Bridge

Last fall the "After Camp Work Crew" put in a beautiful bridge between Crow and Piute Campsites. When we visited the camp on Midsummer's Eve, we discovered the west side had settled, twisting the bridge and loosening the planking. I felt like the old man in The Old Man and the Sea when the shark bit the chunk out of his fish. I couldn't bring myself to look at the bridge the rest of the summer. I can't even find another picture of it.


This shot shows the the three to four inch drop of the west end of the bridge. The scouts used it akimbo all summer. We removed some shims and leveled it a little, but I had pretty much abandoned hope of ever seeing it set right.


Minutes after finishing on the roof - Scott and Lynn were at the bridge. I did find them a bigger jack. They worked so fast they had it almost set right before I could get any pictures or anyone else showed up to help. They left it for the night looking promising. They would be back on Saturday to bring it up to their standards.


The big problem was figuring out a way to lift the bridge without burying the jack in the mud. The swamp was still full, especially to the west of the bridge. The pallet is sitting in four inches or more of water and mud. Lynn used the stone pile itself as sure foundation for the heavy lifting.

By Saturday, Dave Kirkham had shown up with tools, know how, and determination to boot. They soon had things ship shape.

I did help them find some rocks. There were a lot of others helping out as well, but the work went so quickly I didn't get many pictures.

It was some hours more of lifting, stuffing, and adjusting, but soon the whole thing was better than new.

Scott, Lynn, and David pose for my picture. As the historian, I felt I had an important role to play as well.

We await the winter's verdict - but the bridge is level and looking fine, and we are ready for whatever bites might come!