Cables and planks stretched between trees give people on Big Mountain a Bird's-eye view

Awesome.

Of all the adjectives circulating through the group, "awesome" was the most common.

But then, when you are standing 80 feet above the forest floor and enjoying grand views of the Flathead Valley, not many other words will capture the moment.

"Awesome" works just fine in this case.

Whitefish Mountain Resort's Walk in the Tree Tops has quickly grown into a summertime hit since its beginnings in 2002. Now, the tour is booked twice a day, seven days per week.

Last week, our group of 14 included visitors from six states.

The walk, which is much more than a stroll through the branches, begins at the bottom of Chair One on Big Mountain.

Tour guides Jason and Abby Forrest, a husband-and-wife team from North Carolina, do a quick meet-and-greet while explaining the order of events.

Using a pickup truck and a trailer with seats, Jason Forrest shuttled the group about a mile and a half to the east to a different staging area.

Visitors used to ride bicycles along the road, but a short, steep hill at the end elicited enough complaints to make the switch from pedal power to truck power.

Once at the trail head, we clambered into a large tent. The Forrests gave instructions on how to properly wear harnesses.

They also outfitted everyone with our "lobster claws," a section of rope with metal clasps on the end.

The ropes attach to overhead cables during the elevated walk, and we practiced hooking on to the lines on a mock course in the tent.

Standing outside the tent, Jason Forrest quickly quizzed us on how the lush meadow uphill could have been created.

Fire? Avalanche? Wind event?

All good guesses, but in this case, all wrong, too. (Hint: At a ski resort, chances are the meadows are actually ski runs.)

Our staging area once served as the bottom of the Doug and Rollie Smith Memorial Downhill race.

Although it is the main event, the Walk in the Tree Tops is actually just one part of the tour. Equipped with harnesses and lobster claws - and well-covered in bug repellent - we set off on a gently rolling trail.

Forrest, whose love for all things outdoors is evident, stopped frequently during the half-mile hike to point out a cornucopia of plant life. Beargrass and wildflowers were blooming at every turn, and we spotted paintbrush, Indian paint conk, wolf lichen, ash trees, alders, larch and cottonwoods. Some of us also kept our eyes open for wild strawberries, but the vigil was in vain.

We missed out on the wild berries, but Forrest predicted a bumper crop of huckleberries.

The enthusiastic guides kept us moving and entertained while we made our way to the start of the treetop walk.

Two by two we clipped on to the cables and stepped out. Visitors are paired up as an added safety precaution. The lobster claws were color coded, and as each person calls out, "Green on! Yellow on!" the person behind confirms that the lines are correctly attached.

Although the spans were thin - just 16 inches across - everything looked stable enough. Cables capable of easily holding 5,000 pounds are strung in myriad patterns. They also make up a reliable handrail if anyone gets too wobbly.

The spans were strong, but they definitely sway under the force of unsteady footsteps.

The walk consists of 13 spans covering a distance of 750 feet. At the highest points, visitors look down over their shoes to see the ground 80 feet below.

It feels higher.

Homemade placards along the way point out various features of the canopy. The highlights, though, are two large platforms that offer an unfettered view of the valley. The vantage point is truly remarkable.

Only birds and squirrels get to see the forest like this.

Once the walk ends, the half-mile trip back to the shuttle is less structured and more conversational. There was unanimous praise for the experience.

"I got my pennies worth," Sunset Regall said. "Every penny!"

Others used words like breathtaking, beautiful, fun and amazing.

And, of course, awesome.

Reporter Michael Richeson may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at mricheson@dailyinterlake.com