A checkered past

But what of the history, what of that checkered past (and future) of this mighty bridge? What feelings and emotions came over me while in its presence? By far, the main feelings I had were mostly an incredible sense of awe and amazement. A sense of just being overwhelmed…. A jaw-dropping steel and concrete structure set into a wild and rugged place where one would never expect to see such a sight. That was my first, and still enduring impression of the New River Gorge Bridge and the land around it. Truth be told, I did briefly think of the hundreds of people who chose this bridge as a way to end their lives, especially while I was looking down over the edge while riding across. A horrifying eight second plunge to the bottom of the gorge where certain grisly death awaits… I cannot fathom anyone actually making that choice. But sadly there are those who do, and by some accounts roughly a half dozen or so victims leap to their deaths from that bridge every year. It is very much like the Golden Gate Bridge. A thing of beauty and grandeur that is, for some, a sinister instrument of death. Now that I’ve seen it up close, and walked its span, I really hate to think of The New River Gorge Bridge that way. I don’t want to see it in that negative light. I want to see and remember it for its beauty and majesty; its impressive scale and superb engineering. The surreal and captivating experience I had while traversing its deck truss walkway. The glory of its Eden-like surroundings; the bright blue sky that framed so many of the pictures I took of it. Despite its dark past, it had none of the creepiness of the Key Bridge. That slain ashen-colored steel monster that once lurked, straddling the Patapsco River, is now nothing more than scrap metal. But this magnificent umber-hued monster bridge that spans the New River Gorge will be there for a long, long time, I feel. Those without a will to continue living shall still come, yes; as will the adventurers, the walkers, the admirers and the curious. And so on and on, as long as this monumental metal monster continues to rule the primeval land around it.