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SNOWBIRD — If you’re an avid skier, you’ve probably ridden the tram at Snowbird. But, late next month the tram is shutting down for a major upgrade to the tune of almost $2 million.
The tram runs from the plaza area of the resort to the top of Hidden Peak. The cars are guided by so-called “track cables” for the 1.6-mile trip. These cables, and there are two for each tram car, are the original cables that were first installed when Snowbird opened in 1971.
“We have an inspection every year,” says Kirk Ottman, Snowbird’s tram and lift electrical manager. “We’ve been told by our inspector for the past five years that we should start thinking about changing the cables out.”
And so, next month, the steel cables will be removed and replaced. There are four cables; each one is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and each weighs about 50-tons.
“Every cable out there in ski-lift world has broken wires, ours also has them,” Ottman says. “They’re just getting excessive. They’re not unsafe; it’s just time for a change.”
Snowbird’s tram is one of 18 in North America. It’s not the longest or the biggest in terms of skier capacity. But when you think of Snowbird, Ottman says, the tram certainly is top of mind.
“I think the tram is an icon, not just for Snowbird, but also for Utah. If you ever watch the tourism commercials on TV you always see the tram going by,” he said.
But on April 18 the tram will stop running, and the complicated job of removing the old cables and installing new ones will begin in earnest. The new cables will be on spools at the base of the tram building and will be pulled up the mountain by the tram itself. As the new cables go into place, the old cable will be spooled and hauled away.
Ottman said because of safety concerns, about a third of the resorts runs will be inaccessible to skiers. Once we start pulling cable and attaching the new and pulling the old, we’re going to close the entire Peruvian side of the mountain down, including the skier’s bridge.
It’ll take about two months to complete the project; the hope is to have the tram up and running again around Father’s Day weekend, just in time for those summer scenic rides.
A crew of 12 will be working 10- to 12-hour days, seven days a week to get the project done.
“Oh it’s massive, and it’s something we’ve been dreading to do for a long time now,” Ottman said.
