Hold Your Breath!!

It's funny how sometimes height bothers me .. like the Jeep on that narrow ridgeback, or the really high narrow freeway overpass.  Maybe because I was walking, the bridge didn't seem to bother me at all.  It's very stable and wide.  

I have to admit thought, it did make me very nervous to hang my camera out over the edge to take a picture.  The railing is about four feet high.  To take a picture looking down, I had a death grip on it, especially when I took this picture of the cantilever (?) section of train track being suspended out over the river at the narrowest point.  You'll see this later (and closer) after the train ride.

I have to admit, it's a  L  O  N  G  way down!!!  I caught myself holding my breath.

 

 

I'm standing in the middle of the bridge here.  My tip is to take the gondola across first, walk down the long steep hill to the bridge, then take the level bridge across the canyon.  Otherwise you will be out of breath in the first twenty steps going UP the steep hill to ride the gondola back.

 

 

 

Along the bridge are signs denoting fantastic happenings ... like bungi jumping.  They don't tell you about the guy who tried that flying wing suit thing.  He died when he misjudged the distance and hit a cable, falling to a ledge far below.

 

 

 

This guy was smarter.  He rappelled down to the bottom.  That must have been a VERY long rope.

 

 

 

This picture is looking back the other direction towards Canon City.  Another thing they do a lot of on this river is rafting.  The water is very low at this time of year, so they are scrambling over and around rocks.  Now THAT looked like fun.  We watched as a group went through the canyon, as well as the train.

 

 

 

Here's where all those cables are attached.  The original, barely visible in the middle, was all held together by concrete.  On the outside is the new system of steel drilled into bedrock.  The two main cables holding it all up are about twelve inches in diameter.  Is that enough?  Who knows.  I was glad I went early when there were not a lot of people on the bridge!!

 

 

 

On the way out, I stopped to take a picture of #499 who spent 68 years pulling cars through the canyon and the surrounding area.  She was retired in 1970.  Sadly when the fire hit, she lost her pristine caboose.  What a beauty!!

 

 

 

I also met Lula ... an English Bull Terrier.  What a sweetheart SHE was!!  I got lots of licks and tail waggles.  First time I've ever seen one in person.  Her Dad said she is the best dog he's ever had.

 

 

 

Lastly, just because this tree was standing alone on the hill, I took it's picture.  I think I saw it smile.

 

 

 

Coming up next, the Royal Gorge Route train through the canyon.  I advise you walk the bridge first, because when you see just how high that thing really is from the train in the bottom of the canyon, you won't want to go there!!