The tradition always was that if you go naked, the bungee jumping is free. The problem for the guy making the money was that everyone around here was comfortable getting naked.
This 525-foot-long bridge was built in 1911 during the dead of winter (with temperatures dipping to –60°F) as the railroad pushed to complete the line by spring. Copper was piling up in Kennicott and the pressure was on.
When the state pulled up the tracks in the 60's, the bridge was crossable by vehicle or foot, but without railings. Even after the Copper River Bridge was built in 1973, railings weren't built for several years despite the often treacherous icy conditions. The common protocol was Dad driving the rig and passengers walking .
Today it's fun to park the car on either side and walk across. Until now there are no stories of anyone falling off. Don't be the first!
The Kuskulana River flows from the Wrangell Mountains and the heavily glaciated Mt. Blackburn (16,320 feet). This river flows into the Chitina River just out of sight from the bridge. There are NPS outhouses and parking on the McCarthy side of the bridge . There's also a steel boardwalk that runs underneath the bridge. It's a bit tricky to get onto, as you need to find a way to pull yourself up six feet onto the cement supports it rests on. It may require a 10-finger push from a partner, and is not something we recommend, but it's there.
In 2010, the state replaced the bridge decking and formed a pile of discarded lumber just beyond the outhouses. The typical board was 8–10 feet long, nine inches across, and 3–4 inches thick. A 60-foot U-Haul was the first to the scene, a couple McCarthy guys getting dibs on the pile. Trucks of all sizes came and went for two days, hauling home wood for the next sauna, root cellar, shed, or other home-enhancement project. Not a scrap remains.
