mspurgeo@oucsace.cs.OHIOU.EDU (Mike Spurgeon) (12/13/90)
Bob Masters writes: >That would be the New River Gorge Bridge -- 876 feet high, closed down >once a year for parachuting and bunji-jumping. The day is usually the first Sunday in November............... The New River Gorge Bridge is 876 feet high. However, Bridge Day to the best of my recollection (7 years), has always been in October. The first several years it was the 2nd Saturday. For the last two years, and in the future it has been/will be the 3rd Saturday in October. There has been NO bunji jumping since 1984 or 1985. There is however, rapelling on one end of the bridge. Bridge Day is actually for the people of West Virginia to walk across a bridge that they have every right to be proud of. One side (2 lanes) of the divided four land is closed down for pedestrians from about 10AM till 4PM on Bridge Day. For several years now, the permitting of parachute jumps off the bridge on this day seems to be the big spectator draw. The number of jumpers leveled off at approx. 275 until this year when approx. 375 showed up. They are literally from all over the world. The number of jumps made was approx. 600+ from 10AM till 4PM. The last two years have been the exception. Last year jumping was cancelled (it is only 'legal' with the proper Park Service permit) because of high water. This year (1990) high water greatly slowed the jumping down. Only approx. 340 jumps were made in 1990. The number uf spectators (depending on who you listen to) has risen each year to 150,000/250,000. All in all an amazing & fun day for everyone. Oh yes. The bridge is the LONGEST, not the largest, steel arched bridge in the world. I believe it is also the 2nd highest in the U.S. The New River, despite it's name is (once again relying on my memory) the 2nd 'oldest' in the world (60,000,000 years). Check with Jean Boenish of the BASE Association for next year's info. Mike Spurgeon West Virginia Skydivers P.O. Box 1 Jackson County Airport Athens OH 45701 Millwood WV 25262 Internet: mspurgeo@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu ZZ