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LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — People riding the tram at Snowbird will soon get an experience unlike any other in the country.
Resort officials on Tuesday unveiled the design of two new cabins for its tram service to Hidden Peak, which will offer a rooftop balcony for riders in the summer months — a first-of-its-kind feature in the United States.
The current aerial tram cabins, which date back to Snowbird's opening in 1971 and have traveled close to 795,000 miles, will make their last run on April 3 before they are retired. The tram service will remain offline while the new tram cabins are installed.
The new tram cabins are expected to be up and running in late June.
"As Snowbird celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are recognizing both our storied past and making a thrilling upgrade to our iconic aerial tram," said Dave Fields, president and general manager of Snowbird, in a statement Tuesday. "The tram and Snowbird have provided year-round excitement for five decades, but the new tram cabins promise to take this excitement to a whole new level."
The new cabins were constructed by the Doppelmayr Group in Olten, Switzerland, and are currently on the way to their permanent home at the resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon, according to Snowbird executives. They say the cabins with a "sleek exterior design" will feature floor-to-ceiling windows and three, 3-foot by 3-foot glass floor panels so riders can view the ground below.
The roof balcony has enough space for as many as 15 people, who will have "unobstructed 360-degree views of Peruvian Gulch, Mount Superior, and more, as an upgrade to summertime scenic tram rides," according to Snowbird.
The rooftop balcony will be available to riders during the summertime once the tram is back in service in June.
