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5 Tips to Make Your Bridge Day Better

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

No matter if you are a first-timer or a long-time veteran of Bridge Day, there are some things you just need to know (or reminded of) to make the day better. The more you know, the fewer surprises and the more time you can spend simply enjoying the day.

Bridge Day Reminder: No Backpacks, Thanks for Your Co-Operation

Take a Look at the Rules
Law enforcement officials work many hours to ensure you have a safe day on the Bridge. Their focus is your safety.

There are not many rules to follow, but it’s important to know them beforehand so there are no surprises.

Some rules are no-brainers: no weapons, no fireworks, no drugs or alcohol. Other rules, may not make as much sense, yet they are in place to ensure your safety.   No dogs. No backpacks. We can hear you groan, but all we ask is just come have fun, and leave your dog at home (perhaps wearing your backpack full of beer and fireworks).

Plan Your Parking and Shuttles
Unlike many other large events, Bridge Day parking is aplenty. There are parking lots on either side of the Bridge, and for just $2 per person you can ride the shuttle right to the entrance. Our Bridge Day parking map can help you plan your parking location. Yes, it is that easy.

Wear (the right) Shoes and Clothes
Hopefully, we don’t have to tell you they are required. They are. As interesting as we think nude Bridge Day might be, well, let’s just say the day is extreme enough already. It’s not so much about shoes and clothing being required as it is about choosing them wisely.

You will be walking. A lot. Wear something comfortable and sturdy as nothing puts a damper on a great day like sore feet (especially if it is your kid with sore feet).

Also, come prepared for a variety of weather. Check the forecast before heading out and dress in layers. Also be sure to bring along a jacket or sweater tied around your waist just in case the weather changes. Which it is apt to do.

Bring a Camera, You Never Know What You Might See

Bring a Camera
If we had a nickel for every time we heard someone say, “I wish I had brought my camera”, we’d have a gazillion nickels. Ok, maybe not a gazillion, we don’t even know what that is as a matter of fact, but we’d have a lot of nickels. A lot.

So, bring your camera. No matter if you are a pro or simply snapping photos with your camera phone Bridge Day is a photographers dream. With so many vivid colors, so much action taking place and folks walking around in giant, pink bunny-suits, there is a photo op everywhere you look.

Be sure to tag your photos with #bridgeday and share them on the Facebook Fan Page and our Flickr group.

What Goes Down Must Come Back Up
Fayette Station Road, runs from one side of the Gorge, to the river, and up the other side. It is closed to public motor vehicle traffic on Bridge Day, yet it is open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. You are free to walk down the road, beneath the Bridge, and enjoy a different perspective on the day’s activities.

Just remember, if you go down, you have to come back up. It is a 4 mile stretch on either side, and it’s not exactly flat, so be sure you are physically able to make the walk back.

If you aren’t sure, but would still like to venture below the Bridge, you may want to consider taking advantage of the Down Under Tours.

Stay tuned for more tips and information to make your Bridge Day great. We look forward to seeing you October 16th.

Do you have any tips to add?

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How To Raft Like A Pro (Even Though You’re A Beginner)

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Here’s secret: we do a lot of rafting around the New River Gorge Bridge.

Not shocked?  Okay, okay… it’s not a secret.  This is the whitewater rafting capitol of the universe.  Well, America.

Bridge Day in West Virginia

If you raft on the New River Gorge, you'll be as wet as this guy.

What I’m trying to establish is the fact that there’s a lot of know how here on the New River.  And this very post is all about how to act like you know what you’re doing on a white water rafting trip, even if you don’t.

Cool idea, huh?  Thing is, it’s not really the expense of a whitewater trip that’s important; it’s your time. Vacation time is more precious than just about anything, so it’s better to be prepared, right?  Just follow these simple steps:

1.  Know your reservationist.  Call her (almost always a “her”) several times.  Ask a ton of questions, everything from what should you wear to how long will you be gone.  Ask to talk to a guide.  Ask to talk to the owner.  If she gives you any grief about it, book your trip with another company.

2.  Request a guide.  Companies are a little hesitant to do this over the phone if you don’t know specifically the name of the guide you want.  But you can ask for a list of, say, the five guides with the most experience.  Experienced guides give better rides.  If you haven’t requested a guide before your trip, you should try to ride in the Trip Leader’s raft, usually the most experienced guide on the trip.

3.  Listen up.  Sit toward the front of the bus on your way to the river so you can hear the safety speech.  Pay attention.  Rafting is fun, but only if you’re prepared for anything to happen.  We can go ahead and be honest and say that, if you fall out in a rapid, you won’t remember much of the safety talk, but who knows?  The important parts might come racing back to you right when you need them.

4.  Choose the right section.  Here’s the golden rule to a rafting vacation:  Whoever has the most fun wins.  Not “whoever does the most dangerous thing in the world”.  Some sections are for kids, some aren’t.  Some water levels are good for the hard rapids, some aren’t.  Be honest about how adventurous you are when you make your reservation, and they’ll steer you right.

Bridge Day is one of the most popular days to go rafting in the universe.  Well, America.  You can check out all the action right from the water, which might be the best view of Bridge Day that anyone not wearing a harness or a parachute will ever get.

The big bridge is on the Gorge section, or as the rafters call it, the Lower New.  It’s pretty spectacular to see from a raft.  Book a raft trip (and use the techniques above) and see it for yourself.

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Bikes And Bridge Day- Secrets On Where To Ride

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Okay, this post is going to cover bikes (pedal) and bikes (motor).

Let’s start with some housekeeping.  The bridge is closed to bikes -every and and all kinds of bikes- during the event.  So don’t ride your bike up to the bridge expecting to cross it, because no.  You can’t do that.  Foot traffic only on the bridge.

classic motorcycle

Will you be riding one of these?

BUT that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring a bike.  You should.  There are tons of places to ride around the gorge, and a few places to ride on Bridge Day itself.

If you’re pedaling a bike, you can use the trail system on the Fayetteville side of the bridge to get around on the big day.  The best place to go is out to Long Point, which offers a spectacular view of the bridge, the gorge, and the jumpers and rappellers.  The first portion of the long point trail is an easy grade, making for some good mountain biking.  The last part is steep and technical, so you might consider locking your ride to a tree before the first rhododendron tunnel.  Plus there will be a lot of other folks out that way, so be careful of pedestrians.

You can also ride a bike down to the bottom of the gorge, but please, Please, PLEASE remember:  You have to ride back up.  You can also ride a bike to the bridge, as long as you plan not to cross.  Plenty of places to lock up.

Now, for hogs and road racers, there are some don’t-miss motorcycle rides around the New River Gorge.  The first is The Midland Trail, aka Scenic RT 60.  There are great winding stretches on both sides of RT 19, which leads you to the bridge.  Getting to Bridge Day a day early opens up the possibility of riding on the Fayette Station Road, which goes down to the New River right underneath the big bridge.  You’ll also get to cross the little bridge and get an up-close look at one of the biggest rapids in the gorge.

On the South (Fayetteville) side of the gorge, any of the roads that go down to the river will deliver some fine riding, especially the road along Duloup Creek that goes down into Thurmond, which is county road 25, aka the Thurmond McKendree Rd.  Make sure you stop at the train station on the other side of the river and check out the museum.

Other rides and maps are available, y’all.  If you’re a mountain biker, check out New River Bikes and Marathon Bike Shop, both in Fayetteville.  If you ride Harleys, friend up  New River Gorge Harley Davidson on Midland Trail.

See you out there!

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The Bridge Day West Virginia Blog Is Jumping

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Get it?  It’s a pun with the word “jumping”, because we… okay, never mind.  Sorry.

We’re getting the blog back together!  It’s long overdue, and there’s a lot to write about.  I’m not sure where we’ll put everything, but if I’ve learned anything from Bridge Day, it’s this:

Aw Yeah!

Aw Yeah!

Sometimes, you just gotta jump.

So here’s what you can expect to see on the blog…

  • Stories about funnel cake.
  • A lot of posts about why people BASE jump.
  • The view from the rope:  all about rappellers and the people that love them.
  • Da Bridge.  History, facts, stats, pics, and whatever else I can find.
  • How to make funnel cake.
  • Whitewater stuff and rock climbing stuff and mountain biking stuff.  Basically, the other events here in the gorge.
  • Lots of posts about the people that come to Bridge Day (that’s YOU!)
  • Directions, logistics, and seriously helpful info about the Bridge Day event.
  • Zen and the art of funnel cake.
  • West Virginia Vacation ideas, and believe me, there’s nooooooo shortage of stuff there.
  • Places in the park and exploring the New River Gorge National River Areas
  • Something about riding motorcycles around in the mountains of West Virginia.
  • Guest blog posts from around the world of Bridge Day.
  • Two words:  Funnel.  Cake.

So, in advance, thanks for stopping by.  You absolutely rock for coming to this blog, because, hey, that’s just how we roll.  It ought to be a really good time, so make sure you tell your friends.  Or not (completely understand if you just need to keep your Bridge Day addiction to yourself- baby steps).

So that’s where I’m coming from.  How about you?  This is your bridge day blog, so what would you like to see here?  Write a comment, and I guarantee you won’t be ignored :-)

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The New River Gorge Bridge’s Birthday

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

The year was 1977.  Star Wars had just opened in theaters.  People were buying their first Atari games.  The Space Shuttle had just made its first test flight.

The arch that made Fayette County famous

The arch that made Fayette County famous

And in Fayette County, West Virginia above the New River Gorge, engineering history was being made.  On October 22, 1977, the New River Gorge Bridge was dedicated and opened to the public.

It’s hard to imagine now the kind of change that was brought to the area with the opening of the bridge.  But it helps if you know what existed before.

The old new river gorge bridge is about 40 feet off the water.  It connects the Fayette Station Road (formerly the Gentry Road) which winds down one side of the gorge and back up the other.

It would take cars and trucks on average 45 minutes to get from one side of the gorge to the other in the switch-backed one lane road.  Longer with bad weather, heavy loads, or traffic.  If you were coming around one of the blind curves, and you heard a horn blowing on the other side- better hold on.

And what was that old drive replaced with?  An engineering marvel.

The bridge was (and still is, mostly) superlative in every way.  It was the longest arch bridge in the world at 3030 feet from end to end.  Second highest in the nation at 876 feet.  88 million pounds of concrete and U.S. Cor Ten steel.

And when you see it up close, or jump off of it, or rappel from it, or drive or walk across it, you can feel all the history and pride built into this magnificent achievement.

We celebrate it at Bridge Day every year, but the actual opening day happened 32 years ago today.

Happy Birthday, bridge :-)

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Bridge Day Weather Report – 9 A.M.

Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Hanging out in the breeze

Hanging out in the breeze

West Virginia is all about changing the game.

If you read the weather reports this week, the forecast was just short of a prediction for the next ice age.  Snow, blowing snow, wet spitting snow, snowy snow, and sideways rain dominated the headlines.

Forget that, and come on up.

The forecast now calls for partly cloudy (read: partly sunny) skies and highs in the low 40′s.

How’s that for keeping you on your toes?

Status:  We’re  jumping.  We’re rappelling.  We’re eating funnel cake.

Oh yeah… it’s on.

We’ll keep you updated all day.  Have a great one, y’all.

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Making B.A.S.E. Jumping Happen at Bridge Day

Friday, October 16th, 2009
Jason Bell (Top) Speaks at the Packed 2009 Jumper Meeting

Jason Bell speaks at the Packed 2009 Jumper Meeting

As the Bridge Day 2009 BASE Jumping Co-Organizer, Jason Bell (BASE #428) will devote more than 700 hours to the success of this once-a-year legal event.

Duties include staff member recruitment, jumper registration, exit point construction, attending monthly Bridge Day Commission meetings, photography/videography coordination, sponsorships, and countless other responsibilities.

With 450 BASE jumpers and 50+ staff members packed into a small six hour legal jumping window, safety and efficiency are critical.

Jason made his first BASE jump at Bridge Day 1993 and has 500+ BASE jumps in more than six countries. His company, Vertical Visions, helped organize Bridge Day 2002 and began organizing Bridge Day in 2003. Jason maintains a full-time day job as a mechanical engineer and enjoys skydiving, paragliding, electric vehicles, and working on his smart home located in Bridgeport, West Virginia.

Additional BASE Jumping Co-Organizers include Jason’s wife, Jennifer, and long-time friend William Bird who has attended Bridge Day since the early 1980′s.

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What’s The Best Thing About Bridge Day?

Friday, October 16th, 2009
Under this pack is somebody cool

Under this pack is somebody cool

Well, the bridge itself is a pretty strong contender.  At 3030 feet long and 876 feet high, it’s an engineering marvel that draws people from around the world.

So there’s that.

And there’s the scenery.  The New River Gorge in the fall is hard to top for pure scenic spectacle.  Not to mention when it’s the backdrop to BASE jumpers above and rappelers below.

Also, funnel cake.  ‘Nuff said.

All that stuff is great.  It’s part of what makes Bridge Day what it is.  We can call it the setting, the props.  Bridge Day is a stage.

That makes the best thing about Bridge Day pretty easy to pick out:  it’s you. The players.

You guys, with your lots and lots and lots of bumper stickers.  Y’all, with your pretty incredible sense of community.  All of you, with the skill and experience to do this, to make this all happen.

That stuff can’t be bought.  It has to be earned.  And that’s what everyone is coming to see.

And spectators, too.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and if 100,000 behold something beautiful, well, you have to figure they’re a part of the beauty, as well.

I mean, I had a blast meeting folks today.  Great attitudes, lots of excitement.  Everyone had a story to tell, everyone was smiling (shivering?  both?!)

So, what’s the best thing about Bridge Day?  It’s the people, plain and simple.

(The funnel cake is pretty damn good, though.)

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BASE Jumping: How It Began

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Either as an emergency life saving device or in the sport known as skydiving, generally when one thinks of parachuting it is in combination with airplanes. However, parachutes have been around long before airplanes first took to the skies.

Bridge Day B.A.S.E. Jumper - Photo: Melvin Grubb

Bridge Day B.A.S.E. Jumper - Photo: Melvin Grubb

The ancient Chinese of the 11th Century used small parachute-like devices to retard short falls during gymnastic demonstrations. In the 16th Century, crude parachutes were tested to allow the occupants of tall stone towers in medieval Europe a means of escaping fire.

When the hot air balloon was invented 1783 by the Montgolfier Brothers they also began testing parachutes in earnest. And that same year Sebastian Lenormand successfully jumped from a tall tower using a 14-foot diameter parachute.

Parachutes soon went from being made from heavy fabric held open by a rigid framework to foldable devices made of silk.

The best early documented use of parachutes to jump from stationary objects is in the year 1912. That year a New York steeplejack (a craftsman who makes repairs on tall towers) named Fredrick Rodman Law, jumped from the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and a Wall Street bank building!

Later, in 1942, a Milwaukee airplane mechanic parachuted from the rafters “inside” a large blimp hangar.  In the 1960s a European dentist made a jump from a cliff in the Italian Dolomites.   And in 1966 Mike Pelkey and Brian Schubert jumped from El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park.

In the mid-1970s jumps were made from the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado and from the World Trade Center Towers in New York.

The “sport” of modern BASE jumping officially began in 1978 when a California skydiver named Carl Boenish organized four jumpers who successfully jumped again in Yosemite National Park.  Carl proved these types of jumps, using modern gear and techniques, were not only repeatable, but well within the grasp of most experienced skydivers.

Carl Boenish also coined the acronym “BASE” which stands for Building, Antenna (tower), Span (bridge), and Earth (cliff). These are the four types of jumps BASE jumpers make.  And there are BASE jumping sites open to us all over the world.

And today, at Bridge Day 2009, what you are seeing is a sport being practiced by people from all walks of life. Ask ten jumpers why they BASE jump and you’ll get as many answers. But the one constant will be, “Because it’s fun!”

One of the first true extreme sports, modern BASE jumping is now a stand alone sport with its own guidelines, its own events, and a thriving equipment and training industry. The equipment used by BASE jumpers today has pushed parachute technology to ultra reliable levels.

And while “incidents” do occasionally occur, just like in any human endeavor, most can be traced back to user error.  So, while you may believe you are witness to the ultimate in craziness, what you are really seeing is the latest chapter in humankind’s age old and never ending dream of flight.

Special Guest Post By:

Nick DiGiovanni – BASE 194

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Bridge Day Weather Update- Friday Morning 10/16

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Morning, everyone!  One more day to go- hope everyone’s ready for Bridge Day 2009.

10 A.M. from the bridge, Friday 10/16

10 A.M. from the bridge, Friday 10/16

Got a weather report for you:  There’s been a lot of clearing up since this morning.

When I got to our Bridge Day HQ this A.M., I made a note in my notebook for this report.  Let’s call it “Accu-Porch” weather.  It was chilly and wet, some mist that threatened here and there to become drizzle.

We left for the bridge shortly after 9, and the gorge was socked in with fog.  The arc of the bridge was visible for at least a couple hundred feet from the north side.

As the rappel safety team briefed under the bridge, things started to clear up in the gorge.  The sky was still overcast (is still overcast).  But the wind, if there was any at all, was very mild.

It was chilly for the first half hour or so on the catwalk, but seemed to warm up after a while.

The weather report right now is reading 45 degrees F and drizzle.  There’s not any noticeable breeze, and really not any drizzle, at least right now.

If I was out in the weather (and I was), I would wear at least 2 warm layers and a waterproof shell.  A hat is a really, really good idea.  Gloves are a good call, too.

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