Stairway to Heaven by Stephen Ball Via Flickr: View looking up the Haiku Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven hike. Beginning in 1942, contractors for the United States Navy began construction of the Haʻikū Radio Station, a top secret facility that was to be used to transmit radio signals to the Navy ships that were then operating throughout the Pacific. In order to obtain the necessary height for the antennae, the Navy stretched them across Haiku Valley, a natural amphitheater surrounded by high ridges. To accomplish this, they needed “easy” access to the top of the ridges, so they installed a wooden ladder up the mountain. The ladder was later replaced by a wooden staircase. Once the cable car was in operation, most workers preferred to ride the car to the upper hoist house rather than enduring the tedious climb up the stairs. Some remnant parts of the wooden ladder may still be seen beside the metal steps. The radio station was commissioned in 1943. To transmit such a powerful signal, the Navy needed a transmitter of greater capability than was then possible with vacuum tube technology. They therefore decided upon an Alexanderson alternator, a huge device capable of generating powerful radio-frequency signals, and requiring an antenna of heroic proportions. Post by Stephen Ball Photography. Please don't use this image on websites, or other media without my explicit permission, blogs OK with notification and a link back, thanks! ©2016 Stephen Ball Photography, All rights reserved.
