Zip-A-Dee-Do-Da 08/13/20

Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado

He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.  ~ Proverbs 28:7

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go . . . .

Just kidding!  Actually, we used the gift certificate our kids gave us for Christmas today – entrance to the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, and zip-line!  And what a blast we had!   Thanks soooo much!

But first, we had to drive about an hour to get there.  I have to say, we were a little disappointed when we drove up to the place.  It seemed kinda . . .  oh, how to describe it? . . . kinda backwoodsy maybe?  I don’t have a good description, but based on all the ads we’d seen in the books, we were thinking something akin to Cedar Point – without the coasters.  But nice like that. This setting seemed kinda rinky-dink and nearly every place you looked was dirt.

But then we learned they suffered a devastating fire seven years ago, so I think they’re still rebuilding.  The things that were in place were all very nice.  You’ll read about the fire as we progress today.

When we arrived, the place, wasn’t ‘officially’ open yet for the day.  We still had about 30 minutes, but the bridge was open, so we walked across that.  Turned out, you had to walk across it to get to the other stuff anyway.  That, or take the gondola, and it wasn’t open yet.  Besides, we could use the exercise.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we haven’t been doing a whole lot of hiking lately . . . but we’re still mostly consuming calories the same ravenous way.  I think I’m beginning to detect a bit of tightness in my shorts . . . .

Sorry about the rabbit trail.  Let’s get back to the important stuff!

Here’s what we know about this incredibly high suspension bridge:

• Construction of the bridge began in June, 1929
• The bridge was built in only seven months’ time by 80 workers
• Their average wage was $.50 an hour, and they worked 7 days a week, 10-14 hour days
• The bridge opened to the public on December 8, 1929
• Despite working 1,000’ above the river, there were no serious injuries or deaths
• The original cost was $350,000 and went $100,000 over budget (the equivalent of $20 million today)
• A total 1,292 wooden planks make up the length of the bridge
• The bridge towers are 150’ high
• The bridge is 18 feet wide
• The original toll was $.75 per person
• The park has attracted upwards of 30 million visitors since opening
• The bridge held the title of the “world’s highest” from 1929 until 2001, and highest suspension bridge until 2003.  It’s still the highest bridge in the U.S.A.
• The total length is 1,260 feet
• The original aerial tram opened in 1969
• Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the site during his campaign in 1936
• Between March and May of 2012, three people committed suicide by jumping off the bridge
• On June 11, 2013, a devasting wildfire destroyed 48 of the 52 structures in the Park, but only 100 of the bridge planks were destroyed.  1,200 visitors and 200 employees had to be evacuated that afternoon
• They used most of the damaged planks in the rebuilding of the Visitor Center
• It cost $30 million to repair the park and bridge

Now that we’ve walked the bridge, we’re looking for our zip location.  Everything is uphill.  Everything, once you exit the other side of the bridge.  And I don’t mean up a little incline either.  I mean literally Up. A. Steep. Hill.  Exercise, right?!?  Yippee!  Except it’s kinda hot and it’s only about 9:30am. I can see why people would want to take the gondola across the gorge.  Plus it’s free transportation with your admission, and has great views, but it doesn’t open until 10am.

We wandered around killing time until the zipline opened at 10, except it didn’t actually open until almost 10:30 today because of . . . who knows?  Best to get those technical issues resolved before the first people glide across!

Mining is an ancient profession and along with the back-breaking work and dangers of working in the dark underground, comes century-old superstitions, the most notable being that of the Tommyknockers.

These impish, gnome-like men are the Cornish equivalent of Irish leprechauns and English brownies. Germans called them Berggeister or Bergmännlein, meaning  “mountain ghosts” or “little miners.”

The Cornish believed these wee little men were the souls of the Jews who crucified Christ and were sent by the Romans to work as slaves in the tin mines. This belief was so strong that the Tommyknockers were allegedly never heard on Saturdays, nor at times of Jewish festivals.

About two feet tall, and often described as greenish in color, they look like men and are most often spied wearing a traditional miner’s outfit. Living beneath the ground, they have been “known” to have committed both good and bad deeds through the centuries, often playing practical jokes and committing random acts of mischief, such as stealing unattended tools and food.

The Tommyknockers were first heard of in the United States when Cornish miners worked in the western Pennsylvania coal mines in the 1820s. When the California Gold Rush began, these experienced Cornish miners were welcomed and often sought after by the mine owners. Attempting to recruit more minders, managers often approached the immigrants, asking if they had any relatives back in England who might come to work the mines. The Cornish miners would reply something like this: “Well, me cousin Jack over in Cornwall wouldst come could ye pay ’is boat ride.” Soon, these many immigrant miners took on the nickname Cousin Jacks, who formed the core of America’s early western mining workforce. As such, their superstition of the Tommyknocker thrived and spread throughout the mines of the west.

The name “knockers,” pronounced “knackers,” comes from the knocking on the mine walls that often happens just before cave-ins. Actually caused by the creaking of earth and timbers, some thought these sounds of “hammering” were malevolent, indicating certain death or injury, while others saw their “knocking” as well-meaning, warning the miners that a life-threatening collapse was imminent. Yet, others believed that the knocking sounds would lead them to a rich ore body and or signs of good luck.

When these grizzled little gnomes were good, they were thought to bring miners favors and wealth. But when they were bad, they were said to bring about misery, injury, and death to those who doubted their power or who did not believe in them.

These highly spirited characters were also known to perform many of the mining duties, working right alongside the men, as well as being blamed for many a prank, and credited with saving the lives of many miners. If a hammer was missing, it was the Tommyknockers who had taken it, but if a miner escaped a collapse, the Tommyknockers were given credit.

Later, the legend of the Tommyknockers evolved into the idea that the knockings were caused by dead miners who were kind enough to give warnings of danger to the living. In praise of these kind gestures, the miners would leave offerings of food and other items in order to secure their good graces and protection.

In some mines, where the Tommyknockers’ presence was known to be overwhelmingly malevolent, the mines were forced to close because of the mens’ fear of the spirits. When the mines played out, the legend continued, as many said the Tommyknockers found “work” in the homes surrounding the old mineshafts. Superstitions continued when many a family death or disaster was allegedly foretold by a knocking in the house.

Belief in these diminutive miners remained well into the 20th century until modern systems and education replaced these earlier superstitions. Though not much is heard of the Tommyknockers today, they will forever have a place in our history, legend, and lore.

Back to our day.

First they sent ‘empty bags’ across the zipline.  They wrap up the seats and equipment needed to run us across in their own little bags. 

Then, once those make a successful journey across, they send two disgruntled, problem employees out as guinea pigs.  (😊) 

And then, once everything seemed to be in good working order, the first couple headed out.  We watched.  They made it safely to the other side.  Whew!!!

Because we were next!

They tell us it takes 45-60 seconds to glide across the 1,100’ gorge, but it seemed longer.  I was expecting to fly across, but it’s set at a nice pace, so you actually have time to look around at where you are.  So gorgeous!  So far down! And when you stop on the other side, you STOP – very abruptly. 😊

Can we do it again?!?!? Is it by some miracle BOGO day?????

So now we’re back on the other side.  Where the Jeep and lunch are waiting, but it’s too early for lunch, so back across the bridge we go, to the theater, where they show a 30-minute movie about the history of the Park and bridge.  They also have several displays up around the room. 

Speaking of room.

There was plenty of it in this little theater!  And we were still required to wear masks the entire time.

Now it’s lunchtime, and the gondola is open.  So back up the hill we go, because it’s right next to the zipline place.  There were only a couple of people here, so we got on the first one that arrived.  However, due to COVID, they only put one family in a car at a time, so that severely limits the number of people that can cross at a time.  In our group (there’s three cars together), we have a total of 7 people – 2+2+3.  That’s it.

It was fun going across again (but not nearly as fun as the zipline!), and this time we could take some pictures! 

They have a restaurant right beside the gondola on this side of the gorge, and there was plenty of outdoor seating, so I snagged a table while Blaine went to the Jeep to pick up our lunch.  While he was gone, I enjoyed watching the activity around me – the gondolas coming and going, and the zipliners barreling in.  There were about 50 people in line for the gondola, and I heard someone ask an attendant how long the wait was – an hour and a half!!  Come on people!  I know it’s free, but would you really rather stand there all that time, rather than walk?!?  Even if you walked really slow, you’d still get to the other side in less time!  And there truly are great views from the bridge itself.  Of course, we don’t stand still very well, so maybe that’s the difference?  Plus, we had the advantage of knowing that no one was waiting on the other side. . . .

After lunch, we wandered around a bit more, but we’d seen everything we wanted to see.  They have a raptor show in the afternoon, but we skipped it because they told us it took place inside that same little theater we were in.  First off, you saw how many seats there were.  Second, it’s inside.  How much could they really fly in there?

We moved on, but we had a marvelous time, thanks to our generous children!

There were scenic roads to take on the way home – which took us through a 30⁰ temperature flux, from 100⁰ to 69⁰.  The first was Skyline Drive.  Built in 1905 by 60 inmates from the nearby prison, it’s 2.8 miles ride up and down like a roller coaster 800’ above the ground and is barely wide enough for one car.  Thankfully, it’s a one-way road!  Not only is it a unique and scenic drive, but in 2000, a paleontology student discovered dinosaur tracks alongside the road that indicated a group of Ankylosaurs walked side-by-side here.  We had a really hard time finding the supposed prints.  Mostly because we weren’t looking in the right place.  They were on the side!  In other words, eye-level for us, with the bottoms of their feet right in front of us!  In other words, they walked through some wet mud (marsh) and left prints, then the earth moved, and upended those prints so they were now on their side.  Wow!

And now that I’m seeing the pictures, I remember. This is our second time on the road, because I’m driving! Sorry. Hopefully I’ve provided some additional information since the last time. This is what comes from delaying journaling our days. . . .

On the way to Shelf Road, we saw a few things, and made a roadside stop, then took a short detour to Red Canyon Park.  There wasn’t much here, except to drive a sorta Jeep road.  Not even any hiking or biking trails.  It was a pretty, but quick drive in and out.  😊

Shelf Road connects with Gold Camp Road, so we moved on to that one, stopping for some information along the way.  We thought these were actual former mines, but what they’ve done is make new ones for viewing/tourists by moving a rag-tag bunch of old stuff and putting them together.  I guess with all the casinos, the town of Cripple Creek (which is the area where we are) now has the funds to do stuff like that.  😊

Eventually, we left Gold Camp Road for Old Stage Road, which eventually took us through a very expensive looking neighborhood, and then on to home, which was close by.  We think we can see that neighborhood from our campground, just a bit up the side of Cheyenne Mountain.

We ended up with an 11-hour day today!  Dinner was late (for us!) and we were starved! Carryout Little Caesars pizza and wings at 7pm, which turned out to be free. Blaine found $20 on the sidewalk walking back to the Jeep!