LOLO — Yearly, up Highway 12, is one of the Lolo area's most unique annual festivals. Hint: it doesn't take place on the ground.
"You're sort of nervous and terrified of being up exposed, and you just have to take a step back, take a deep breath, just clear your mind and take one step after the other," Lolo Montana Highline Gathering founder Griffin Gilbert said.
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Around 8 years ago, Gilbert wanted to build a slackline and highline community near Missoula. They met in local parks to practice skills and then made the move to Lolo.
"A few of my buddies and I got together, started establishing this area, putting bolts in and putting the new lines up," Gilbert told MTN.
Each fall, Gilbert organizes a 5-day gathering with a variety of lines for people to try.
"Some of these lines, they're 250 meters long," Gilbert said. "[For] those, we're flying a drone with a fishing line attached to it. You then reel in fishing line to paracord, paracord to a thicker tagline, like 5mm tagline, and then that rope to the webbing. So, it's just a series of bigger and bigger ropes that you pull across," he continued.
This year’s festivities brought people together from many states, including Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, and beyond.
Alina Hollis stopped by with her partner Jake on the way home from working in Whitefish.
"It's just a good way to meet people, be around community. You’re surrounded by people that have like-minded interests and want to be doing what you're doing," Hollis explained.
Hollis says walking through the sky helps her practice presence.
"Try hard and to forget about everything else in life for a short amount of time. The only thing I can think about is breathing and walking. And if I don't think about that, then I'm falling," Hollis said.
Lines will be up through Oct. 11, weather permitting.
For more information, click here.
