Sky walking the Grand Canyon

Lisa on the Skywalk for the inaugural “first walk”
Photo © Lisa Sonne, WorldTouristBureau.com

When I was growing up and dreamt of following in the footsteps of a great astronaut, I envisioned moon craters or Martian red soil. I did not imagine myself following Buzz Aldrin out into the space over the very Grand Canyon. But there I was -- "skywalking" behind the moonwalker -- out on the new glass walkway jutting almost 70 feet beyond the edge of the Canyon's Western Rim.

The Apollo 11 astronaut who walked on the moon on July 20, 1969, was chosen for the lead position on what's called "the first walk" above this gorgeous abyss, on March 20, 2007, before the public debut March 28th.

I am surrounded by the natural phenomenon of the setting, the human architectural feat, and the day's dynamos: Buzz Aldrin; Charlie Vaughn, the Hualapai Tribal Chief; Louise Benson, who led the Hualapai Council when the project began; David Jin, the man who first envisioned the Sky Walk and sponsored the $30 million dollar project; and John Bennett Herrington, the first Native American NASA astronaut.

There is so much here to look out at, and to look up to, but I find myself looking down instead. The idea of walking on glass is a little mesmerizing. When I peer between my feet, I see reflected clouds. I also see one of the world's most magnificent natural wonders -- layers of geological stories, sculpted by time and winds - and it fills me with awe.

Then, I remember that only 2.8 inches of glass and a lot of air separate me from the bottom of the canyon, 4,000 feet below, and I am filled with a different kind of wonder.

More than 1,200 pounds of glass, a million pounds of steel and the world's largest bolts create this U-shaped, 140-foot walkway designed to hold up to 120 people at a time. We are higher up than if we stood on the summit of the Empire State Building, the Sears Tower, the St. Louis Gateway Arch, both Petronas Towers, and the Stratosphere -- all piled on top of each other.

I had read that the open air Skywalk was designed to withstand 100-mile-an-hour winds from eight different directions and take an 8.0 earthquake with an epicenter 50 miles away. But what about all the other directions of wind? Or an earthquake 45 miles away?

I am not afraid of heights but I must admit, I had some creative nervous jitters before getting there. This amused my friends who know that I like to explore, and have heard my stories about shark attacks at night, cave crawls with tarantulas, triple somersaults in Zero G, and learning to operate a CO2-scrubber so I could be the first woman to "fly underwater." Why should I be concerned about standing on 2.8 inches of glass?

Of course, once I arrived at the beckoning Skywalk, I couldn't wait to get on. I walked up the stairs and put on the required booties so my feet wouldn't scratch the glass. The panoramic views were spectacular! When the winds kicked up and I spread my arms , I felt like I could be a bird.

Great beauty fills me with a loud joy and quiet reverence--and beauty was to my right, left, straight ahead and even at my feet. It was "magnificent" as Buzz said.

"This walkway makes the Grand Canyon even grander," added his wife Lois Aldrin, and his step-daughter Bryn Cannon beamed, "Buzz went to the moon, the North Pole, the Titanic, and now the Skywalk."

The walkway is positioned with a view of rock formations that look like an incredibly large noble eagle. Buzz noted that it was "The Eagle" that landed him on the moon almost 40 years before. The 77-year-old rocket scientist hasn't come close to retiring. With my work for his ShareSpace Foundation, I've seen a tireless advocate for people to explore space.

Back on the ground, the Hualapai (pronounced wall-a-pie) and members of other Southwest tribes danced and shared delicious fry bread. The Hualapai ("People of the Tall Pines") own a million acre reservation, including the land for the Sky Walk on the western part of the over 270 mile long Grand Canyon.

Jin and his Skywalk Development group are slated to give the "glass bridge" to the Hualapai Tribe in the future. Many tribal members hope the unique observation experience will be a source of tribal pride, an economic boon, and a magnet to their more remote section of the "Grand Canyon West" so tourists will also enjoy river rafting, their Western ranch, and some of the planned attractions like an outdoor museum of full-size Indian homes.

I wonder in the next few years how many people might also follow in Buzz's footsteps and "skywalk" out to see the rocky eagle, the thunderbird in the rocks, and the Colorado river from above?

According to the CEO of Destination Grand Canyon, Allyson Raskansky, the area is ready for the public and the March 28, 2007 opening. "There are over 30 companies offering packages. You can get there from helicopter, hummer, coach, van or your own rental car so you can set your schedule."

She assured me that in the future the sacred area will never be a "a super commercialized area -- we plan development with balance." She does plan for a resort and even a tram to the bottom of the canyon someday and recommends the websites www.destinationgrandcanyon.com or www.grandcanyonwest.com for details.

A couple of decades ago, I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and slept on the ground looking up and up and up at the wonders. I hope to do that again some day. Meanwhile, I am very grateful for the chance to be above it all, with an eagle in sight.