Today we’d like to introduce you to Micah Henderson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been working in the Challenge Course, Aerial Adventure and Zip Line industry since 1998 as a trainer, inspector, designer, builder and business consultant. I was working with the previous owners of Zip Lost Pines in 2023 as they were on the path to selling the company. It became an opportunity for me and my business partner Rae Kish to purchase in 2025. We got an SBA loan for the purchase and the improvements and closed on the purchase on May 28, 2025. We had a ribbon cutting event on June 13th, 2025 with the Bastrop Chamber and it was a huge success. We have been open 5 days a week since that time. We had to purchase all new equipment and get every brake system shipped away for recertification right away as well as start a new marketing campaign to re-introduce the business to the public. We currently have enough interest to employ 5 full time staff and be open 5 days a week. We hope to be open year round at that level and increase to 8 full time staff within the next year. Our busiest season is from Spring Break through Summer, but we are working to expand our weekday offerings to include a STEM field trip program to area schools. We are currently seeking schools to partner with as we work out the flow of the program and determine the number of students and amount of time that is ideal. We are also growing our corporate group event offerings during the weekdays as a team bonding option with team building ground activities available as well. We just hosted a group of 65 employees attending a conference at a nearby hotel this week over 2 afternoons. In an effort to draw more people to our park, we are planning to install a large scale non harnessed netted play area for all ages within this next year. Hopefully this will allow families to come zip line while those to small or nervous can have a place to play outside in an adventurous way as well. We also plan to offer professional trainings to help grow the next generation of professionals in the Outdoor Adventure industry. Our first training is scheduled for March of 2026 and will focus on the skills necessary to train new operators and facilitators in this industry. There is currently no credentialing program that exists for trainers, so we are going to create one and watch it grow and develop. I have two other businesses in this industry as well. One is business consulting and the other is called Adventure Careers where we offer professional mentorship as well as provide employment placement assistance to people pursuing a career in the Outdoor Adventure industry.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all! Most of what we purchased with this business was in disrepair or retiring due to age and condition. We were hoping to close on our loan in time for Spring Break in March, but the local bank we chose to do our SBA loan through has a board that voted against our loan at the 11th hour when we were ready for a closing date. We had to start over with a different bank which took 3 additional months and caused us to open in the heat of the summer months. Things were picking up well until schools went back in session. There was several weeks of almost no customers that helped us pivot back to our field trip and weekday group focus. We are still in progress with a beer and wine license as well as getting contracts in place to sell our tours through a large hotel and conference center that is close to our location. In all honestly, we may not feel like we are thriving until we make it to March of 2026 when bookings are inevitable over spring break. Without an SBA loan to help get us started and give us some start up cushion, we could not have made what we have done so far happen at all. At this point we are donating tickets to almost anyone that reaches out and working to meet all the business neighbors we can. Just getting our name back out there is our first priority.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Zip Lost Pines?
We are a zip line tour business that is located on LCRA property near the Lower Colorado River. We offer three types of tours to the public. The first is our full zip tour which includes 5 zip line rides with lengths between 550 ft to 1300 ft. Each zip line allows for two riders to zip side by side on separate cables and has an automatic braking system so the rider can focus on the view and the experience itself. Each tour includes up to 12 guests that travel with 3 guides during the tour. One guide works connects guests at the sending tower while the other two guides operate the braking systems and disconnect each guest. The tour group completes one zip before moving as a group to the next line. There are 2 spiral stairs that guests must climb to heights of around 45 ft, 3 suspension bridges and one small uphill hike with 3 switchbacks. Guests are able to complete the hikes and climbs at their own pace and there is cold water available at the end of each zip line where you can sit and rest while waiting for the rest of the group. The full zip tour can take up to 2.5 hours to complete depending on how many people have booked the tour. The second tour we offer is a half tour that includes 3 of the 5 lines. It is a lower price point and can be completed within an hour and a half. The last offering is our Sunset/Night tour on Friday and Saturday nights. This tour includes 4 of the 5 lines and begins at sunset. By the last line, it is typically dark outside and each guest is wearing lighted sashes and a headlamp to help them navigate the hikes. The temps are typically much cooler and the night sky and night sounds are unforgettable. We do have a 6th zip line that is about 150ft in length that is near our basecamp building. We call this one the little zipper and there is no minimum weight to ride it. We book this zip line by the hour and like to have at least 4 zippers to open it. Riders on the little zipper need to be able to walk up about 15 stairs and be brave enough to zip. We do not force anyone to ride that does not want to. Typically, kiddos ride this line over and over during that hour and have a blast. It is perfect for birthday parties and can accomodate the smallest kids and adults up to 250 lbs. We offer a photo package for every tour type where our guides take photos and videos of you on the course and while zipping. We capture the memories for you so you can enjoy the experience.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
We define success by how our guests feel when they leave. We want them to feel like the accomplished something adventurous and like they are now a part of the zip line industry. We want them to seek out different zip lines on their future travels and have the confidence to explore the outdoors in a new ways.
We also define success by being a sustainable business. We need the business to fund itself and allow us to pay off our SBA loan as quickly as possible. We hope to provide stable employment to people on a career path while connecting interested employees to other business opportunities for career growth and travel. We want to be more than a seasonal business and help the public see that working in a fun outdoor job is actually a career with good pay and growth opportunity.
Pricing:
- $115 per person – full zip tour
- $79 per person – half zip tour
- $89 per person – sunset/night tour
- $150 per hour for a minimum of 4 zippers and $15 per additional zipper – Little Zipper
- $25 photo package
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ziplostpines.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziplostpines/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZipLostPines/
Image Credits
Zip Lost Pines
