Lincoln Woods Trail Destruction - Storm Irene

[J&J]

Today I took a walk down the Lincoln Woods trail (I still prefer the Wilderness trail myself) to see what kind of damage was done by the Pemi. Incredible stuff has happened.

Warning signs galore today. This was one of them.

That's a scary thought.

Watch out below and don't get too close to the edge.

Another view of the same spot.

From the spur path leading to the Pemi at the Osseo trail.

Looking at the damage from river level.

This entire area was overrun by the river as witnessed by the fresh sand deposits.

I wonder if this will provide an opportunity to yank the old railroad ties out. I would hate to see them go.

More damage.

This is where I turned around.

Just thinking out loud here but I wonder how the now long gone Pemi suspension bridge would have fared with this storm. Maybe the river would have taken her out. A more respectable end. Maybe all the bridge detritus has been washed downriver and nothing remains to be cleaned up.

 

[bigmoose]

Thanks for the pictures, John. I wonder how the other side fared.

 

[Forester Jake]

Great shots!! Much better than my cell phone pics (that I can't seem to upload). It sure does look different out there now!!

 

[Forester Jake]

The new erosion at the junction of the Osseo Trail

The great new views of the Hancocks from the same spot

 

[Becca M]

Just thinking out loud here but I wonder how the now long gone Pemi suspension bridge would have fared with this storm. Maybe the river would have taken her out. A more respectable end. Maybe all the bridge detritus has been washed downriver and nothing remains to be cleaned up.

i was wondering the same thing! I wonder how some of the other Wilderness bridges are doing....

nice pictures!!!! WOW - the POWER of nature!!!!

 

[bobandgeri]

Wow! Wonder how the bridge up on the Thoreau Falls trail made out.

 

[MichaelJ]

Wow! Wonder how the bridge up on the Thoreau Falls trail made out.

Looks like it's okay!
http://scenicnh.photoshelter.com/image/I0000wHP679VU84g

 

[TDawg]

Looks like it's okay!
http://scenicnh.photoshelter.com/image/I0000wHP679VU84g

I was worried about this one too. Didn't think that tired old bridge had a chance, good news!

 

[DougPaul]

Just thinking out loud here but I wonder how the now long gone Pemi suspension bridge would have fared with this storm. Maybe the river would have taken her out. A more respectable end. Maybe all the bridge detritus has been washed downriver and nothing remains to be cleaned up.

i was wondering the same thing! I wonder how some of the other Wilderness bridges are doing....

That bridge was pretty high up--my guess is that the structure itself would have been above the water unless an endpoint was undermined. I don't recall if it had stabilizing cables which might have been at risk.

Doug

 

[Amicus]

That bridge was pretty high up--my guess is that the structure itself would have been above the water unless an endpoint was undermined. I don't recall if it had stabilizing cables which might have been at risk.

I took a photo the day before the closure, in Sept. 2009, that gives some idea how high up that bridge was:

I took a couple of others that confirm the considerable height. Unless you were there at highwater, however, you couldn't be certain, I guess. A visit might be instructive.

 

[JacobH]

Also, I believe both ends were anchored on some pretty solid-looking rock outcroppings. So I doubt undermining of the end points would have been an issue either.

 

[DougPaul]

That bridge was pretty high up--my guess is that the structure itself would have been above the water unless an endpoint was undermined. I don't recall if it had stabilizing cables which might have been at risk.

I took a photo the day before the closure, in Sept. 2009, that gives some idea how high up that bridge was:

I took a couple of others that confirm the considerable height. Unless you were there at highwater, however, you couldn't be certain, I guess. A visit might be instructive.

Thanks--your pic shows the stabilizing cables but not their anchors.

The following pics (2/22/2011, post bridge removal) taken from the location of the eastern end show the height and site of the western end.

Clearly the western end was on bedrock and not likely to have been undermined.

Doug

 

[una_dogger]

I thought the same thing about the Pemi Bridge - definitely a more fitting end.

Those pictures are telling -- and te five person limit sign? Freaky.

 

[DougPaul]

I thought the same thing about the Pemi Bridge - definitely a more fitting end.

Those pictures are telling -- and te five person limit sign? Freaky.

The limit might be consistent with damage to the stabilizing cables--to minimize bounce and sway when people are on it. Or maybe they just haven't had time to check it out fully and want to limit the load until it is properly checked out.

Doug

 

[Amicus]

Thanks--your pic shows the stabilizing cables but not their anchors.

This pic, taking on the same Sept. '09 hike at the south end of the lamented Pemi Bridge, sheds only a little more light:

 

[DougPaul]

This pic, taking on the same Sept. '09 hike at the south end of the lamented Pemi Bridge, sheds only a little more light:

The bridge is in the way...

It does show the angle of a stabilizing cable--the anchor is obviously lower than the bridge.

I recall the stabilizing cables from this or a similar suspension bridge (I think it was the Dry River Bridge in 2002 before it was washed out and replaced)--they form catenaries out to both sides and down a bit.

Doug

 

[una_dogger]

nice hair, amicus