Nobody's mentioned the part that sorta bugs me on re-examination; the danged thing has a glass WALL all around it; dirt on the glass wall, dirt on the floor, photo ops will suck big-time. pfffft....
Robt.
Good observation! (No pun intended, really...)
However, I can imagine them making you alter your footwear so that you won't drag scratchy desert grit out there. Maybe special slippers, or those paper things the plumber puts over his boots when he makes a house call.
At $25 per person, I wonder how many sticky-fingered four-year-olds will be out there pressing their noses to the glass...?
This is going to be on the Indian reservation, not the national park part of the canyon. I'm sure they are building it to get tourist to come spend money. I hate seeing them build tourist attractions on the rim, but this is in a place very few people currently go. It's not the most scenic part of the canyon by any means.
Also note that what is shown on the site is an artists rendering. In engineering the artist rendering is different then the real thing. They have been talking about this for awhile and I've seen a few different renderings, including one with suspension.
I'm sure it will be plenty safe because they are building it to make money, not kill tourist.
Personally, the best views of the canyon is from the bottom. Seeing it any other way, you are still missing out on the best parts.
Wow! If they manage to build it, the views will be spectacular. But there is no *Possible* way that I would step one micron on that span. I'll just wait for someone else to take the pictures so that way I can admire from afar without having my fear of heights kick in.
"While this thread was active I composed a brief message to the architectural firm asking about the environmental and economic impact of the Skywalk project. These are the two responses I received:
It is heart warming to hear that although your group has environmental concerns you are also compassionate enough to realize that this project might (and will) have a major impact on the future generations of the Hualapai Tribe. I feel that your group has taken the time to think this out and therefore I have forwarded your email to Sheri Yellowhawk, the CEO of the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation for a personal reply.
I can assure you that the tribe always considers balance between protecting the land that they cherish and the future of the children that will be protecting their legacy for generations to come.
We hope to see you at Grand Canyon West.
Allison Raskansky, President and CEO
Destination Grand Canyon"
"I have been referred to you per some questions you have regarding the Skywalk. The tribe views this as another way to see the canyon. It is not in the main corridor but a side canyon. We have completed all necessary environmental reviews for this project. I cannot expose the terms of the contract with the investor but I assure you that I would not endorse a deal that is not highly beneficial to the tribe. The Hualapai Tribe also does not have gaming and does not intend to engage in operating a casino due to a variety of factors. The economic impact to the people of the Hualapai will be enormous with our already existing 30-70% unemployment levels and high poverty. A person would not fully understand until they actually visited Peach Springs and interacted with the people to understand the suffering. I live in Peach Springs, am a tribal member, and intend to die here. The entire world has made a choice about what will be an eyesore and what would not, it is up to the individual and if they do not want to see a building that matches the canyon walls and see 4,000 feet below them, they can go to the traditional park, wait two hours to get in, ride around for another hour for parking, and watch all the buses zoom buy with their exhaust in your face. It is not a wilderness or peaceful experience when you visit the south rim because you share it with 4.7 million visitors a year. Our Skywalk experience will be quiet and personal. We are not building a power plant or high rise building, we are complimenting the canyon and providing something new to the world. As with everything else, some will enjoy it and some will not.
Sheri K YellowHawk, CEO
Hwal'Bay Ba:j Enterprises dba.
Grand Canyon Resort Corporation"
Hopefully there will be some holes in the floor and walls - the distortion from 4 inches of glass will be difficult to eliminate otherwise.
One will just have to look through the glass at right angles to it and hope that the glass is completely planar. Me, I'd probably have my eyes so firmly shut that my forehead throbs, so it wouldn't matter.
I just saw an article in the paper about the Glass Observation Deck called Skywalk that will be suspended over the Grand Canyon and remembered this forum thread.
Construction began in April 2005 and they have it set to open in March 2007.
To quote architect Mark Johnson, "Skywalk will be built to withstand canyon winds of 100 mph and be capable of holding a few hundred people without bending. It will have shock absorbers to keep it from wobbling up and down like a diving board and making people woozy."
I could be wrong, and I probably am. But when I was a kid I thought I heard a story of a big slab rock that hung out over the canyon with a guard rail so people could look out and down. And that this rock broke and several people died. Has anyone else heard of this? Maybe from the sixties or seventies.
I could be wrong, and I probably am. But when I was a kid I thought I heard a story of a big slab rock that hung out over the canyon with a guard rail so people could look out and down. And that this rock broke and several people died. Has anyone else heard of this? Maybe from the sixties or seventies.
I think it was some members of the crew from the Brady Bunch special when they went to the Grand Canyon. Bobby got killed too, but they found a double that looked just like him. However, if you watch closely, Bobby is left-handed after that episode.
I am surprised that no-one has made the obvious comment. Who allowed them to deface a natural wonder. Next there will be rows of condos all along the canyon.
Prolly because this is all fake. Just having fun with it...
It's definitely not fake. I was on the construcion site for this in early november. It's located in the Hualapai Nation at Grand Canyon West. Although it's defintiely a commercial venture for the Hualapai I don't think you'll see condos lining the canyon rim just yet.
I think it was some members of the crew from the Brady Bunch special when they went to the Grand Canyon. Bobby got killed too, but they found a double that looked just like him. However, if you watch closely, Bobby is left-handed after that episode.
Ooooh let me guess....you are actually little Cindi with the blonde ponytails....hehehehe!
I think it was some members of the crew from the Brady Bunch special when they went to the Grand Canyon. Bobby got killed too, but they found a double that looked just like him. However, if you watch closely, Bobby is left-handed after that episode.
Ooooh let me guess....you are actually little Cindi with the blonde ponytails....hehehehe!
