Little Bang Theory

The Bissell Covered Bridge. September 26, 2010

Took a quick ride yesterday morning to the Bissell Covered Bridge, a local landmark.  After a long delay characterized by political wrangling pitting fiscally conservative (and, frankly, pragmatic) folks against those who wanted to see a complete historic restoration, the Bissell is now nicely refurbished; in fact, it’s just about entirely rebuilt:

At 92 feet in length it’s not big by New England standards, but then, neither is Mill Brook, which it spans:

The old, broken dam above the bridge is currently spilling very little water:

…though in the Spring it’s quite impressive.

Inside, this structure is amazing – complicated roof trusses create repetitive patterns:

…while the clean lines of the “long truss” design allow for window-like openings with views of the fall foliage:

The three-inch thick oak planking on the bridge deck is rock-solid and silent to drive over, unlike many older structures; time will tell how it holds up.

My favorite view here is looking downstream, where a beautiful little gneiss gorge carves its way steeply down through a forest of oaks and black birches:

All of these shots were courtesy of Elliot, my 24mm TS-E II lens, with very little tilt (I was able to shoot at relatively high f-stops and didn’t need it,) but lots of shift to control perspectives.

This spot provides photographic subjects in all seasons; you can expect to see more of it here at LBT.  😉