re: Any experience with bridge building at a camp?

Better put some riprap on at least the upstream side or it'll be gone quick.

Are there any good, straight, similar diameter trees in this canal? If so, cut two down across canal.

I bought a 48' flat tractor trailer that had been wrecked. The deck was slightly warped. I think I paid $650 (scrap price). Nobody can notice the slight warp when I drive over it but it was twisted enough that it would not pull down the highway correctly. I drug it to the site with my tractor and then drove all the way around (we have access to both sides but it is a long drive, this was for convenience). Then used the tractor to pull it across the creek. Of course gravity pulled it down into the bank so I used the lift arms and some chain tied off to a tree to slowly lift the trailer until the edge was higher than the bank then drug it across the end. Our creek is only 28' across but we were worried about the water that occasionally gets out of the creek washing it away. I bought enough 1/2" wire cable to secure it to some large trees. It has been underwater several times and it has not moved. We used a box blade to drag some dirt to make ramps but that only lasted a few years, we finally bit the bullet and had a load of rip rap delivered and that fixed it correctly.