Exploring Drawbridge

tisuntisun Registered Users Posts: 435 Major grins
edited November 10, 2008 in Journeys
My commute by train during weekdays takes me through Drawbridge, a ghost town north of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Jose</st1:place></st1:city>. I have peered through the train window for a few years now looking for trails that would eventually take me to this place. Encouraged by dadwtwins' recent visit (http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=107687), I decided to explore the town during the day to know my way around before attempting any sunset shoot. I plotted a route to Drawbridge from Alviso, uploaded waypoints to my Garmin Forerunner, and enlisted a friend to bike to Drawbridge.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391738031_73GdY-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
We started out at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Alviso</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Marina</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">County</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> just before noon. The park closes at sunset and the gate to the parking lot is locked after hours. Do not park the car in the parking lot if you want to stay after sunset.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391714829_LL8iR-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
It's a lot faster to go by bicycles than to walk. There are hard packed trails that get to within a mile of the town. We biked on a trail beside the train track.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391715920_57WYk-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Along the way, we saw what looked like a floodgate.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391716233_QDAQb-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
When the trail ran across the track, we left our bikes behind and went along the track on foot. There is no other direct way to get to Drawbridge.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391716630_DEzZg-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
After half a mile, we reached a bridge across Coyote Creek. Drawbridge is on the other side of this bridge. The bridge is narrow so we made sure no train was about to share the bridge at the same time.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391717543_4ABe5-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
According to the ACE and Amtrak schedules I printed, an ACE train was expected to come soon. In fact, after we crossed the bridge, we saw the headlights of an oncoming train. I snapped a couple housing structures while waiting for the train to pass. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391717933_ehShD-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391718096_Ljneg-L.jpg<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
The train passed by… fast!<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
391718247_aANuM-L.jpg

More later...

Comments

  • summerzsummerz Registered Users Posts: 494 Major grins
    edited October 14, 2008
    Nice pics, thanks for the tour.thumb.gif
    Looking forward to seeing more.
  • mountainhousemountainhouse Registered Users Posts: 91 Big grins
    edited October 14, 2008
    Nice! I've always wanted to ride further down, but never get past Pleasanton. ne_nau.gif
    Smugmug galleries
  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited October 14, 2008
    Fascinating. I love the shot of the train! Looking forward to seeing more.
    http://www.deegolden.smugmug.com
    http://www.twitter.com/deegolden
  • tisuntisun Registered Users Posts: 435 Major grins
    edited October 16, 2008
    Thanks, summerz, mountainhouse and Dee.

    After the ACE train left, we had a 15-minute window to shoot before an Amtrak train came through. Then another 15-minute window before another Amtrak train passed.

    I brought only my 70-200 lens, so I could get closeup shots without wandering off the track. This lens would become too long when I walked close to a dilapidated structure. My goal for this trip was just to scout the location without spending too much time setting up for the shots.

    391718805_7pdHK-L.jpg

    391719312_W5cmN-L.jpg

    391720339_2GWxs-L.jpg

    395223593_JS4jV-L.jpg

    391721510_9BBg8-L.jpg

    However, as the train came, we had to get off the track by taking a path toward one of those dilapidated structures. You can see the path on the right side of the photo below, taken with my P&S:

    395136213_fZ9UF-L.jpg

    The grass was tall. For this shot of the train, I had to reach up.

    391721824_uWTS7-L.jpg

    Since we were now close to a structure, a few closeup shots.

    Water heater:
    391722795_HDfro-L.jpg

    Circuit box:
    391723274_MT9PT-L.jpg

    391714660_zf4GB-L.jpg

    Thanks for viewing.
  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited October 16, 2008
    Looks like those structures won't be around much longer. I liked the details you posted. There's a group from soocool.com who have made a couple of trips out to Drawbridge. I see the graffiti guys have gone there too. Geesh!

    Too much walking for me, so I enjoy seeing the photos.
    http://www.deegolden.smugmug.com
    http://www.twitter.com/deegolden
  • tisuntisun Registered Users Posts: 435 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2008
    Dee,

    It's interesting that you mentioned graffiti. I definitely saw graffiti. Apparently, the town is not isolated enough. On the way down to the South Bay by train that morning, I snapped this photo of a graffiti on a trailer through the train window.

    400067400_gQYEC-L.jpg


    Later, I saw this graffiti at Drawbridge.

    395137953_w8MDF-L.jpg


    Must be the same artist.
  • DeeDee Registered Users Posts: 2,981 Major grins
    edited November 4, 2008
    Well at least that's "interesting" graffiti, so much of it is just random squiggles just meant to deface and annoy (or whatever drives graffiti spray painters).
    http://www.deegolden.smugmug.com
    http://www.twitter.com/deegolden
  • dadwtwinsdadwtwins Registered Users Posts: 804 Major grins
    edited November 4, 2008
    tisun wrote:
    The train passed by… fast!<o:p></o:p>
    <o:p> </o:p>
    391718247_aANuM-L.jpg

    More later...

    This is a great composition. Thanks for posting.<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" > From your post, biking most of the way there is the way to go. I will try that next time I make it out there.
    My Homepage :thumb-->http://dthorp.smugmug.com
    My Photo Blog -->http://dthorpphoto.blogspot.com/
  • tisuntisun Registered Users Posts: 435 Major grins
    edited November 6, 2008
    Dan,

    Thanks. Biking will have you a lot of time. Bring a U lock, just in case. Oh, don't forget to bring a decent flash light.
  • dadwtwinsdadwtwins Registered Users Posts: 804 Major grins
    edited November 7, 2008
    tisun wrote:
    Dan,

    Thanks. Biking will have you a lot of time. Bring a U lock, just in case. Oh, don't forget to bring a decent flash light.

    U lock is a great idea. You never know when that old lady ghost may take our bikesrolleyes1.gif

    I am going to try to make it out there before winter really starts to flood the area. Thanks again for the great info
    My Homepage :thumb-->http://dthorp.smugmug.com
    My Photo Blog -->http://dthorpphoto.blogspot.com/
  • tisuntisun Registered Users Posts: 435 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2008
    dadwtwins wrote:
    U lock is a great idea. You never know when that old lady ghost may take our bikesrolleyes1.gif

    I am going to try to make it out there before winter really starts to flood the area. Thanks again for the great info

    That old lady seems to make a lasting impression on you. :D
  • dadwtwinsdadwtwins Registered Users Posts: 804 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2008
    tisun wrote:
    That old lady seems to make a lasting impression on you. :D

    It was just too weird of a situation. The way she was dressed, the condition of the bike she was on, the way she acted towards us and the fact she just popped out freaked the heck out of us. Obviously, I watched way too many horror movies late night on Creature Features when I was a kidrolleyes1.gif
    My Homepage :thumb-->http://dthorp.smugmug.com
    My Photo Blog -->http://dthorpphoto.blogspot.com/
Sign In or Register to comment.