In a quest to find a new Railfanning spot in Leavenworth Kansas, I had quite the adventure—and still failed to get the shot.
I was told that the “Riverfront Park” that is located underneath the Missouri State Highway 90 Bridge would be a wonderful place to watch trains. So, this afternoon I had a couple of hours to go out and see if this were true. Driving through town, I followed the signs to find the park. As I drove over the hill approaching the park, I watched the Railroad Crossing Barriers lift, signaling tat a train had just passed by. Disappointed that I may have missed the only train I thought I’d have time for, I set out to see what the viewing was actually like. Driving into the campground at the park, I immediately saw that the view would be blocked by the trees and bushes lining the security fence. I got out and walked through the camping area anyway to see if there was possibly a usable site. I found none.
Not to be detoured, I found a trail that went deeper into the woods. Hoping that trail would lead to a better vantage point, I began to walk the narrow trail. I was first concerned about snakes. It was an area of high vegetation with a thick wet mud along the ground. The trail is about 25 meters from the Missouri River, so the ground is very damp. But, I continued to walk. I grew up around woods—I was sure I could handle myself. I walked with my camera around my neck and my 32once drink from the PX in hand. I paid no attention to the fishermen at their fishing spot behind me—I knew what I was doing.
As I creeped deeper into the woods, I saw that the fence had stopped, but no relief from the foliage. Then I heard a train whistle followed by the sound of a slowly approaching train. I was still in the middle of the woods and had to figure out how to try for the shot. I put my drink down and suddenly was covered with mosquitoes. As I was trying to swat those mosquitoes having a feeding frenzy on my bare legs and arms, I was still trying to get the shot. All I could find was a small hole in the trees, I quickly took my photos, barely got some part of the train and quickly left those woods slapping the bugs. Even as I write this—I still feel the occasional imaginary tickle of a mosquito.
Sadly, I missed the shot I had wanted—but the day at that spot was over for good. I did learn a lesson to think about mosquitoes the next time I think about walking into a swampy area to take a train photo.