Friday 19 August 2016

Return to the Bullpound Railway Bridge

The last time I was here I posted about it on a May 12, 2016 post. On my prior visit I did not get all the way to the bridge. For some unexplained reason I got a bit obsessed about making it to this bridge. To be honest I get a little obsessed with some quests and a lot of them do not make a lot of sense. This time I did get all the way to the bridge. Two friends came with me. The road, or trail to be more accurate, to get close to this place had some good sized mud puddles that we were not going to be able to drive through. Not with a 2003 Chev Impala. We were going to have to walk a little further than planned. We ended up walking at least eight miles round trip over hilly terrain, getting eaten alive by mosquitos, some minor sunburn, and getting a few blisters in the process. I think we are still friends.

I know there are snakes in the area. Alberta is home to rattlesnakes, bull snakes, and garter snakes and they are in this area. We did not see any of them. We did see deer, antelope, and a very large jackrabbit. There are also lots of small cactus. I know because I saw them and unintentionally stepped on lots of them. I got stabbed in the foot a couple of times.

You can see the outline of the abandoned rail line before and after the bridge. The bridge is well built. There are some remains of old railway water tanks in the area but I did not see them. There are no roads to this bridge. I would have got a few more photos except for the bugs. We ended up almost finishing a new container of bug spray to try to keep them away.


This is what the landscape in the Drumheller, Alberta area looks like.



This is what is left of the old rail line through here.


The bridge has a wood deck. I walked about five feet onto it and heard enough cracking underneath my feet to decide not to venture further. If I knew the decking was safe I would have walked to the other side just to say I did it. The bridge crosses the Red Deer River. 

8 comments:

  1. Takes a considerable amount of determination to battle bugs and cactus in order to see that bridge. I can picture a train pulled by an old steam engine crossing the river there. You find so many abandoned things...schools, farms, houses, bridges. I wonder what life must have been like when those places were all in use.

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    1. Determination or stupidity. Once you are part way there you might as well go all in.

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  2. That was really an adventure...but from the photos, it looks like it was worth the trouble.

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  3. BW- The commentary with youir pictures adds so much to their interest.
    Please keep up the good work.

    =T.W.=

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    1. You are right. I do need to write more with posts.

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  4. I've been to the other side of the bridge. That's where the water tank was, you can still see the old foundation. Love the place. So remote. Love you sense of adventure.

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    1. That is what my mistake was, approaching from the south! I might have to go back. You and Connie do a much better job of writing about these places. I am more of a visitor.

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  5. One of my remembered joys of childhood was walking out on an old wooden deck bridge to drop rocks into the river near Clark, Wyoming. The movement of the water under the falling rock was always fun to watch. Eventually, the bridge fell down. Even now, more than 50 years later I can't look at the remains of the abutments without a little sadness.

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