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07/01/2007Big Mac at 50Keeping a firm grip on story was a challenge
Reporter Sheri McWhirter on the bridge’s south tower. Never before had I clung to a guardrail the way I did on the observation deck at the top of the Mackinac Bridge's south tower. I was scared and I'm not afraid to admit it. The view was spectacular, with landscapes stretching for miles and miles. Cars and tractor-trailers moved along far beneath me and several ferries to Mackinac Island splashed through the Straits of Mackinac. The height did not bother me, but the wind sure did. Gusts were blowing around 40 mph and I could barely keep my balance on the rain-slicked platform. I kept a white-knuckled grip on the guardrail at all times. When I took snapshots, I pressed my belly against the rail, if only for a false sense of stability. Only the bridge foghorn could be heard above the rush of wind, which left my ears ringing for hours. Not many folks get a chance to climb to the top of the 552-foot superstructure, and I was among the lucky few, on assignment to report on the bridge's 50th anniversary. "See if you can get up to the top of the bridge,” my editor said. Sure thing. Never mind the foggy conditions and high wind warnings for motorists on the bridge: I had a job to do. I reached the bridge's guardrail after playing Frogger with northbound vehicles, hopping the bumper rail in a hurry. The door to the tower is like an oval-shaped ship portal and conveniently located about shoulder-height. So, I had to hike my right foot up on the bumper rail and stick my left foot inside the tower door, squat down and balance just right, tuck my head inside the portal door and then crawl inside. I'm sure my performance was less than graceful. Only a couple of additional portals to climb through and then came a tiny elevator, in which two at a time can ride to near the top of the bridge. When the elevator door opened, I stood in a dark tunnel and could see only the metal rungs of a ladder and the outline of chief bridge engineer Kim Nowack climbing to the observation deck. It smelled dusty and dank while I pulled my body upwards, climbing through several even smaller manholes before bright sunlight shone inside the last opening. I pulled my head through and saw Mackinaw City at an altogether new angle. Why the only guardrail at that height was right in front of my nose, I didn't understand. But grasp it, I did. I shimmied onto the platform and took a look around, instantly gaining a visceral appreciation for the dangers faced by the workers who built the bridge and the maintenance employees who are responsible for its upkeep. And that was before I even managed to stand up. But I escaped unharmed, except for a kneecap that banged into a rivet when I was very nearly back to the exit door. Thanks to the adrenaline, I barely felt it. Sheri McWhirter is a Record-Eagle reporter based in Gaylord. She may be reached at (989) 705-1698 or at smcwhirter@record-eagle.com.
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