is basically a heavy cast iron pot with a heavy cast iron lid. Since they are made of iron, you aren’t supposed to wash them with soap and water. Instead, you just scrape it clean with a spoon or knife, wipe it down, and lather it with oil. Mr. Soifer said this method of “cleaning” makes the flavor better for the next time.

Two dutch ovens

The first thing you have to do is butter the oven. Basically take a half of a stick of butter in your hand and spread it around the inside of the oven. Complete coverage keeps the cobbler from sticking after it’s done. Next, in separate bowl, pour in the cake mix. Stir in about a half of a cup of oil, a cup of water, and two eggs. After that, pour most of a large can of peach pie filling into the Dutch oven, followed by the cake batter. Finally, dump the rest of the can of peaches, spreading it around on the top. Two or three small cans can substitute for a large one.

To cook your cobbler, you will need a strong wood fire with a substantial amount of coals, or alternatively charcoal briquettes. Put the lid on the oven, and place it on a small bed of hot coals. For uniform cooking, place even more coals on top. This can be done with a shovel, or two sticks used like chopsticks, or any other creative method you can think of. If you are making more than one batch, Dutch ovens can even be stacked to conserve coals, as seen in the picture.

Now the waiting game begins. Depending on the temperature of the coals, cooking time can vary from an hour to an hour and 45 minutes. To check if it’s done, just treat it like any other baked good and stick a fork or tooth pick in it, and make sure it comes out clean. The most difficult part of the whole process is resisting the temptation to check if it is done every five minutes. Although I am a high strung when it comes to cooking, Mr. Soifer’s slowed down vibes taught me to just chill and “feel” when it’s done instead of incessantly checking.

The final product is a fluffy peach infused cake, with runny peach filling on the bottom. It Is best served warm, and with a spoon to make sure you get plenty of the peaches on the bottom. And of course, if you happen to have some vanilla ice cream, that makes it even better.