Bridges of FJR County

[madmike2]

For some time I have been considering "theme rides" rather than rides to a destination or lunch stop. Of course, all rides are good rides....Sometimes I just need a change of pace or motivation.

We in the Sacramento Valley of CA live in a huge delta plain, so there is an abundance of bridges available. I posted to Old Michael's hwy 49 thread that I would be on that Hwy sometime during the day and I soon received a phone call (voicemail) and text message from TominCA: "Riding? Where are you going?"

I planned to ride the American River from Sacramento into the Sierra foothills, stopping to photograph the bridges along the way.

That river is surrounded by levees and houses in most places. Some bridges we simply could not get "under" and merely rode over. Others, we were able to access via the park system and the American River Bike Trail access points. Here are the highlights:

At the beginning, the confluence of the American River into the Sacramento River, just North of downtown Sacramento.

At/over Discovery Park there are 2 bridges.

There is a sign with some restrictions posted. Evidently it's not politically correct to say, "No Feckin' Irishmen Allowed"! The reputation of our resident Irishmen (Beemerdons, Old Michael, ShinyPartsUp, et al) has preceded them in Sacramento....

....should they choose to imbibe they must keep driving. :lol:

Jibboom Street Bridge is now restricted to bicycles and hikers.

2 weeks ago the water level was above the signs in the background.

I-5 bridge

Silly ducks!

Hwy 160 (12th Street inbound-West; 16th Street outbound-East)

A better/closer view

H Street Bridge @ Sacramento State University

More to come, next page

More photos available @ My Photobucket Album

 

[puppychow]

Really wanted to go on your Bridges ride Mike. Too bad I have been nursing this bad cold half this week

Seems like you had fun!

 

[madmike2]

The next bridge upriver is the Howe Ave. Bridge. There is no access under this bridge so I simply took a couple of photos as we rode over the bridge.

Looking down river from the bridge

Next...Watt Ave.

2 beautiful (superior) Gen I FJRs.

Sunrise Blvd. Bridge

PCA Bridge. Built by PCA gravel company with they used to mine sand and gravel along the banks of the American River. Now it is used as a pedestrian/bicycle bridge. During the Spring snow melt/run-off, this bridge is under water.

Leaving Rancho Cordova we rode through Fair Oaks and took Winding Way to Hazel Avenue.......

Hazel Ave. Bridge viewed from the Nimbus Fish Hatchery

This is the mechanism and "fish fence" for when the Salmon or Striped Bass are running up river to spawn.

View from the "fish ladder".

Nimbus Dam is just visible in the lower right corner.

Photo of the rare 3-eyed "Tomfish".

To be continued.....

All (or, most) photos @ My Photobucket Album

 

[Old Michael]

You did NOT just call those noble Canadian Geese "ducks"!!!

 

[yamafitter]

Those bridges are of poor quality in comparison to the highly engineered beauties we have in these parts...

 

[Fairlaner]

Glad to see the 05 up and running again without the marine battery in tow...........

R

 

[madmike2]

You did NOT just call those noble Canadian Geese "ducks"!!!

I'm sorry....I'll correct myself: "Silly Canuckian Ducks!"

 

[madmike2]

Those bridges are of poor quality in comparison to the highly engineered beauties we have in these parts...

I have some experience with the wooden bridges of B.C.

My opinion is not printable on this forum.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Now that you mentioned it:

County Kerry in Ireland:

The kid and I at one of our favorite local photo spots:

 

[madmike2]

Eastbound to the city of Folsom.

There's a new bridge called the Natomas Overcrossing. Once one had to pass through beautiful downtown Folsom and take the 2-lane Rainbow Bridge. Now there is a modern bridge across upper Nimbus Lake.

We crossed over the Rainbow Bridge to a restaurant called "Cliff House". There we took a better photo of the Natomas Overcrossing

And Rainbow Bridge

Oward to Folsom Dam Bridge.

Silly government...they don't want anyone stopping below the dam or above Folsom Prison.

What...no sense of humor?!?! I took these photos as we rode over the bridge.

From here we rode up Green Valley Road to Salmon Falls Road. Whoopeeeeeee! :yahoo:

This bridge is where Salmon Falls Rd. crosses the South Fork of the American enters Folsom Lake

WIldflower

After this we continued up Salmon Falls Rd. (Whoopeeeeee :yahoo: ) to Hwy 49 and headed South....mostly to stay away from Old Michael...and also to cross the South Fork @ Lotus and Coloma.

For whatever reason, I don't have photos from Lotus. I assume TOm does and will post them.

This is the one lane bridge at Coloma that crosses to the RV park on the East shore

Tom, Westbound to Coloma

 

[madmike2]

Okay....almost done....only 2 more "official" bridges across the South Fork of the American.

There are two more that I didn't get done this day....Ice House Rd. and Silver Fork Rd. Those are for another day when there's more time.

From Colom we road South on Hwy 49 (getting even further from Old Michael) and turned left on Hwy 193. Another 8 miles of "Yee-Freakin'-Haw" riding to Chili Bar.

Where there are Poppies

No...Tom...not THOSE kind of Poppies....

From there TOm led me up Hwy 193 to Rock Creek Rd. to Mosquito Rd.

NorCal guys & Gals....you MUST put this on yout "To-Do" list of roads to ride. Not fast....just winding and beautiful. On a 1 to 10 scale: 1!

Mosquito Rd. Bridge...the approach...uhm, did I mention it's twisty?

See the bridge down there? Notice Tom in the shadows? The road climbing out of the canyon in the upper right?

Tom on the suspension bridge...

One last photo....and NO, the camera does not exagerate the slope of the roadway...

Th-th-th-that's all folks!

What a great day in the saddle. Thanks, Tom, for riding along and volunteering your leadership on unfamiliar roads and expertise about the area. You made a good day even better.

Sam...sorry your couldn't join us. You were missed. Honestly, some of the places we parked to take pictures were crowded with 2 of us.....but we'd have made a way!

More photos avaiable @ My Photobucket Album

NOW......Let's see some bridges from other parts of the country.

I mean....it's all FJR COUNTY, isn't it?!?! :clapping:

 

[puppychow]

Great pictures Mike! Love Mosquito Rd! I didn't know you hadn't been on that road, it is a road my SV loves!

 

[HYCLE]

Bridgeport, CA.

 

[Old Michael]

 

[puppychow]

From your personal collection "Old" Michael?

 

[yamafitter]

I'm willing to bet I can ride my WR450F over that!!

 

[wnyfjr]

From our trip last summer to West Virginia:

Bridge at Phillippi







Also in WV, I just don't remember exactly where:

 

[user 6393]

when I was little, this one laner was part of our one and only route up and down Vancouver Island.

Now, it marks where there is cheap drinks, good eats at an old road side Inn. Still has the "his" and "hers" entrances

 

[TomInPA]

I missed this thread somehow. :dribble:

Jaboom Street Bridge downtown Sacramento. Duck poop everywhere, and a couple scuba divers.

Mike is treading carefully here under the Hwy 160 south bridge. For good reason. After being recently flooded, it is slick as snot as I soon found out.

I paid the price and laid out a great belly flop onto the mud, and went for the only twofer of the 160 bridges.

We stopped upstream of Sunrise Blvd and got the former Citrus Road bridge, now dedicated to pedestrian use along the American River Trail. Mike gave me a history lesson and proved he really is older than dirt.

Mike doesn't read so well, and drove past the sign NO MOTOR VEHICLES to get his shot of the Sunrise Avenue Bridge.

then off to the Hazel Avenue Bridge still under construction.

Mike getting the angle on the bridge.

Drawing a bead.