The Bridge Day High Line: Zipping Into the Gorge
If you know about Bridge Day, you're probably familiar with the fact that over 400 brave souls don parachutes and leap off of said Bridge during that fall festival. There's even a pretty good chance you will know that another 300 or so harness up and rappel off its structure.
But there is also another activity that the general public can participate in during Bridge Day. Most people know very little about it. It's called a High Line and it really is practically a Bridge Day secret.
What is High Lining?
High Lining is basically a controlled zip line. It differs a bit in that a zip line typically uses steel cable and speed is strictly based on the angle of the line. The High Line off the Bridge uses 3 ropes and the speed is controlled with a belay set up.
The High Line starts on the Bridge catwalk and descends at a 45 degree angle to an anchor point on the ground on the side of the Gorge. The typical Bridge Day High Line is close to 700 feet, but in 2001 when Bridge Day was canceled, they strung a 2200 foot High Line across the Gorge as a tribute to the festival.
High Line History
The first Bridge Day High Line appeared in 1994 but wasn't repeated again until the 2001 Gorge crossing. It has been in place every year since then, 12 years and going strong. In total, 1,272 people have participated in the High Line over the years and there's never been one injury.
The High Line is configured so that riders can go do either a solo or tandem ride. A total of 177 people participated in the High Line during Bridge Day 2011. The slots available for riders become available in the spring and fill up fast.
Are you up for a High Line adventure?