Sunday, 01 March 2009
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Cliff Jumping in Aspen, Colorado
by Molly
Standing at the top of a rocky cliff, looking down into the melted runoff water from the snowy mountaintops makes you think about just how brave you're willing to be. When you get out to Aspen, Colorado, the locals do not mess around with their adventures. They love living on the edge, in the outdoors, doing some pretty crazy things. The first time I took a trip out to the Devil's Punch Bowl during the summer time, I was a little nervous to see what would await me there.
The Devil's Punchbowl is basically a rocky ravine, where you can jump into a bowl-like formation that has cut its way into the ground. The water is freezing, and the drop is scary, but it has definitely been tested to be one of the safer drops you can make. The trip itself takes you up Independence Pass, where the space between you and the cars coming the other direction is minimal. The drop off on the side of the road is terrifying, and the only thing on the other side is the rocky overhang of the mountain. It is breathtaking to be there, but the drive is not something that I would be trying to do everyday!
The only way to tell that you have reached the Punch Bowl is that you see a couple of cars pulled over on the side of the road (not that there is any room to pull onto!). Once out of the car, we walked over to where you jump off, and looked down into the ravine. This is a local hotspot during the summer, and there are always people around to help you make your jump, but it doesn't make it any less scary!
So, you inch your way out onto the edge of the rocks, and try not to look down. I watched a couple of people go before I could get myself out onto the jumping area, which I thought might help.....but it didn't do anything for my confidence! I had friends below me yelling to that I would be fine and to just go, and friends next to me trying to calm me down a little. I decided to just go for it. 1,2,3.....JUMP!!
In seconds I was in the freezing cold, take your breath away from you water, with a huge adrenaline rush and a smile on my face! It was an amazing feeling for sure. I looked back up above me to see the tiny images of my friends' faces staring down. Looking back, it wasn't really that high up.....but it certainly felt like it was at the time!
Have you ever been cliff jumping? Where were you? What was your experience?
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About the Author
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- From: Molly
- About Me: Age: 23 Hometown: Colorado Favorite Places Traveled To: Peru, New Zealand, Greece, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Portugal and California!! Ideal Vacation: Around the world!! I'd love to take a trip from one end of the globe to the other and then back. That would be ideal. If not that, I want to go to Ghana, South Africa, Thailand, Japan, oh no.....this is turning into quite the trip!
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Comments (7)
i've been cliff jumping plenty of times.
i agree that it doesn't always look that high up, but when you're up there it definitely does! the first time i did it, i just closed my eyes and jumped. everyone said that took guts to do, because it's scarier when you can't see. i think it's really fun. once i did it and my bra [i was wearing a bra because i didn't have a swimsuit] flew up in front of a few guys. not the most fun, but definitely funny. :D
i suggest everyone do it! it's a great feeling.. such a rush.
That sounds like a lot of fun, but I think I would rather just dive into that water.
No thank you.
It's a rush no doubt. The weightlessness is awesome. But I no longer cliff jump. A childhood friend of mine got killed recently when he jumped off some cliffs not very far away from the ones you mentioned. He hit an outcropping under the water and then was drug underneath it by the powerful current and drowned. It was horrible.
I caution everyone who loves adrenalin to think twice before you jump! The ride down is awesome, but if you misjudge something, it could be your last. Cliff jumping at lakes where you go down to investigate the water before jumping are much safer than rivers and just as fun!
I cliff dive off the rock at Waimea Bay every time we go to Oahu for vacation, and it still scares the heck out of me! But it's such a rush that once I start I can't help but scramble back up top for more. I'm very aware of how dangerous it can be, and that's why I like jumping at Waimea - the water is so clear that you know exactly what to expect. Some of my friends went cliff diving at Kern River and I definitely wasn't too hot on that idea!
It really sucks when you land wrong though - for days afterward, you feel like you've been spanked!
That water is freezing! I am a mountain native and wouldn't go jumping there unless I remember my kayak gear. The pass is a place everyone should check out, Oh and Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park It goes from Grand Lake to Estes Park, CO. The highest continuous paved pass in the U.S.A
Aspen is a great place to go golfing in the summer. All the big resorts are empty because no snow means no skiing and you can get amazing deals on luxury accommodations all over the place. Good news is on some nights it can still get cold enough to justify cuddling up in front of the fireplace.