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Ecological Graffiti - Photo By Brandon K Montoya - A peace sign carved into the moss growing on concrete at Fort Worden State Park.

Ecologically Safe Graffiti?

By

Brandon Montoya

—

3–5 minutes

To read

Ecologically safe graffiti? Yup. I’ve never encountered this. Only highly destructive graffiti in the forms of spray paint and carving trees and rocks.

This was new. (Fort Worden, Port Townsend)

I did have a laugh. I’m not mad at these. I did encounter a lot of broken bottles and spray painted images, so these were a relief.

Ecological Graffiti - Photo By Brandon K Montoya - A peace sign carved into the moss growing on concrete at Fort Worden State Park.
Ecological Graffiti – Photo By Brandon K Montoya

This singular glyph was part of a whole wall of moss carvings. And just because I can… yes… it is available in RedBubble.

Ecological Graffiti 2 - Photo By Brandon K Montoya
Ecological Graffiti 2 – Photo By Brandon K Montoya
Ecological Graffiti 3 - Photo By Brandon K Montoya
Ecological Graffiti 3 – Photo By Brandon K Montoya

And here’s a flashback to a scary trip for an acrophobe…

High Steel Bridge, WA

High Steel Bridge - Northern gorge skyline - Photo by Brandon K Montoya
High Steel Bridge – Northern gorge skyline – Photo by Brandon K Montoya

So this one is something I’ve known about for a while, but didn’t take the time to see until I was driving North. First, if you’re going along the canal by Hoodsport, it’s within an hour reach, and the drive isn’t too bad. Just go in sunny weather.

Want to HEAR the sounds of the gorge? Check out this recording I made I put over to Mixter.plus.

The view is FABULOUS. But also, DEADLY AF. EXHIBIT A:

Short Rail, short enough to easily fall over - Photo by Brandon K Montoya
Short Rail, short enough to easily fall over – Photo by Brandon K Montoya

Yeah if you get a little too eager taking pictures you can fall to your death. So along the north side of the bridge, be careful.

High Steel Bridge - View downward on the north side of the gorge - Photo by Brandon K Montoya
High Steel Bridge – View downward on the north side of the gorge – Photo by Brandon K Montoya

The only way to access this bridge is from the south. The north side connects to areas where people live, but it doesn’t connect back to the main highways in anyway you’d want to try and take. Do not, I repeat, do not try to bring a trailer up here. Don’t come in a motorhome either. Come in a truck or a car.

So your first challenge is the road itself, after some point it does become very gravely and when I came through there were two trees dangling over the road ready to fall the rest of the way. Like a fool I went anyway. The next up is parking…. there is none hahahahahaha… you will have to park along the side of the road.

Then turn around on the other side to leave. It’s narrowish at spots, which is why I said not to bring a trailer or a super long vehicle like a motorhome. Don’t be foolish.

High Steel Bridge - South gorge - Photo by Brandon K Montoya
High Steel Bridge – South gorge – Photo by Brandon K Montoya

Some websites with articles about this:

Matador Network

https://matadornetwork.com/watch/high-steel-bridge/

Walk 375 Feet Above Olympic National Forest on Washington’s High Steel Bridge

Washington Art + Architecture

by Matador Creators 

High Steel Bridge is one of Washington State’s most impressive engineering marvels. Heck, it’s one of the prettiest bridges in the country. The tallest railroad bridge in the US at 375 feet high, and one of the tallest bridges in the US at large, High Steel Bridge spans 685 feet of the South Fork of the Skokomish River in northwest Washington, roughly two hours west of Seattle. It’s also open to pedestrians — at least the ones who can handle the dizzying heights — making High Steel Bridge one of Washington’s most exhilarating feats of engineering, too.

Washington Trails Association

https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report-2021-06-20-7932703493

High Steel Bridge is located just southwest of the Hood Canal and spans a deep gorge containing the S Fork Skokomish River. It’s actually the tallest railroad bridge ever built in the US. It’s 365 feet above the river. It was built by the Simpson Logging company in 1929. It was converted into a road in the 50’s or 60’s. This is not really a hike but you can walk across the bridge and check out the excellent dizzying views down into the canyon. There is a trail that descends into the canyon but it is closed because it is too dangerous. It’s about a 15 min drive from 101. Google Maps directions were spot on.

Outdoors.com

https://outdoors.com/a-travelers-guide-to-washingtons-high-steel-bridge

High Steel Bridge is a feat of engineering hidden away in Washington’s Olympic National Park. You could easily stumble upon this bridge not knowing anything about it and still be shocked at what we humans have achieved. Think of the last time you crossed a stream on foot — maybe you hopped across on rocks, maybe you balanced on a fallen tree. How is it that in the same lifetime, you can find yourself standing on this massive steel marvel spanning the Skokomish River South Fork?

Wikipedia because of course:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Steel_Bridge

The High Steel Bridge is a truss arch bridge that spans the south fork of the Skokomish River, on National Forest Service road #2340 in Mason County, Washington, near the city of Shelton.[1] The bridge is 685 feet (209 m) long, and its deck is 375 feet (114 m) above the river.

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