Two weeks ago today (Aug 6), I was at one of my (very many) favorite places on the Wonderland Trail--crossing the very impressive suspension bridge over the Tahoma Creek.

I had left Klapatche Park that morning en route for Devil's Dream camp and on the way down from Emerald Ridge, not long before arriving at the Tahoma Creek bridge, I was overtaken by first year backcountry ranger Scott Dekkers whom I had met two days before a Golden lakes.  Scott had left that morning from Golden Lakes and by ealy afternoon had caught up with me!  (For those of you unfamiliar with the terrain in that area, that's a heck of a haul covering on the order of 10,000 feet of climb, 12,000 feet of descent, and almost 20 miles.)

Anyway, Scott and I got to talking and I mentioned that I had crossed the old Tahoma Creek swinging bridge the first time I hiked the Wonderland back in 1993.  That conversation motivated me to assemble my collection of photos taken at the bride over the years.  The years 1993, 1994, and 1995 are particularly interesting as they show the transition from the old swinging bridge to a more substantial (and way less scary) suspension bridge.

Click any image below to see a larger image or browse the complete Tahoma Creek Bridge: 1993-2008 photo album.

1993: My first time around the Wonderland Trail turned out to be the last season for the old swinging bridge. I met John and Carolyn Russi the day before on the trail from Longmire to Devil's Dream. This is Carolyn coming across the bridge.

1994: A new bridge has been erected right over the old swinging bridge which now carries the ominous warning: DO NOT CROSS / EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS

1994: A nice view of both bridges spanning the Tahoma Glacier moraine. Here you can really see hou much more substantial the new new bridge is than the old one.

1995: In 1995 I hiked the "reverse loop" for the first time and approached the bridge from the Emerald Ridge side. By this time, the old bridge had been completely removed.