Illuminated by a waxing crescent moon, Cock Robin Island Bridge crosses the Eel River beneath the glorious night sky. The lights of Ferndale glow as a pot of gold at the end of the Milky Way's arch, where the core of our galaxy rises above the horizon. The planet Jupiter is the brightest point in the sky, while its sister planet Saturn is the lesser point to Jupiter's lower left. Out of view to the right is the mouth of the Eel River. Cock Robin Island Road, Ferndale. June 26, at 11:30 p.m.
- David Wilson
- A view across the bridge from Cock Robin Island. It was an overcast and misty night on the lower Eel River, though the weather report had called for 50 percent sky cover. (My brother Seth and I never found the sky's clear half.) Downstream is to the left. June 25 at 11:08 p.m.
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Between Loleta and Ferndale, and a little to the west, the Eel River broadens and wraps itself around Cock Robin Island before depositing its fresh water into the Pacific Ocean. The island itself contains private property but connecting it to the mainland on the north side is one of Humboldt's unique bridges, the publicly accessible Cock Robin Island Bridge.
Cock Robin Island Bridge's one narrow lane offers little room to maneuver; it is barely wide enough to accommodate both a car and a pedestrian or bicyclist simultaneously, and feels very close to the river's surface — which is particularly broad here — making the journey feel longer than its approximately 750-foot span. It was a slow drive across at night to take a photograph, with thoughts of the black depths to either side swimming in my mind. I don't know how deep it really is, but it seemed deep enough. The bridge feels both narrower and longer at night.
The Pedrazzini Boat Ramp on the north side of the bridge offers public access to the lower Eel River, with a wide turn-out for vehicles. Though the boat launch was built in the early 2000s, I've found stories of folks fishing off Cock Robin Island Bridge as far back as 1935. I would love to know when the bridge itself was built but haven't come across that information yet.
To keep abreast of David Wilson's most current photography or purchase a print, visit or contact him www.mindscapefx.com or follow him on Instagram at @david_wilson_mfx and on Twitter @davidwilson_mfx .
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