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Adventure Rope Gear is helping spread the word that Navitat is now open! The outdoor gear store keeps fans up-to-date on new ziplines and other outdoor adventures on their blog, where they recently posted to introduce Navitat.
Read their blog here:
http://adventureropegear.com/blog/?p=182
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We’re expecting Knoxville visitors any day now… Navitat garnered a write-up in the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Travel Briefs at the end of May. Only a two-hour drive east, Navitat’s canopy tour would be a great activity for those looking to escape Knoxville for a weekend.
Read the Travel Brief here:
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/30/travel-briefs/
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We’ve had a busy few weeks at Navitat!
The real fun finally began a few weekends ago when we hosted our “Friends and Family Sneak Preview Days.” We welcomed over 200 members of our community, family, friends, and members of the media to be some of the very first to experience Navitat. It was a blast! Since then, we’ve had two very busy weeks and even sold out this past sunny Sunday.
We’re proud to say that our anticipating and planning has paid off; everyone from the 10-year-old kids to an 83-year-old Chamber of Commerce volunteer have had a fantastic time and returned with rave reviews. It’s so much fun talking to guests just after they’ve come out of the trees. Smiles all around!!!
The total length of cable run throughout the whole property is just over 5700 feet, which translates into 10 individual zip lines spanning from 120 to over 1100 feet. During the adventure, participants are up to 200 feet above the ground and get a truly unique look at the forest and the Blue Ridge Mountains from our 16 tree platforms.
The entire tour lasts approximately three and a half hours, and is truly an awesome adventure. Beginning with a ride on a rough terrain vehicle to the safety orientation and instructional period until the final hike along Moody Creek to wind back down to the Welcome Center, the tour offers both the opportunity for serene self-reflection and adrenaline-pumping exhilaration.
During the design process, we always had participant comfort in mind, knowing that some visitors will need time to ramp up for the more adventurous aspects of the course. To that end, guests can expect shorter, closer to the ground zip lines that offer a chance to ease into the experience before the faster, longer ones come along. Throughout the second set of zip lines, our guests are amazed by the long-range views that some hadn’t expected to see. Flying above the valley cove is truly breathtaking.
Visitors also conquer two rappelling experiences, soak in the views from two sky bridges, and keep their heart rates up with three short walks between adventure areas. We’ve situated a water station in the center of the course where guests can take a quick breather.
Our canopy tour is an incredibly memorable experience that gives guests a chance to connect with nature on a level many people find hard to reach. Come NAVIgate our habiTAT in a new and exciting way; we can’t wait to share the thrills (and the views) with you! For tour information, follow this link!
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Construction of Navitat Canopy Adventures began during the 2009-2010 winter months. As luck would have it, Western North Carolina experienced one of our harshest winters in years; lots of snow, many bitterly cold days… and through it all, John Walker and the Bonsai Design crew were hard at work. Way to go, guys!
With all the beautiful spring weather we’re now experiencing, it’s hard to believe that it was just a few short months ago when John’s design left the drawing-board and began its life in the trees.
Over the next few posts, you’ll get an inside look at what it takes to build a world-class canopy tour. This is no small under-taking.
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As we’ve begun this adventure, we’re sometimes asked: “What makes Navitat different?” For those of us closest to this project, it seems obvious; it starts with intention… with heart. But it’s also so much more than that. Planning. Expertise. Inspiration. These all play a part.
When Ken Stamps went looking for the perfect home for Navitat Canopy Adventures, he searched more than 300 properties before finding Moody Cove. He found a site, unmatched by others in the industry, that truly inspires. He found a place that we can’t wait to share. And as an added bonus, it’s just 20 minutes north of Asheville.
John Walker, Navitat partner, and owner of and chief designer for Bonsai Design, Inc., created a canopy tour that he describes as “world-class” and “state-of-the-art.” In Moody Cove, he built a 100-percent tree-based work of art, and we all get to experience, enjoy, and share it. Lucky us!
Navitat is unique in that industry professionals make up the core of our management team, with extensive prior-experience on other Bonsai Design-built courses throughout the country. When you visit Navitat, you’re in great hands.
Industry-accredited experts train all of our Canopy Guides, and all Guides are required to participate in a continual training program throughout the duration of their employment. The word on the inside is that we’ve got something special going on at Navitat. Experienced guides from Alaska, Oregon and Colorado have relocated to begin this adventure with us. And, of course, a bunch of local folks are “learning the ropes” as we speak… Our team is second none, and we can’t wait to meet you!
So what’s Navitat really like? Join us during our 2010 season, and find out for yourself. We’re so excited to hear all you have to say!
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Ken Stamps is the man in charge. As the managing partner of Navitat, he’s the one that makes sure we’re staying true to our goals and vision. With his background as a Principal and Board of Directors member at one of the largest, most successful architectural/engineering firms in the US, as well as his work with large public recreation projects, including the internationally acclaimed Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, Ken is perfectly suited for this position. During his time with the firm, Ken founded and managed a division that provided real estate consulting services throughout the US.
In November of 2008, Ken left the firm for something a lot more fun. He approached John Walker with the idea of partnering to build and own a canopy tour. Ken and John agreed to become partners in creating Navitat Canopy Adventures at a breakfast meeting at Sunny Pointe Café in West Asheville. They both wanted to find a site in Asheville, and Ken worked with Buncombe and Henderson County officials to find just the right one. After analyzing over 300 properties, he chose Moody Cove, which was first brought to his attention by Ed Hicks, a local forestry consultant.
Ken’s vision was spot on. The Moody Cove site turned out to be just right for an intricate canopy adventure that coexists nicely with its environment. Ken, his partners, and family all got involved with turning the plans into a reality. And with Ken at the helm, you can bet that the Navitat story is just beginning.
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Navitat Canopy Adventure tours were originally developed in Costa Rica, where locals and tourists soared through endless rain forests and explored the country’s rich environment. It’s an amazing way to view nature and a transcendent experience for many of the adventurers who experience it.
The name of our company, Navitat, combines two important words: habitat and navigation. Both of those words are always on our minds, as they relate to our passion of sustaining our environment and navigating our adventure tours alongside it. From the instant you visit our new Welcome Center, which features many sustainable design features, you’ll see what we mean. It’s designed to recall traditional local barn architecture, and utilizes salvaged lumber from an old barn found on the property.
Our commitment to sustainability continued throughout the design of the entire course, which fits naturally into the environment. Running throughout forests, alongside burbling mountain streams and across peaceful valleys, the course was quite challenging to create. Bonsai Design Inc, one of leading canopy tour design companies in the world, was up to the challenge. It took Bonsai Design (founded by John Walker, who is also a partner in Navitat) one and a half months to design this awe-inspiring course, despite their previous experience with canopy tours in Alaska, California, Texas, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Georgia, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada.
The large site and complex design work involved in the Navitat Asheville course will result in incredible opportunities for adventure. When complete, Navitat will feature 10 zip lines, 6 sky bridges and at least one rappel. The sky bridges will be allow for fantastic views of the valley stream, and on several of the zips you’ll have views of the distant mountains as far away as 5 to 10 miles. On our 5th zip line, you’ll feel as if you’re flying across the valley like a bird!
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With a background that could qualify for a feature on the History Channel and the incredible natural beauty that the Asheville area is known for, Moody Cove is the perfect home for Navitat. We studied over 300 individual sites in Buncombe County and Henderson County before settling on Moody Cove, whose history includes Native American trails, a family split by the Civil War, panning for gold and even illegal moonshine arrests.
Navitat’s land is leased from Charles McDarris, whose family has owned the property for over 150 years. During the Civil War, the family living at Moody Cove was divided, with two sons fighting for the Union, and two sons fighting for the Confederacy. Their father, distraught over the absence of his sons, joined the Confederacy as a chaplain to try to be closer to them. Amazingly, all 5 survived the war and returned home. After the war, the property was divided and sold outside of the family. In the 1950’s, one of those buyers began producing illegal moonshine at Moody Cove, which resulted in local law enforcement attention and several arrests. Once the moonshine sills were shut down, Moody Cove returned to the calm, beautiful spot it had always been. At that time, McDarris’ father, a prominent district court judge in western Carolina, began to reassemble the property. Judge McDarris finally purchased the original tract of land in the 1970’s, putting all of Moody Cove back in his family’s hands and ensuring that it would never again be a home for illegal liquor production.
After falling in love with the property and our visions of zip line adventures that could be built, we came to an agreement with Charles McDarris to lease the land. Since then, the final occupant (a very ill-tempered horse) has moved to greener pastures and one of our founders has moved in. To oversee work on the zip lines, John Walker and his dog Fern have temporarily taken up residence in an Airstream trailer on-site. When we’re done, we’ll have 10 zip lines, 6 sky bridges, and at least one rappel course. We can’t wait to introduce our new visitors to the natural beauty of Moody Cove.
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Navitat Canopy Adventures building course just 20 minutes from Asheville
BARNARDSVILLE, N.C. – Imagine exploring a century-old forest from high among the treetops, watching a bird fly below as you traverse a sky-bridge, or gliding across a wide valley floor – all against the backdrop of western North Carolina’s beautiful mountains.
NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES is combining the exhilaration of a zip line tour with the educational experience of a Costa Rican rainforest-style canopy excursion to create a new outdoor adventure just 20 minutes north of downtown Asheville, N.C. Tours begin in mid-April.
“This is going to be an experience unlike anything you’ll find in this part of the country,” said Ken Stamps, Managing Partner of NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES. “It will be thrilling and enlightening, and will give our guests a new perspective on their natural surroundings and, hopefully, on themselves.”
Designed by Bonsai Design Inc., the leading canopy tour installer in the country, the course will be comprised of artfully constructed platforms nestled in the trees and connected by a series of sky-bridges, zip lines and rappels. Guests will be escorted at all times by experienced guides as they move through the course. The design is entirely tree-based and uses no poles or other structures to support the platforms and course features. Upon completion, the course will vary in height from 2 feet to more than 200 feet off the ground, and zip lines range from 50 feet to 1,100 feet in length.
The course is situated in Moody Cove, a 240-acre tract of forestland just north of Barnardsville. The site is home to forests of hardwoods — some more than 100 years old — native and rare plant species, streams and mountain wildlife.
“This course site is just awesome — its size and topography, the views it provides, and just how pristine and peaceful it is,” said John Walker, NAVITAT partner and president of Bonsai Design Inc. “We’re taking great care in designing all the course elements so that we’re not only highlighting the land’s natural beauty, but also protecting it.”
Environmental stewardship is one of NAVITAT’s core values. The company commissioned a complete inventory of the site’s natural resources and has established a management plan for non-native invasive plant species. Designers and builders are using sustainable practices and products in the construction of the course and Welcome Center, where guests can learn about the natural history of the area.
“From the moment they arrive, our guests can expect great service and a great adventure,” said Dylan Burt, Partner and General Manager of NAVITAT. “We’re excited to be introducing them to an amazing canopy-tour experience, whether they’re looking for that adrenaline rush or just wanting to take in nature in a whole new way.”
When fully operational, NAVITAT plans to employ approximately 30 staff members.
NAVITAT tours begin in mid-May, but you can make reservations now at www.navitat.com. Tours last approximately 3 ½ hours, including orientation and ground school where you learn proper zip line techniques. Cost is $85 per person for adults, and $75 per person for children ages 10-16.
NAVITAT Canopy Adventures is a member of the Association for Challenge Course Technologies (ACCT), which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The company adheres to and exceeds all ACCT standards for construction, operations and training.
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