Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Bridge Prelude

Early in Going-Someplace-New, Day 1, the route was down 101 along Hood Canal. There was that variable weather, sun breaks and stupendous rainshowers and fogs and drizzles. At the Dosewallips River crossing, a glance up towards the mountains was rewarded with the sight of a break in the clouds, sun on snowy mountaintops. At the Duckabush only a few minutes later, the westward glance only confirmed you can't see mountains in the rain. At the Hamma Hamma River, the bridge was a rainbow arch, all covered with moss and patches over the cracks, but still doing its job. Helloooo, rainbow arch, I'd know you anywhere. South Hamma Hamma River Bridge (Mason County, Washington) Built 1924.

South Hamma Hamma Bridge, from the south (Click for larger image.)

Er. Apparently I wouldn't know it anywhere; according to bridgehunter, there are two others I blew right past: one over the Duckabush, and one over the North Fork of the Hamma Hamma. The map shows additional rainbow arches, one near Olympia and one near Aberdeen, which I might someday detour to see.

There's a sweet little rainbow arch that is actually a Marsh Arch—I can't visualize why the Hamma Hamma Bridge is a rainbow arch but not a Marsh arch, it's something about how the deck is hung—in Santa Fe, that's why my radar went off, if belatedly.

P.S. I've been creeping up and down Highway 101 using Google street view. I don't think there are two Hamma Hamma River bridges, just the one. Will write to the bridgehunter. There does seem to be one over the Duckabush.

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