Crossing the bridge for the first time with minimal load

Figured I would try crossing the bridge with just a small load of wood to begin with. I was quite nervous but I guess the 6x6 with the supports underneath will work after all. Now I just have to worry about flood water washing it down stream.

That is a nice bridge, by golly.

An alternative to the 6x6s would have been to drop a couple of decent hardwood trees (black locust would be best, but any good hardwood would do) and use them for stringers instead. If you are nervous about it with a load of wood, you could probably retrofit something like that. If you're seriously worried about it washing away, chain it to a nearby tree.

Dylan the beech was indeed further up on the trail which is high and dry. I'm not sure what species of maple I have on the property, but it burns nicely.

I had considered dropping some hardwood trees for the main beams but I wasn't sure how long they would hold up in that moist environment. All the lumber used was pressure treated. I was nervous crossing the bridge because I have never built one before, I didn't want to take a swim at the end of January ) I plan on chaining or cabling the main beams to the nearest large tree.