Depending how many are on the canopy walk, you can experience bounce and sway. All three of us did, and we thought we were being careful not to cause that. I thought my husband was directly behind me causing it to bounce, but when I turned around he was far behind me. It still was fun, but expect some bounce. Gayle Wohlken Sent from my iPhone > On Sep 11, 2015, at 1:31 PM, Haans Petruschke <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Hi, and wow, > > I'm impressed by the interest in this great addition to Holden. So many > questions I will try to address in a general post rather than individually. > > First as David and Brian point out, I got the date of opening to the > general public wrong. It is MONDAY September 14. > > Hours of operation are 9 am to 5 pm daily weather permitting. The tower > will close for the season on November 1st. If you have a group who would > be interested in the tower and walkway contact Holden Visitor services at > 440-942-4400 to make arrangements and ask questions. > > The tower is an open structure. The stairway starts on the outside and > when you get to the tree tops the stairs move inside the main supports. > The trees and then the supports always provide a feeling of being inside. > There are 200 steps and 4 or 5 intermediate platforms where you can stop. > These are very interesting because they provide a view of different canopy > levels from the understory to the tree tops. The top of the tower is about > 30 feet above the treetops so you look down into the trees. The platform > right below the top offers great views of everything without the open > feeling of the top. From the platform just below the top to the top > platform there is a center spiral staircase. Some people don't like those, > and they will be fine on the immediately lower level. The decking is an > open grate structure with embedded grit and so offers very very secure > footing. The decking has a load rating of 100 pounds per square inch and > so does not move or flex at all underfoot. > > At the very top you may notice a slight sway. This is designed in and you > get used to it very quickly. There is a 4 foot high rail all around that > has a mesh covering hildren can easily see through. The railing cants > outward about 10 degrees but it all provides plenty of handhold and feels > very secure. > > For the truly acrophobic, the tower may prove troublesome. My suggestion > is to go up until you start to feel uncomfortable . I have one friend who > does not even like the look of the tower. But has no trouble with the > canopy walk > > A few other details about the tower before talking about the walkway. As > mentioned previously the tower is 120 feet tall or above ground level. The > top of the tower is 1106 feet mean sea level. On a clear day looking > roughly north the horizon on lake Erie is about 28.27 miles away. From the > Northeast to the West Northwest, the distance you can see is largely > limited by surrounding higher elevations which are often higher than than > the tower itself. The shore of Lake Erie is 8 miles from the tower at the > nearest point. > > As I may have mentioned, the tower offers an amazing view of unbroken and > unfragmented forest unlike you what will find in a metropolitan area of > more than 3 million people outside of Kirtland. > > The canopy walkway is much lower than the tower and is wheelchair > accessable. The walkway consists of 3 suspension bridges which go over a > branch of Piersons Creek, that cuts a ravine. The height of the walk and > the depth of the ravine put you into the forest canopy without having to > climb much at all. Again the rails are about 4 feet high and have a mesh > that children can see through easily but not get though. From a birding > perspective the walk way has more potential I think as it puts you right > into the level of forest dwelling species. The bridges have no noticeable > bounce and minimal sway. > > Overall Holden has done a fantastic job of making both structures > accommodating and extremely safe. The total project cost was, as I recall, > over $2 million. So these are first rate structures of the highest > standard as you would find at National Park. > > Kirtland is very accessible from everywhere. Holden is only about 28 > minutes door to door drive time from downtown Cleveland. Two exits on the > I90 are just a few miles from Holden so you will only spend about 10 > minutes getting there once you are off the interstate. > > I hope that covers all of the questions. > > Haans > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]