First visitors step onto canyon skywalk

Buzz Mills

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First visitors step onto canyon skywalk

HUALAPAI INDIAN RESERVATION, Ariz. - Indian leaders and former astronauts stepped gingerly beyond the Grand Canyon's rim Tuesday, staring through the glass floor and into the 4,000-foot chasm below during the opening ceremony for a new observation deck.

A few members of the Hualapai Indian Tribe, which allowed the Grand Canyon Skywalk to be built, hopped up and down on the horseshoe-shaped structure. At its edge — 70 feet beyond the rim — the group peeked over the glass wall. "I can hear the glass cracking!" Hualapai Chairman Charlie Vaughn said playfully.

The deck is anchored deep into a limestone cliff. As people walk across it, the glass layers creak and the deck wobbles almost imperceptibly. To one side, the Colorado river appears as a slim, pea-green ribbon. To the other is a triangular dip in the canyon's ridge, known as "Eagle Point" because it looks like a bird with outstretched wings

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/ap_on_re_us/grand_canyon_skywalk
 
First visitors step onto canyon skywalk

HUALAPAI INDIAN RESERVATION, Ariz. - Indian leaders and former astronauts stepped gingerly beyond the Grand Canyon's rim Tuesday, staring through the glass floor and into the 4,000-foot chasm below during the opening ceremony for a new observation deck.

A few members of the Hualapai Indian Tribe, which allowed the Grand Canyon Skywalk to be built, hopped up and down on the horseshoe-shaped structure. At its edge — 70 feet beyond the rim — the group peeked over the glass wall. "I can hear the glass cracking!" Hualapai Chairman Charlie Vaughn said playfully.

The deck is anchored deep into a limestone cliff. As people walk across it, the glass layers creak and the deck wobbles almost imperceptibly. To one side, the Colorado river appears as a slim, pea-green ribbon. To the other is a triangular dip in the canyon's ridge, known as "Eagle Point" because it looks like a bird with outstretched wings

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/ap_on_re_us/grand_canyon_skywalk
It seems completely out of place, and certainly something I wouldn't have any interest, at all, in visiting.

Can anyone see this being immensely successful?

Maybe it will be like bungee jumping. Hey, maybe I should suggest that to the Hualapai Indian Tribe, and get part of the action---hang a bungeee jump off the end of the catwalk. Who wants to be the first one to jump. You will only stretch to 3950 feet---a 50 foot safety factor is built in. LOL
 
and cannot imagine alot of people wanting to go out onto that thing. NOT ME, that's for sure!
 
I saw this on the news today and remember talking about it with people in chat last year-took alot longer than expected to finish.

Looks out of place out there like you say Buzz
I'm pretty sure I'd crap myself walking out on that glass floor :p
 
Is there a weight capacity listed somewhere?
 
I saw this on the news today and remember talking about it with people in chat last year-took alot longer than expected to finish.

Looks out of place out there like you say Buzz
I'm pretty sure I'd crap myself walking out on that glass floor :p

That's not something that would promote the tourism aspect of this, Narla!

2wd2e01.gif
 
Is there a weight capacity listed somewhere?

The Hualapai, whose reservation is about 90 miles west of Grand Canyon National Park, allowed Las Vegas developer David Jin to build the $30 million Skywalk in hopes of creating a unique attraction on their section of the canyon.

"To me, I believe this is going to help us. We don't get any help from the outside, so, why not?" said Dallas Quasula Sr., 74, a tribal elder who was at the Skywalk. "This is going to be our bread and butter."

The tribe will include access to the deck in a variety of tour packages ranging from $49.95 to $199.00. They'll allow up to 120 people at a time to look down to the canyon floor more than 4,000 feet below, a vantage point more than twice as high as the world's tallest buildings.

The Skywalk is scheduled to open to the public March 28.

To reach the transparent deck, tourists must drive drive 14 miles on twisty, unpaved roads. But the tribe hopes it becomes the centerpiece of a budding tourism industry that includes helicopter tours, river rafting, a cowboy town and a museum of Indian replica homes.

Robert Bravo Jr., operations manager of the Hualapai tourist attractions called Grand Canyon West, said he hopes the Skywalk will double tourist traffic to the reservation this year, from about 300,000 visitors to about 600,000.
 
and was wondering if they meant that literally. Gosh! I just can't imagine being out there with creaking and movement and all. Not my cup of tea, that's for darned sure.
 
That's not something that would promote the tourism aspect of this, Narla!

2wd2e01.gif
Most people have an inherent sense of fear when it comes to heights.

I honestly can't see people walking out on that thing, unless they did it as part of a drunken dare, or they lost a very serious bet, or some guys felt challenged about their masculinity.
 
"I can hear the glass cracking!" Hualapai Chairman Charlie Vaughn said playfully.

LMAO... at least they have a sense of humor? Sounds like something my SO would do to freak me out... LoL
 
There's no way you'll ever get me out on that thing. CN tower in Toronto has glass floors and I won't even step on those.
 
My husband would do it, because he's an idiot like that..... but there is NO WAY that I would ever dare.

My kids.... well they are sometimes idiotic like DH.... and I'm not sure about whether they would be willing or not, but I know that I would not let them. Never, ever!
 
I've heard conflicting amounts on how much they are going to attempt to charge for the "privilege" of walking out on their testicle retraction and stomach sucking test of being in thin air, but it's going to be pricey.

I've got news for them. I would have to be paid a large amount of money before I became willing to take that walk.
 
I would never be able to do it. I am terrified of heights. I can barely handle a roller coaster let alone that.
 
Oh Hell no....

I do not think there is any amount of money that would encourage me to walk on that.
Glass is for windows and doors .... it should not be for floors:)
Cement!! That makes a nice floor!
 

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