The islands of Hawaii are known for their exquisite beauty and legendary tropical resorts. The Aloha State is viewed as paradise by the state’s many visitors, another name could be The Big Island. Regardless of what you call it; Oahu has had its fair share of tourists and many have the pleasure of trying to hike the forbidden “Haiku Stairs” or the aptly named Stairway to Heaven, also know as the Haiku Ladder.
Whatever you want to call the staircase that was built by the United States Navy in the 1940s as a way to traverse the climb to their radio transmitter, since it was changed to a galvanized steel staircase in the mid-1950s. The Haiku Stairs were then closed to the public in 1987, though the stairs were repaired in 2003 costing almost $1 million. But for the almost 30 years it has actually been out of commission, hikers and tourists alike have not taken heed to the No Trespassing signs and still continue the climb.
The 3,922 steps that go along Oahu’s Koolahu Mountain lead to the fascinating overlook. There’s said to be 100 people a week cited, some arrested, for making the climb since there were guards posted November 2014 at the bottom of the staircase. Recently though, last month over the Valentine’s Day weekend, the mountain was hit by a storm that triggered a landslide, destroying part of the staircase and making it more treacherous for hikers to make the climb.
The Board of Water Supply, who owns the land which holds the Haiku Stairs, is looking to figure out a way to remove the staircase altogether, eliminating the hassle of having to have security and worry about deterring hikers whom are getting hurt or lost.
The directors on the Board of Water Supply would prefer to transfer the fabled Stairway to Heaven to an agency that could handle the stairs and the land that under them, but no other agency has stepped up to the challenge, hence why they would find it easier to be rid of the burden.
Community Organizations have offered to take on the repairs and make the famous staircase more for tourists, but to no avail so until there can be made a decision the fate of these beautiful stairs remains undetermined.
Climb IU Program Challenges Employees Into Healthier Lifestyle Competition
In other staircase news, Indiana University Healthy IU has created an incentive based program called Climb IU, which challenges employees and other participants to climb at least 56 flights of stairs in a three week period. The challenge started January 29th and ended on February 19th.
The idea behind the challenge was for employees to become more active and integrate walking up and down the stairs as a daily routine and also help save energy.
There were over 1,500 employees registered to the three week challenge, with contestants able to win various prizes, but overall to improve their health and wellness. According to the statistics, utilizing the stairs burns twice as many calories as walking and incorporating just six flights of stairs a day in your life can help you lose up to 18 pounds in over a years’ time.
(Source: Indiana Daily Student)
Straight Stairs For Your Home Or Property
If you are looking to accessorize your home or property with a new straight staircase, Acadia Stairs specializes in designing modern staircases for the contemporary home. However, as evidenced by many of our straight stair designs, we are able to deftly blend tradition and innovation.
Acadia Stairs will design and fabricate stairs that you’d like to see in your home made with steel or stainless steel stringers. The stringer or stringers are the support for the treads of the staircase. In having a stringer made of steel, the stair is very precise, strong and durable. These stairs can be made to have a much more open look than a typical wooden box stair, and the wood won’t last nearly as long.
The most popular option that we design among our straight stairs is the single stringer stairs, which are sometimes referred to as center or mono stringer staircase. These stairs provide both a modern and elegant look, depending on the client’s direction. However, our double and pan-type staircase options are also increasingly popular among clients searching for a specific or different look and increased durability. The double stringer stairs are also a more economical option for our customers.
We will fabricate your custom straight metal stairs to your specifications, as we make them precisely to the shop drawings. Additionally, we will ship our stair parts or pre-made stairs to any place in the country. If you have any questions or if you would like to learn more about the many options we offer, please contact us today.
