EAU CLAIRE, Wis.— A bridge on UW-Eau Claire’s campus is getting nationwide recognition for being notoriously cold. It made David Letterman’s Top 10 Coldest Places in America list.
“You never know what you’re going to get on the bridge,” said Jackson Buchholz, a junior. “Whether that’s crazy wind, a sunny day, or maybe a hurricane that picks you up and throws you in the river.”
Sitting directly above the Chippewa River, the campus footbridge experiences howling wind and squalling snow many times during winter and early spring. For Buchholz and his fellow classmates, surviving a walk across the bridge is a rite of passage.
“It really creates a sense of community,” he said. “Not only for the campus community, but for alumni as well.”
UWEC has also made headlines nationally for being one of the coldest campuses in the country. The hearty faculty and students who call the campus home decided to embrace that. Thus, #Bridgeface was born.
“I think it’s almost 1,000 now, the amount of photos students have taken on the bridge,” Buchholz said. “It’s crazy how big it’s gotten.”
#Bridgeface has taken social media by storm and provided a lot of entertainment for the campus community and surrounding city of Eau Claire.
The goal is to dress in as many layers as possible and capture a photo of your frigid journey across the famous footbridge.
“Upcoming freshman are already getting ready for their #bridgeface photos,” Buchholz joked.
The question remains, however, if this bridge is truly one of the coldest places in America. Dr. Doug Faulkner isn’t convinced.
“Is it the coldest place? Probably not,” he said. “Certainly not in the country, but maybe not even in the city.”
Dr. Faulkner is a professor in the college’s geography and anthropology department. He has also done extensive research on the Chippewa River. While the bridge may not be deserving of making any lists, it certainly doesn’t negate the fact that crossing it isn’t for the faint of heart.
“What makes it really cold is the wind, which blows up the river when cold fronts come in,” he said. “The river is oriented just right, going a little northwest and that’s where the coldest winds come from when cold fronts come through.”
Buchholz finds amusement in the social media buzz the bridge has created. He welcomes the camaraderie it has created too.
“Everyone needs to have a #Bridgeface photo,” he said.
For now, Buchholz welcomes the spring thaw.