THE ROYAL GORGE - ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH AND LOW

by Pam North

The Royal Gorge cuts a steep, narrow, rocky-sided passage, eight miles
long and more than 1,000 feet deep, through terrain in south-central
Colorado west of Canon City.  The gorge was carved out of solid
granite bedrock over three million years ago by the Arkansas River,
one of America's longest rivers, which continues to erode at a rate of
one foot every 2,500 years.  The Royal Gorge is considered a world
wonder often referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas River,
yet it is unlike any other canyon; the width at the canyon bottom is
no more than 40 to 50 feet, while the top width measures only a few
hundred feet.  Ute Indians frequently wintered there, and Spanish
missionaries knew of the area as early as 1642.  Fur traders and
trappers visited the region in the 1700s, and in the next century
Zebulon Pike established a camp at the portals of the gorge and sent a
scouting party to explore the canyon.  In 1877, silver was discovered
on the upper waters of the Arkansas, sparking a controversy between
two competing railroads, the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe, both of
which wanted the rights to build the new freight railroad to carry ore
down from the mountains.  After a 6-month court battle and some
additional confrontations (one of which involved Bat Masterson), the
Rio Grande won out. In the 1890s, the Royal Gorge was used as a
passenger route for transcontinental rail travel; four trains per day
went through the gorge.  In 1967 passenger service was cut off over
the railroad tracks that had been laid over 120 years ago. 1999 saw
the restoration of passenger service, however; tourists can now board
the Royal Gorge Route Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, which provides
visitors with a 2-hour, 24-mile ride (a good portion of which winds
directly through the Royal Gorge) in climate-controlled coaches,
first-class cars and open-air observation cars.  Passengers once again
can enjoy spectacular scenery, breathtaking views and observe local
wildlife such as eagles, mule deer and bighorn sheep.

The Royal Gorge Bridge is acknowledged as the highest suspension
bridge over water in the world, and one of the most spectacular
man-made structures from the twentieth century.  It spans a
quarter-mile across the gorge, 1,053 above the Arkansas River.  Unlike
most bridges, it has only one lane for vehicles; people also can cross
on foot.  Its origin began in 1907, when the federal government deeded
Royal Gorge to the town of Canon City, Colorado, for use as a
municipal park.  To enhance its appeal as a tourist attraction, a
bridge was needed to cross the gorge.  During the 1920s, a Texan named
Lon Piper received permission to build a one-lane toll bridge over the
gorge and operate it as a tourist attraction.  Piper designed a bridge
1,260 feet long (the main span is 938 in length) and 18 feet wide,
with a weight-bearing capacity of over two million pounds.
Construction began in June, 1929.  The first step was to pour a
concrete abutment (structure that bears the weight) on each rim of the
canyon to support the anchorages of the bridge.  Two towers then were
erected, after which two 300-ton cables were stretched between the
towers and to each abutment. The bridge is suspended from two 200-ton
cables; each cable has 2,100 strands of No. 9 galvanized wire in it,
and the total cable structure weighs over 300 tons.  The floor of the
bridge contains 1,000 tons of steel and 1292 wooden planks (hundreds
of which are replaced annually in the bridge's upkeep).  The
bridge soars 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River, and was completed in
only six months, opening on December 6, 1929.  Most of the workers who
built the bridge were local men with no experience, yet there were no
major accidents or fatalities.  It took only $350,000 to build it;
replacement cost today would be over $10 million.  This year marks its
75th anniversary.

Since its completion, millions of people have crossed the bridge by
foot, in automobiles and by trolley.  The bridge now forms the kernel
part of an amusement complex/theme park run by the city.  The park
also has the world's longest single-span aerial tram that travels
1,178 feet above and 2,200 feet across the river, and the world's
steepest incline railway that traverses the solid granite walls a
distance of 1,550 feet at a 45-degree angle to the bottom of the
gorge.  The incline railway was built by the same crew that built the
bridge, and opened in June, 1931.

The Royal Gorge is one of those great places for a memorable day or
weekend destination trip; consider making it part of your summer
plans.