Skydive the Ranch
I Believe I Can Fly...
...and for the right price, turns out, I can. This past year for my birthday, I decided do what any normal person would do and jump out of a plane. Nearly one year later I am happy to say that this was one of the most memorable experiences of my life (and not because of any near death experiences).
Skydive the Ranch is located in the town of Gardiner just outside of New Paltz and a short trip away from New York City. This location allows for plenty of space to run a business of this nature which is key as you definitely don't want to skimp on places to land when falling out of the sky.
The entire experience for me was enjoyable as I struggled to keep my nerves together. Starting with a very retro VHS video about the history of throwing your body out of a moving plane, followed by meeting your tandem partner and suiting up, it is clear that the folks here have been doing this for a very long time. When you drive up to this site you will even notice an array of tents that many of the instructors live in. The interesting thing about being a USPA (United States Parachute Association- come on, you knew that!) licensed instructor, is that you can travel regularly and find work around the world. After speaking with a few I learned that some were here after stints jumping in Hawaii, France, etc. Now that is a job I wish they had talked about in school.
After being paired up with my jumping buddy and suiting up, we walked out on the airstrip and towards a smaller plane that I had realized. One of the most interesting things to me was the other folks going up in my plane. Many of the men were upwards of 65 years old and were going up for their 5th plus jump of the day! After wrapping my head around the image of these guys jumping over and over all day, it brought me comfort knowing if they could do it, so could I.
Riding in the plane for what felt like 5 hours (it was 15 min), we reached our cruising altitude and it was time to pull the trigger. At this point, you've been told that it is unsafe to land the plane with people in it so you know that the only way home is to jump. Luckily, I felt so close to my tandem partner, I felt ready to take this on. I say "close" to my partner because I should point out that you are essentially sitting on his or her lap (a stranger) for 15 minutes while going up. Thankfully, my guy made jokes and did everything he could to make it as un-awkward as possible which I still thank him for.
When it was our time to go, we shuffled to the edge which feels exactly the way it looks in the movies- windblowing, loud, crazy. Before I could change my mind, we had thrust ourselves over the edge and we were in freefall. I am of the strong opinion that every person should experience this feeling at least once in their lives. It's a state where things are moving so fast you don't have time to worry or doubt or overthink life. I am sure there are plenty of mental health benefits I'm missing but you get it. When I felt the nudge to pull the chute, I did from my haze and alas, it worked! From this moment on until about 24hrs later, I could not stop smiling. Sure- part of it had to do with the fact that my chute worked but more of it was the pure rush you get from being able to soak in so much of your surroundings from a different view.
I've already expressed how beautiful I think this region is but to see it from 13,500ft up in the air is something different. I know there are plenty of options for someone who wants to try skydiving but I think there is something very special about this view and the good news is, you don't have to take my word for it- you can try it yourself. For those who like to stay grounded, there is a great area (food and beverages) where you can watch your loved ones plummet, I mean float, down. So- if this experience is on your bucket list, do it sooner rather than later! Who knows, you could love it and join the group of 65+ skydivers and jump with the best of them.
