Wow, I was just commenting on the beauty of this part of NY in another post. This is a great shot. You have kept the subject simple for us. It is a great way to frame the beautiful foliage with the river, and shore lines leading us right back to enjoy the interesting lines of the bridge. The sky is dramatic (compare it to the dull sky in the second photo) the reflections of the trees in the river only adds to the overall image. I like the way the bridge line is at an angle, too, not just flat across the view. IMO you have not over saturated the trees. Wonderful colors jumping out at us.
BTW I believe the Appalachian trail goes right over that bridge!
The second photo is way less dramatic and I think you are stretching it a bit to claim much of a reflection of the bridge, and the tree reflections are okay, but more a range of color rather than sharp reflections.! I usually prefer close-up images like this as compared to the more distant view of your first image, but I find the exact opposite here. I think those people on the bridge give us a neat perspective, but others might not agree. In short if you had only submitted this image, I would react favorably for a nice scene of fall, but it is that top photo that wins the prize!