I have not forgotten about the bridge project, but I have had a little break from it because of a busy schedule.  I did make it out again last week to do some photos at the old CPR rail bridge.  It was a chilly day with wind chill below -30c, but there was hoar frost and a beautiful winter landscape to be had.

I ended up grabbing a total of eight images that I like enough to share here.  But have yet to pick my favorite from the day.  To view any of the photos large, just click on the image.

The Walkway

The first one to share is a shot on the pedestrian walkway crossing from the parking lot on Spadina over to the University side of the bridge.  This walkway always seems a little rickety to me, so I wanted to show some of the gaps between the boards.  In the end I decided to include my feet in the shot as I think they help tell a better story.  The water below can be seen between the rails on the right side of the frame.

Hoar Frost and the Bridge

The next two photos go together.  The hoar frost was strongest on the university side of the bridge, and I had a shot in my head of framing a small segment of the bridge between the frosted branches half way down the river bank.  I personally like it better in the horizontal format.

The Walking Path

The next two shots are also partners.  I again wanted to show parts of the bridge framed amongst the frosted branches, but focusing on the walkway below the university side of the bridge.  Although less recognizable as the old CPR rail bridge than the above images, I hope it would be recognizable enough to people who have walked, ran or cycled on the pathway.  I hope it also draws the viewer into the scene a bit more.

Rails

The next two are another set of partner images.  I was drawn to the lines of the rail tracks on the bridge, including the inner segment that runs the length of the bridge.  I think the top one is more recognizable as being part of the bridge, but also really like the snow and frost patterns on the steel in the second closer image.

Animal Tracks and Bridge Supports

The last one is a bit of a different perspective.  Even though it is cold here the river never freezes thanks to fast running water and a sewage treatment plant upstream of the city.  The bridge supports are also impressive, built like a ship’s prow and clad in metal to deal with the ice moving downstream.  When I peered over the edge I liked the lines formed by the river, ice, animal tracks, and vegetation to help add interest to the bridge support. I did consider waiting a bit to see if some wildlife would show up to add another element to the scene, but quickly realized that would be a very very long wait in very cold temperatures.

Update – the I have since selected this shot of the animal tracks and bridge supports as my final for the project, and added it to the 26 bridges page.