Old Salmon Falls Bridge

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Old Salmon Falls Bridge over the South Fork American River in El Dorado Hills. A historical landmark for El Dorado County. I have always been fascinated with this bridge. 100 years old and may not be around too much longer. Every time we get a lot of rain it spends a lot of time underwater because of Folsom Dam. After the record breaking amount of rain/snow of 2022-23, it spent close to two years underwater, which caused the section on the shore of the north side to collapse, making it barely crossable now. It is only a matter of time before another section collapses. I really wanted to get a good photo of this bridge before it was gone forever. I thought it was still underwater, but I had heard in a facebook group that it had finally resurfaced. So for the past month or so, every time it looked like we may get a good sunset and I had the time, I would make the drive over here, hoping for a good photo. I got this one on the third try, and I almost missed it. I had my camera on my tripod, and it was 15 minutes passed the usual time of sunset, and not much had happened. So I decided to count my losses and start packing up my gear. I took my camera off the tripod and put it away, and when I turned around to go pack up my tripod, all of the sudden the sky lit up. I couldn't believe it. I took my camera back out, put it back on the tripod as fast as I could, and started taking photos. The colors in the sky, the reflection off the water, the bridge stretching across the river, it was all how I envisioned it. I got the photo I wanted, immortalizing this old bridge that may be gone soon. This bridge holds a special place in my heart, it was one of the first hikes I ever did in the area, and it was what inspired me to get more into hiking and photography. This will forever be one of my favorite photos, not because of how great it looks, but because of the sentimental value this bridge holds for me. If the day comes when it does collapse, it just makes the photograph that much more meaningful for me. Show more