2nd Annual Mackinac Bridge Crossing Photos

Instead of sending everyone to my photobucket account I thought I'd put a few of the highlights right here in this thread.

Absolutely fabulous time. Only negative is that it was entirely too short a weekend. If you have a tractor to drive over you spend a lot of time getting there, getting ready, a short time on the run and a lot of time packing up and getting home... Take an extra couple of days and enjoy the areas attractions and history. You won't regret it!

If you wish to view all of the photos and video I took you can look here... They should be in chronological order.

http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt29/jaroot133/?start=all

Gravel Pit on Thursday early afternoon. This is about a 40 acre field and people were still pulling in Friday morning just before the parade was supposed to begin.



What we brought to cross the bridge... She's still in her work clothing. Working the bugs out and getting some use on her before I finish the sheet metal and get some paint on her... I have found that I have a "few" seals to replace...



A few photos of other club members and other participants arriving Thursday afternoon.









Crossing the Mackinac Bridge Thursday afternoon... Headed to St. Ignace... those towers are just over 500 feet above the water...



Mackinac Island & the Grand Hotel shot from the top of the bridge.



Welcome to Da UP Eh...





Last Years Grand Marshall... Another 2-71 powered DD... She's a beast on the track in front of a sled...



Quite a few more people have arrived as of Thursday evening. 4 - 8 pm was the public viewing time and both spectators and participants were coming in streams...





Friday morning dawned a bit cloudy but the sun quickly burnt that off... Sunrise in Mackinac City... After breakfast...



Polishing tractors for the parade Friday morning...



Field is getting crowded by 8:30 Friday morning... 900+ tractors there...







Participants were still arriving at 9am...





The ride was scheduled to begin at 10 am. The first 300 tractors were to parade through downtown Mackinac City before heading onto the bridge. The organization to get underway too a bit and by the time they came down Central Ave. it was after 11 am...



Leader of the pack... The 2009 Guest of Honor... Max Armstrong...



Few photos of tractors on the bridge... The State Police stopped the line a few times past the crest to let the line bunch up as there were some folks who were having trouble finding road gear or enough speed to keep the pace with the fire truck...









Tractors on the bridge and a 1000 foot laker downbound just after passing through the channel at Mackinac Island... She headed right under the bridge as the ride was going over...



Guest of Honor in St. Ignace... headed to the c a sino... (stupid filter)



One for the Green guys...



and the Red guys...



The 2-71 is still screaming...



Our banner...



Allis with a bit of patriotism thrown in.



State boys have em stopped again... In front of the St. Ignace Airport... Forgive the wind noise.. forgot to toss some tape over the mic...

http://s594.photobucket.com/albums/tt29/jaroot133/?action=view&current=P1170427-1.flv

Arriving at the C a sino (stupid filter)... after 3 1/2 hours... There were still 150 tractors in Mackinac City that hadn't even gotten on the bridge yet at this point...







Proud brothers (my father and uncle)...



A 420 for the ladies...



Parking lot is filling in...



Beauty of an orchard...



Sweet D21



Wicked Wheatland



A sea of color... on Friday afternoon...





Though the ride was over the festivities weren't. There was also a custom truck show in downtown St. Ignace....































The final shots of the tractors on Friday evening....





Saturday Morning's sunrise over Mackinac Island....





Headed back to troll-land...





Fort Michilimackinac. The original fort in Mackinac City... It was burnt to the ground by the British when they moved the fort to Mackinac Island. It has since been recreated and an ongoing MSU archeological dig has taken place since the 70's...

were was the field that was getting plowed in Mackinaw City? You know the name of the road, how far from bridge? I live just south of bridge but couldnt take off work to go and dont have a trailer to haul tractor back over. Really want to go next year.

(quoted from post at 06:29:13 09/21/09) were was the field that was getting plowed in Mackinaw City? You know the name of the road, how far from bridge? I live just south of bridge but couldnt take off work to go and dont have a trailer to haul tractor back over. Really want to go next year.

Click to expand...

There was no plowing going on that I know of. One fellow brought his Deere and plow but left it on the trailer as no implements are allowed behind the tractor on the ride. The staging area was the "gravel pit" 1 1/2 miles West of Mackinac City on Central Ave.

WHAT GREAT PICTURES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS FOR SHOWING EM.
LOU

Wow! Super!

GREAT Photo"s...Wish I was there on my old 8N...THAKS so much for posting the GREAT pictures. Makes me think I should try to get there next year.

Y'all certainly had a very good turnout for your annual event.

Looks like it was a very good show.

Hope you don't run out of real estate in the future; man that was a lot of tractors and trucks.

Bet it took quite a while for you to post all those photos.

Thank you so much for sharing the photos with us.

great pictures..my wife's uncle had his JD tractor there and drove her across. Jim

I was there with my wife taking pictures.We were on at the toll booth on the east side. We got there around 945 and didnt see a tractor till 1145. It was 3 when we saw the last tractor go by. Awesome time. Im like alot of others. I have 2 tractors and a trailer to haul them but I dont belong to a club as there dont seem to be one in the Mt.Pleasant area.A few of us are now looking to get one started so watch out next yr.

Terrific pictures!

KEH

Wonderful pics just wondering if that was a Toro golf tractor in the about 11 or 12th pic or the early ford autotractor wish you would have been backed another 5 feet to get the whole thing.OH well the sunset pic's made up for it.

(quoted from post at 17:38:27 09/21/09) Wonderful pics just wondering if that was a Toro golf tractor in the about 11 or 12th pic or the early ford autotractor wish you would have been backed another 5 feet to get the whole thing.OH well the sunset pic's made up for it.

Click to expand...

Never fear Roy.... Nearly 500 photos and I have a few more of her... how is this one?

Thanks Rootsy That must either be a doodle bug or the autotractor I never knew of a flat belt pulley on one like that.

Man the split ring on the front looks like it is too short. Glad it didn't come off for his sake.

How come all I can see where the photos should be, is a sign saying "upgrade to pro - bandwidth exceded"?

Because apparently Photobucket has mandated not only a storage quota but a bandwidth quota unless you now pay for a premium membership...

GRRR...

I'll move the photos to my server... I have unlimited storage and bandwidth...

I was curious as to how the ride works. Which side do you start on? Do you ride only one way? If you ride one way how do you get back to the trailer? I'd like to know how it works, that's all.
DWF

Unload your tractor at the designated location (last 2 years has been just outside of Mackinac City - South side of bridge).

Take your trailer over the bridge to St. Ignace (or wherever you want) and store at your hotel, the airport or the Kewadin C asino...

Tractors only cross the bridge once and end up at the Kewadin. From there you can load on your trailer and go home.

For those without a driver and vehicle to get them back and forth across the bridge the C asino has shuttle buses I believe that will take you.