"This Photo was taken of a car and travel trailer traveling down around one of the Widby Loops headed east on the Lower Columbia Highway 30. Three years later the loops were taken out and a new highway was built from the intersection of Wauna, Oregon ,westward to the top of the Clatsop Crest (2 1/2 miles) where the Bradley State Park is located .
"In 1914, J.L. Widby was resident engineer of the OSHD during the construction of these loops, and an assistant, Earl Withycombe, prepared a sign reading 'Widby Loops,' which was nailed to a tree nearby."
This is most likely Loop 4. No other loop goes downhill and bends this way to the right...I don't say Loop 2 because the grade at the loop is flat.
...seeing the guard rail answers some questions I had. This photo shows how there was both cable and wooden rail. In early postcard pictures, there was 2 rails and no cable visible. At some point, they lost one of the rails and got a cable. There's no wooden rails attached anywhere now. When I saw the first post in the top loop, I noticed the nails that used to hold the wooden rail and thought it was strange there was only one rail and a cable. I didn't know what the guard rail looked like when they bypassed it, but this picture shows that.
Still some guard rail on the upper loop.
Kirk, I bought these at postcard shows in the 80s and 90s. I have a whole box of CRH images, but I pulled out just these loopy sections for now (ignoring the Rowena Loops), knowing that you’re tackling Widby soon.
Kirk, I think that’s our rock wall at the bottom of loop 4. See it?
I see it! It could be in there...yes! ...after the final loop (#4). The wall was a pleasant surprise! But, remember how tight Loop 4 is. The smallest of all the loops. That's why I'm laying back a little on this. I can't see a wall in the early photo. Loop 4 doesn't have that wiggle in the road as it egresses away to the east from the loop. If this were Loop 4, it's way too wide of a loop that is as small as a switch-back would be.
I need to walk Loop 4 still to the end of the road further down the hill. I also need a good measurement on that large masonry wall just to the east of Loop 4.