New England Cannon Mt. Tram comes in over budget.

[JoeSchmoe]

I've only rode Jay Peak and Snowbird trams. My experience is gondolas are way better.

Trams are a PITA to wait for, as the capacity sucks. I'd guess they can take less than half the skiers compared to a gondola. Worst feeling is missing the tram by 1.

Not getting to sit down for a rest on a tram is a minus.

In a gondola you can have a better conversation with your cabin mates (friends or strangers).

Getting packed in like sardines sucks most of all. I'd rather look out a gondola window than the back of someone's helmet.

My $0.02 anyhow.

 

[raisingarizona]

They should get the folks that are installing the Black Chair at Magic to come in to get it done for 18 mill.

 

[Nathanvg]

What's wrong with the tram as is? It was designed to last another 30 years and has had some degree of overhaul already.

 

[Guy in Shorts]

Old Gem needs a little upgrade. May have to wait if the price is too high.

 

[Johnny V.]

While it hasn't happened to me at Cannon, I was on a tram in Italy once where a spontaneous dance party broke out

Only time I've been on a tram when that was possible was during last years gathering at Snowbird when we downloaded following @Jim Kenney rather than ski through a whiteout. Every other time it's been sardine city..........

 

[Bolder]

I've only rode Jay Peak and Snowbird trams. My experience is gondolas are way better.

Trams are a PITA to wait for, as the capacity sucks. I'd guess they can take less than half the skiers compared to a gondola. Worst feeling is missing the tram by 1.

Not getting to sit down for a rest on a tram is a minus.

In a gondola you can have a better conversation with your cabin mates (friends or strangers).

Getting packed in like sardines sucks most of all. I'd rather look out a gondola window than the back of someone's helmet.

My $0.02 anyhow.

Getting up the hill – Part 3: Aerial trams, the king of ski lifts

You know you’ve made it as a ski bum if you can say you’ve been to a ski resort with an aerial tram. These lifts convey an elegance to a ski resort like nothing else. Because you appear suspended…

skibums.wordpress.com

^^very interesting article, apologies if it was posted upthread. I agree that trams are way more romantic, and some of them are incredibly breathaking. The tram from Ortisei to the Seceda in Val Gardena is terrifying, in a good way. And let's not even talk about the Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix...good lord. (although that technically might be a gondola?)

I agree that as a skier, give me a gondola/bubble lift any day. I need to sit down, blow my nose, snack, adjust gear etc. Can't do that on a tram with 100 sweaty strangers blowing covid germs all around.

 

[JoeSchmoe]

Getting up the hill – Part 3: Aerial trams, the king of ski lifts

You know you’ve made it as a ski bum if you can say you’ve been to a ski resort with an aerial tram. These lifts convey an elegance to a ski resort like nothing else. Because you appear suspended…

skibums.wordpress.com

^^very interesting article, apologies if it was posted upthread. I agree that trams are way more romantic, and some of them are incredibly breathaking. The tram from Ortisei to the Seceda in Val Gardena is terrifying, in a good way. And let's not even talk about the Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix...good lord. (although that technically might be a gondola?)

I agree that as a skier, give me a gondola/bubble lift any day. I need to sit down, blow my nose, snack, adjust gear etc. Can't do that on a tram with 100 sweaty strangers blowing covid germs all around.

Cool article.

Reading it reminded me I have also been on the Snowbasin Olympic Tram. Maybe it's the short distance, the steepness, or the low traffic, but that's a tram that seems to make sense over a chairlift.

 

[James]

I've been on a few in Germany and Austria. They seem more popular there for whatever reason. They weren't busy and this was the shoulder season, not summer or winter. They're quiet and yeah definitely more scenic. For skiing I think it's a no brainer, gondola 100%.

I’ve ridden one in Switzerland many times that takes 150 people and is often full. It’s always nearly packed. Another one that takes fewer you can get fairly open at odd times.

The main reason for trams is they use very few towers. You can get a very long lift with few towers. The upper Aiguille du Midi tram in Chamonix has no intermediate towers, just beginning and end. It’s steep, and nuts.

They should get the folks that are installing the Black Chair at Magic to come in to get it done for 18 mill.

That would work. By the time those people are done, skiing will probably be one month a season and it’ll be just sight seeing. However the cost would likely triple as redoing uncle bob’s work several times would be necessary.