We keep visiting the site of the Glenwood Creek bridge to see what progress we can see. Those of us who seek instant gratification are really being tested severely — after the really dramatic arrival of beams and concrete, changes from week to week are small or invisible. Concrete needs to cure for quite a while, a process even less entertaining than drying paint. I’m not sure if the curing process is still going on — there is still a plastic tarp covering the entire bridge, so maybe it still needs some more time. Amanda Zerilli made her way there a few days ago to shoot the picture to the left. I can attest that it’s about the same as what I saw several weeks ago and again on Election Day. Amanda’s photo shows the wooden rails on either side, which are temporary until the permanent railing is added. There are piles of square steel posts that are evidently destined to hold up the railing — you can see rows of bolts sticking out of each side of the concrete where the posts will be bolted in place. That may be the next exciting change we see.
My wife, Diana, and I walked there from Cass Park a couple weeks ago — it was Election Day, we had voted and needed the comforts of the natural world until the decision would be revealed at night. It was full autumn on the trail, with most trees completely bare and golden leaves thick on the ground. Again we saw what a treasure this trail is already for our community and how wonderful it will be when finally opened.
Before getting to Glenwood Heights Road were a couple places where the recent storms had brought down trees. One patch had been cleaned up to a large extent, but the second one was quite an obstacle in our path. We carefully stepped through a gap, branches and vines catching our clothes and hair.
We spent a few minutes looking around the new bridge site as well as the old bridge that still spans the gorge down near the highway. It’s quite a dramatic gorge that plunges down to the lake from that point.
After getting some delicious hot soup at Glenwood Pines, we walked back to Cass Park as the shadows of West Hill got longer. Hopefully, the next time we visit the bridge, there will be railings and perhaps other features of the permanent structure. It’s great to think that this marvelous project will soon take a great step forward.