Nature put in a lot of bridges of her own over the winter:
A group of us crossed on logs and quickly found the bridge pieces in the trees. They were heavy!:
The new bridge location is about 100 yards downstream of last year's:
We built up embankments on either side, and managed to swing the main supports across (I've forgotten all the technical jargon already!):
New connector trails had to be carved up the embankments as well:
A couple of us headed through the whole loop to check on the trail, and replace a permit box that had fallen apart. There were maybe a dozen minor blowdowns along the way (easy to step over). Ramona was gleaming in the full sun. Not the best conditions for photos, but I did my best:
It was wonderful to be cooled-off by the spray on this hot sunny day:
By the time we got back, the rest of the crew had the bridge in:
This wider shot shows the location a little better:
Some new signs and a lot of flagging are in place along the Sandy River floodplain... The trail is indistinct for a couple hundred yards in the forest on the other side, but they do plan to improve it later. It's hard to maintain this bit of the trail, as the Sandy floods so regularly... each year, the area around the river has to be completely re-done.
Have fun using the bridge - now you know how it got there!
