Wondering about wild grapes

Monday, June 23, 2014

Wondering, Bridge or Cable.

One year ago today, a fellow named Wallenda decided he wanted to be on the other side of the Colorado river.  There were a couple of problems.  One was that there was no bridge.  The other was that the river was way down in a gorge near the Grand Canyon National Park.  So, he did what any red blooded boy would do, he strung a cable across the gorge.  How he did that I have no idea.  It would take a mighty big diameter cable to be able to just support its own weight for that distance.  And of course, the bigger the cable diameter, the more surface he had to walk on.

This next picture shows the depth of the canyon near the place where he strung the cable:


 Back when I was young, I could stand next to the edge without any fear at all.  Not so, now that I am old.

Here he is part way through his daring walk:

That yellow thing hanging down from the cable must be used to try to stabilize the movement of the wire.  I looked at other pictures that I didn't post that shows that they are about three or four feet long.

The huge size of the cable must have made it easier to walk on but how the heck did they get it strung from one side to the other?


Just looking at that last picture makes me dizzy.  Oh, that's right, I am already Dizzy.  So, choose a wide bridge to cross and have a great day, you hear? 

5 comments:

  1. Looking at that last photo you posted makes me think Sr. Wallenda used a projectile towing a small cord which then was used to haul a stout line which then had a small cable attached which was used to haul in the wire hawser that he is walking upon. "I shot an arrow in the air ... it landed, I know not where. Ouch, now I know!

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    1. I thought the same thing but wasn't sure. Man will always find a way to do or make what he wants.

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  2. That is how I get a rope in a tree. I tied a heavy item onto a string and tie the rope to the other end. When I throw the heavy object, the string follows, so I can pull the rope across the limb. It works for me. I would never want to stand near the edge of that. Several hundred feet back would by my distance.

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    1. We armature radio operators (hams) put up lots of antennas that way. I usually tie a cord to an arrow and shoot it over the limb I want it to be attached to.

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  3. When Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls they used a helicopter to stretch a lighter weight wire across first. That wire was then tied to the cable and it was pulled across.

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