[at-l] Kennebec Bridge

[RoksnRoots at aol.com (RoksnRoots@xxxxxxx)]

       A high-pier footbridge across the Kennebec would solve a lot of 
problems. At the same time, though, it would eliminate a real natural challenge from 
the AT. 

      When I forded in 1985 it was only 2 weeks after the drowning death of a 
northbound hiker. I forded OK the next morning with the water coming up to 
mid-thigh. Maine was in a drought that fall, so I suspect I hit it lucky. Maybe 
there was a discharge when that lady crossed, maybe she didn't know how to 
read the bars and went into a deep spot. Maybe she slipped. I know I almost did. 

        I guess the best way to deal with hikers crossing would be to have a 
dam just upstream that held back the flow for crossing. But I guess that's 
kind of crazy and involves building an unwanted dam. 

      Though I'm not involved, it seems to me TJ has a point about the high 
bid matter for the canoe service. After all, what can be involved in paddling 
hikers across a 200 yard stretch of river? My sneaking suspicion is that the 
civilized world has snuck another tendril into our wild AT and the matter is one 
of better insurance...

        You can be damned sure I'd ford it again if I had the chance...




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.hack.net/pipermail/at-l/attachments/20030611/264bd040/attachment.htm