Unincorporated Minds

After all the rain and snow melting, most of us in the area noticed the Mad River at significant levels.  Some of the carnage from high, fast water is big log jams. I had been driving past one near Aaron's Canoes (off upper Valley) for a couple of days and wanted to check it out. Daniel and Dusty were there with me.  It just so happened the log jam wasn't as interesting as the bridge it collected around.

The pictures don't do the size of the jam justice.  It was not however, as interesting as the abandoned railroad bridge the logs had clumped upon.

This is the entrance to the bridge
Just past the overgrowth, you see this. Notice the missing ties, slippery moss, and rotted wood ties.
This is our Stand By Me shot
And onto the tracks we go. I enthusiastically led the way, like a dumbass.






This is about halfway. We had already encountered severely loose boards, ties so rotted the squished under your step, slippery moss, and missing ties.

However, we were all surprised to see this:



It is a memorial to someone who died there.  It is a little caboose and a crayon colored picture of St. Mary with a poem/prayer on it.  It was definitely creepy.  Especially on the grey, rainy day we chose. It is easy to see how someone falling off the bridge could get caught up in the debris.  It is also easy to see how someone with smaller feet than me could tumble over.  Especially, if they were as fearless of a teenager as I was.

I certainly felt more respect for the situation than I would have 10 years ago.  I also put more stress on the rotten ties than I would have 10 years ago...damn donuts.

This is us heading back as the rain picked up.  You can't tell from the picture, but it's a longer walk than it looks.

These were all taken with my cell phone. I'm really glad I didn't drop it.