Views at Big Intervale

The skies had become mostly overcast by the time I got back to the bridge in Big Intervale, but I stopped for several photos of this beautiful place anyway. An occasional ray of light made it through the clouds and onto the landscape, but these are mostly “cloudy-bright” photos at best. The photos here were all taken near the bridge and on both sides of the river.

Photo #1 looks at the two bridges that, this day at least, crossed the Northeast Margaree River, the old green truss bridge at the left and the replacement Bailey bridge at the right. I fully expect that the green truss bridge, now blocked off from traffic, though still traversable on foot, will be gone when next I return to this lovely spot. The crane that was used to install the Bailey bridge was behind where I stood to take this shot and I expect it will be used to remove the green bridge. While it is sad indeed to see these graceful old bridges disappear one by one, especially when their replacements are significantly less pleasing to the eye, I got down on the banks of the river for some photos (none of which appear here as those shot from the bridge are better) and looked at the underpinnings of the truss bridge, which were indeed in parlous shape. It would clearly have cost more to restore it than to replace it. Significant work was done reïnforcing the banks with new facing rocks, seen at the far right, and creating a new open area beside the bridge that did not previously exist. In spite of the poor lighting, noticeable colour adorns the slopes of the Highlands above the West Big Intervale Road, which runs on the far side of the bridge here.

Photo #2 was taken from the west side of the bridge and looks upstream at the Northeast Margaree River. Again, the light is poor and no sun lit up the colours on the slopes of the Highlands west of the River, but good colours including some nice reds cover these mountainsides as well. The West Big Intervale Road, here hidden by the trees, continues north for another 2.4 km (1½ mi) to Forest Glen, in a valley where Alder Brook and Forest Glen Brook, both tributaries of the Northeast Margaree River, come together; the road follows the River on the southern portion of this drive, but the River veers off to the northeast while the road continues north.

[continued below]

Photo #3, taken from the west side of the bridge, looks downstream as the Northeast Margaree River makes its excursion off to the tip of Sugarloaf Mountain, which occupies the right half of the photo. Lovely colours, brightened by a stray ray of sun or two, line the river banks, including some very pretty yellow-green trees on the west bank. The River looks placid here, but was moving briskly along.

Photo #4, taken from the east bank of the river, captures another stray ray of sun lighting up the Highlands above the West Big Intervale Road. The many greens and yellows are here interwoven with oranges and some reds. A few trees near the summit are bare, but most still have their leaves.

[continued below]

Photo #5 is a closer view at the lovely trees along the west bank of the Northeast Margaree River. Sugarloaf Mountain is at the left and runs across the whole photo, but the trees hide it from view on the right.

Photo #6, taken near the house at the end of the bridge, looks across a field in Big Intervale. Sugarloaf Mountain forms the backdrop at the left; the unnamed Highlands are at the right, with the River flowing in the gap between. The West Big Intervale Road is behind the line of red-orange trees.

[continued below]

Photo #7 shows a stunning red tree on the east side of the River that grabbed my eye and said look at me! A fair amount of chlorophyll remains in some of the leaves, so it is not yet at peak. What a glorious specimen all the same!

Photo #8 shows a much smaller tree at the edge of the newly laid facing rocks on the west bank of the River, spared by the renovations to the river bank. It, too, is a gorgeous red. Its taller neighbours sport both reds and red-oranges and sit among other trees of a different ilk. The surface of the road can be seen in the background.