Post by: Preacherman on August 26, 2005, 06:28:32 AM
August 26, 2005
Take a 4,000ft-high walk on glass for new Grand Canyon view
From Chris Ayres in Los Angeles
A TRIBE of native Americans is preparing to build a glassbottomed walkway out over the Grand Canyon, allowing tourists to float over the Colorado River 4,000ft below.
The skywalk will extend 70ft over the canyons south rim in a horseshoe shape. Its glass bottom will be supported by steel beams and will comfortably carry 120 people one hopes. It is scheduled to open in January, provided an insurance company can be found to underwrite it.
In theory, the skywalk will allow visitors to experience the vastness of the canyon in Arizona without having to take a helicopter or boat tour.
It will offer a unique view of the rock strata, which range in age from the 230-million-year-old Kaibab limestone at the top, to the 1.7-billion-year-old Vishnu schist at the very bottom of the inner gorge. Youre basically looking 4,000ft down. Its a whole new way to experience the Grand Canyon, said Sheri Yellowhawk, chief executive of the corporation, which is overseeing the project.
The walkway is part of a $40 million (£22.2 million) effort by the Hualapai tribe to turn 1,000 acres of reservation land along the canyons south rim into a tourist destination that could include a resort, golf course and campground.
The Grand Canyon National Park which has no control over the reservation land has not objected, saying the skywalk will attract those who want a Las Vegas thrill while its own area will still draw those interested in nature.
The Hualapais destination, to be known as Grand Canyon West, will also feature an Indian village and Western-themed town, which are scheduled to open next Thursday. Visitors to the skywalk will pay $25. The Hualapais hope it will help to double the number of tourists to their area to 500,000 a year.
The reservation still has a long way to go before it can compete with the national park: about 4.3 million tourists went to the official visitors area at the south rim in 2004.
Ms Yellowhawk said her tribe, which has about 2,000 members, needed to improve the infrastructure before Grand Canyon West could grow into an important destination.
David Jin, the skywalks architect, insists that it will be safe, but he will build a café and patio next to it for those who bottle out at the last minute. Its pretty scary, he admitted.
Post by: garyk/nm on August 26, 2005, 09:06:07 AM
That said, I hope it works out. Sounds cool.
Post by: Sindawe on August 26, 2005, 09:12:56 AM
Post by: Azrael256 on August 26, 2005, 09:22:11 AM
Post by: cfabe on August 26, 2005, 09:53:24 AM
Post by: cordex on August 26, 2005, 10:10:18 AM
But I doubt I'd pay $25 to.
And I wouldn't want to be out there with 120 other people, either.
Post by: Guest on August 26, 2005, 12:02:32 PM
Post by: griz on August 26, 2005, 12:10:28 PM
Post by: Nathaniel Firethorn on August 26, 2005, 12:19:00 PM
Quote
As an engineer I know that if done properly that thing would be prefectly safe.
If.
- NF
Post by: grampster on August 26, 2005, 12:57:08 PM