That will be my next goal then, to learn exactly where to jump off in order to get the balloon. Cut another 20 seconds off my time.

My hubby just did that, and found that going through the third opening down from the center of the red bridge takes you right to the balloon. Yay!

Cliff Jumping is one thing, but 'Cheats' are another. I see a 'Cheat' as something that doesn't appear to be part of the intended flow of the game. For instance, jumping off a cliff and being reincarnated in a different place is what I'd call a 'Cheat'. So far, I've experienced 4 different Cheats. I can only reproduce two of them consistantly...

THE LAKE TRAIL CHEAT
http://dabr.home.mindspring.com/img/LakeTrailCheat2a.JPG
This is the one that has been mentioned in other posts. If you go up the tunnel just under/behind the falls, keeping left, and turn around just after leaving the tunnel, there will be a cliff (down) on your left and a wall (up) on your right. This is the same as if you were decending from the lake/castle and were approaching the tunnel. In the graphic, I've indicated two red lines that form a very open "V". Aim straight at that "V" and jump off the cliff. Although you will lose any pet you are traveling with, you will reincarnate on the [paved] Loop Trail below, near the Ruins.

THE UPPER CLIFF CHEAT
http://dabr.home.mindspring.com/img/UpperCliffCheat2a.JPG
This one I haven't seen mentioned before. Honestly, I haven't found a really good use for it yet. It allows to to jump off the cliff directly in front of the Volcano Trail tunnel (that leads throught the cone of the Volcano and dead-ends in the "dry lake bed") and reincarnate on the East Mid-Cliff Green (the "S" shaped grassy area between the Upper Cliff Trail and the Lower Cliff Trail). The tree in the top graphic is the one directly in front of you after leaving the Volcano Trail tunnel. The trail in the top graphic is the Upper Cliff Trail, with the hotel/beach to the left and the [swaying] Wooden Bridge to the right. Circled in the second image are the two fence posts that are what you are looking for. Jump off the cliff just to the left of those posts and you will reincarnate below.

The following two I have include just for completeness. I've only been able to do them successfully about once in every 10 attempts (so why was he doing it so many times??? I don't know!)...

THE EAST UPLAND GREEN CHEAT
There are two tunnels that open onto the Falls Green (the grassy area at the base of the falls). One is the under/behind the falls itself (the Lake Trail tunnel) and the other is on a big pile of dirt/sand (the Upland Trail tunnel). There is a cliff above the mouth of the Upland Trail tunnel (actually the eastern edge of the Upland Green). I have been able top jump off that cliff (from the Upland Green above) and be reincarnated in the mouth of the tunnel. It's happened twice, but I have not discovered the secret to make is always happen.

THE SOUTH UPLAND GREEN CHEAT
The Upland Green is the large grassy area at the west end of the [swaying] Wooden Bridge and at the top of the Upland Trail tunnel (the one that leaves the Falls Green on the top of the big pile of dirt/sand). At the south end of the Upland Green are some rocks and an overlook that looks down towards the Town. This overlook is a point of rock with a rope fence on each side of it. If you get on the Upland Green side of the fence, there is a flat rocky area between the fence and the grass. That the west end of that rocky area forms a cliff directly above the opening of the western end of the tunnel/arch on the Lower Cliff Trail below. I've been able to jump off that cliff and reincarnate on the Green below (just in front of the nearby Cabins). Like I said, I haven't figured out how to control it, but it has happened.

NOTE: WEST is toward the lighthouse, EAST is toward the big beach, SOUTH is towards Town and NORTH is towards the Ruins.

AjaTao42, I use this "cheat" all the time but its disadvantage is that pets won't jump with you. I can get him to come halfway down but when the bike falls he leaves. I wonder if anyone has figured away to get him to ride to the bottom? These are the things that I think keep the game interesting and amental challenge as well as physical.

Since I don't believe these Cheats were intential, I doubt that we'll find a way. These Cliffs are programmed to be obsticles to work around, not just "different colored grass" [Aja nods to Cynique from whom he stole that delightful allusion].
On the other hand, E.T. did a major "cliff jump" when excaping the police while riding in the basket of a bicycle... but we don't have baskets.

That upper cliff cheat. I can picture the trail and the fence, but the cliff is down a bit, right? But I've just learned how to make a quick turn between the fence and the tree just below it to stay on fairly level ground heading for that ball on the lawn. If you don't make that turn quickly enough, you wind up having to climb back up a steep slope and it slows you down a lot. I have to slow down to make that turn correctly. I practiced it several times on my last "spare time" package.

The Upper Cliff Cheat will actually reincarnate you on that "lawn" (I call it the East Mid-Cliff Green) and pointing westward towards that balloon. I searched for a place to jump from that lawn (East Mid-Cliff Green) to the Lower Cliff trail (instead of turning around and going all the way back...), but no joy.

While so many other kids are out setting speed records, Aja is over there jumping [again, again and again] off cliffs!!

But you're not sitting in a chair being a couch potato

Actually you jump off to the right of these posts which are the last 2 in the line of posts going up the slope. I agree there doesn't seem to be any advantage here, I tried it many times and though there is a balloon on the lower slope, you lose your pet. Perhaps if you had lost your pet and missed going up the first slope after the steel bridge it would be shorter than turning around. Thanks for the new location though, I wonder how many others there are. I too often just find a location where I would like to jump but haven't found any others yet Leg muscles are getting though
Managed 18:32.05 this morning but 21 km is still a ways off. I'll keep trying though. Keep an eye out Methusalem

Forgot to ask. I have seen some images posted here in the post. How do you take the screen shot on the tv and how do you post it here?