Planet 9

***DaveN007*** · #1 02-21-2009, 11:28 PM

I went out for a quick drive on my local country road. This spot is about 10 minutes away from my house. Obscure, yet linked to a significant amount of history. Anyone recognize the spot? Only a local would. My car is, of course, dirty...the way I love driving it. Sorry for the iPhone quality.

RobMason · #2 02-22-2009, 03:19 AM

Is this it? Sorry for picture size, but I have run out of allowable upload space.

Sutter Creek, near Coloma. I am not that local, but found it on Google Earth.

Edit: Actually I found a bridge that it looks more like, Salmon Falls Bridge, just upstream from Lake Folsom. I have taken this river trip before. Not for the weak if the water is high.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11426229

kareldeeley · #3 02-22-2009, 06:53 AM

Is it from the 'Bridges of Madison County'?

The Film with Clint Eastwood and Merryl Streep.........?

lspain · #4 02-22-2009, 07:10 AM

Originally Posted by RobMason

Sutter Creek, near Coloma. I am not that local, but found it on Google Earth.

Rob, this is a great clue! I think this bridge is near Sutter's Mill. If so, then the site is Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. This is the place where James W. Marshall found shining flecks of gold in the tailrace of the sawmill he was building for himself and John Sutter. This discovery in 1848 changed the course of California's and the nation's history.

gtscayman · #5 02-22-2009, 10:45 AM

Duh!! This is the bridge to nowhere, obviously. Look at both sides of the photo - where do they go? Nowhere. Thread finished. Kaput. Finito. El Duno. Two beers with a twist of lime to go please. You can thank me latter.

***DaveN007*** · #6 02-22-2009, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by RobMason

Is this it? Sorry for picture size, but I have run out of allowable upload space.

Sutter Creek, near Coloma. I am not that local, but found it on Google Earth.

Edit: Actually I found a bridge that it looks more like, Salmon Falls Bridge, just upstream from Lake Folsom. I have taken this river trip before. Not for the weak if the water is high.

Panoramio - Photo of Salmon Falls Bridge when the water was low in 2004.

Yes! Salmon Falls Bridge! (not the first pic)

This is where the South Fork of the American River flows into Folsom Lake. Upstream in Coloma is where gold was discovered and where the 49er's won their first Superbowl. (I'll have to check snopes to verify that last bit.)

Salmon can't make it up here any longer because of Nimbus Dam (where the fish hatchery is), and of course, Folsom Dam. The American River meets the Sacramento River at Discovery Park in Sacramento...then the Sacramento River flows out into San Francisco Bay. About 100 miles or so from this spot as the seagull flies.

And yes, it is a great place to enjoy whitewater. Satan's Cesspool. Troublemaker. etc. Famous rapids.

Salmon Falls Road is a nice road for an easy country drive when you live in the area. Plus you get to see what is up with Northern California water levels, as Folsom Lake is a significant reservoir. In the first pic you can see where the "full" level is. People jump from the bridge and you can 5mph your way a couple of miles upstream during the summer when water levels are there. Here a couple of other pics. When the water is high, rafters get towed out the last couple of miles. Thanks for visiting where I live!

* and kareldeeley, excellent guess...although you could get to Moscow faster from where you are than I could get to Madison County. In the MIDDLE of the US. :-)