Have you ever heard of Bridge Day???

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countryroads
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Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:38 am
Name: Marty
Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA
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Have you ever heard of Bridge Day???

Post by countryroads »

Now that it is September, Bridge Day is just around the corner!

West Virginia USA closes down the New River Gorge Bridge on the 3rd Saturday in October. What would you do with a bridge that is 876 feet above a whitewater rafting river? You would jump off of it!

B.A.S.E. jumpers from all over the World converge on this area every October just to jump off the Bridge, freefall for 400 feet, open their chutes, and glide to their supposed landing spot. If they land on the X which is on a small beach, they gather up their silk chute and hike to the top of the Bridge to jump off again. If they land in the water, that was their last jump of the day.

I have whitewater rafted on Bridge Day many times. I have lots of pictures of the jumpers, but my pictures are all on film. Sorry! One year, one of the jumpers landed in a tree on the beach. Several groups of rafters gave up their rafts, turned them upside down, stacked them on top of each other and made a crash pad for the jumper stuck in the tree.

The 1st picture is being taken from the old New River Gorge bridge. Look at the rapid down stream. Before you get to the rapid and to your left is what looks like a small beach. This is where the jumpers are trying to land.

The 2nd picture shows how it is decked out for Bridge Day. Look at the center of the Bridge and you will see a platform. This is where the jumpers are jumping from. Also look left of center below the Bridge and you will see 5 to 10 rappelling lines. At the same time that people are jumping off of the Bridge, people are also rappelling down from it.

Werner, Reinhart and you are so good at adding new landscapes. I thought you might enjoy adding the New River Gorge Bridge.

I hope you have enjoyed my description of Bridge Day.

Marty
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Mallorca
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Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:59 am
Name: Werner Heidotting
Location: Son Servera, Mallorca, Spain
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Re: Have you ever heard of Bridge Day???

Post by Mallorca »

Hi Marty,

it looks very impressive :!: I never get the idea to jump down from this bridge!!!
It was a great pleasure for me to make this landscape for you ... it looks so easy ... but, there are so many details in this pic 8-)
The result is one of my best landscapes I think :D

Best greetings to you
Werner
FvE
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Name: Fred
Location: Leiden, Netherlands
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Re: Have you ever heard of Bridge Day???

Post by FvE »

@Marty,

Very impressive indeed, bur far beyond my dare.......!

@Werner,

You did a fine job once again.
Must have taken you quitte some time!

Fred
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countryroads
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Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 3:38 am
Name: Marty
Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA
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Re: Have you ever heard of Bridge Day???

Post by countryroads »

Hi Werner,

Thank you for the excellent landscape of the New River Gorge Bridge. It is much appreciated.

Hi Fred,

Did either of the two of you look at the videos on Youtube of BASE jumpers jumping off of the Bridge?

Bridge Day is West Virginia USA's Super Bowl. It is also the last weekend of rafting season. Basically the very last weekend of summer.

Thank you again, Werner.

Marty
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