Palm Springs Tramway an E-Ticket ride through the Valley
On Oct. 24, 2000, the United States Congress established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.
The act stated that it was done ‘to preserve the nationally significant biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational, and scientific values found in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and to secure now and for future generations the opportunity to experience and enjoy the magnificent vistas, wildlife, lalandformsand natural and cultural resources in these mountains.’
Who says Congress doesn’t do serious work sometimes?
Of course, the bill could have just stated that ‘we want to preserve these lands in perpetuity because they are so frigging awesome.’
Gavel drop!
Recently, my buddy Paul and I found ourselves wandering down a snow-packed trail toward the ranger station just west of the main building housing the Palm Springs Tramway, just a short distance north of Palm Springs.
We hadn’t just found ourselves there; the trip had been planned. It wasn’t as if we turned south at the corner at Hesperia Road and Bear Valley, and suddenly we were 8,516 feet above sea level in the Mt. San Jacinto State Park.
“Dude,” Paul might have said, “I thought we were going to Harbor Freight for some tools.”
No, there were a few places I had wanted to check out in Coachella Valley, and the tram in Palm Springs was one of them.
My beautiful wife Laureen couldn’t make the trip, but we had been up the tram a few times and loved each trip.
What wasn’t there to love?
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – the official name, is the world’s largest rotating tram car. There are two of them, one going up and one going down simultaneously.
“The car coming down the mountaintop is pulling the car up the tram,” the young lady piloting the tram explained. “And both cars are moving at the same speed, but it feels as though going down is faster.”
As the steep sides of the canyon walls passed by the wall of windows of the car, it seemed as though we were crawling up the mountainside when suddenly, the downward vehicle sped past.
“I think they were doing eighty,” I said to Paul.
He didn’t bother to acknowledge my statement.
The entire trip from the base of Chino Canyon to the mountain station on top only takes ten minutes. But, those ten minutes are lovely not only with the views of the Coachella Valley taking in the various cities located there but the car sways back and forth a bit, especially when passing one of the five towers which hold the cables supporting the trams.
“When we pass number three,” announced the pilot, “you’ll feel a slight shudder, more than the other towers.”
It turned out to be an E-ticket ride.
The guy beside me blanched in the face, and I moved behind another rider for protection.
A little over two and a half miles of distance is covered from the base to the top, nearly straight up. It makes for a thrilling ride with endless views across the desert floor, rapidly receding in the distance.
On the way up, there is a commentary describing when the tram was built, the weight of the cables, where helicopters landed while installing the steel towers, and other exciting information.
W learned from the commentary that many crazy workers and crazier helicopter pilots had decided to build a tram on the side of a mountain.
“Wilbur,” one pilot may have said to one of the cable installers, “Let’s see if I can land this helicopter on a small patch of flat rock against that cliff.”
“Just get one skid on it, and I’ll jump out with the cable between my teeth and a wrench in my hands. Yeehaw!”
A roadway can reach only the first tower. The other four had to be installed with helicopters and some brave workers. Nearly 23,000 flights were needed to finish the tramway.
But let’s start at the beginning – always a good place.
Francis F. Crocker, an electrical engineer, visited the city of Banning in 1935 and proposed building a tram up the side of the San Jacinto Mountains to the top.
“Why would you want to build a tram?” someone may have asked Crocker.
Sweating from the summer heat in Banning, Crocker replied, “Because it’s hot down here, and up there on the top of the mountain, it’s cooler. Way cooler.”
The task seemed impossible, and a newspaper dubbed the idea ‘Crocker’s Folly.’
Later, Crocker’s idea took hold, and construction began in 1960, with the tram opening in September o963. Because of the use of helicopters in constructing the towers, the project was considered a remarkable engineering feat.
“People love coming up during the summers since the temperature is usually forty degrees cooler than on the desert floor,” remarked Ranger Jed.
Ranger Jed was with the park service, and his current job was manning the small ranger station a short walk from the mountain station where the cable cars stop.
His primary duty was the safety of the hikers, skiers, campers, and others whiting the Mt. San Jacinto Park area.
“I just returned from time in Mammoth where we practiced winter rescues,” he stated. “We even built ice caves to spend the nights in case we got stuck during a rescue. Yes, it was cold, but we must keep at it to be at our best.”
There can be over 300 rescues annually along the nearly 50 miles of hiking trails and other wilderness areas within the park.
“We keep busy, that’s for sure,” he explained. “Many injuries are broken wrists, a sprained ankle, and the like, but we take them all very seriously. Of course, there are those times when a real tragedy occurs, and there is loss of life.”
Many people, according to Ranger Jed, come up to the mountains and don’t follow simple common sense.
“Sometimes, when people are sliding down the ice on a hill, they may use a tree to stop their descent. That’s when bad accidents happen. No one should be hiking around here in the winter without the proper experience and equipment. One small slip could be a person’s last.”
In fact, a wilderness pass is required for those planning on going into the wilderness. The permits are free and a good thing to have.
People do get lost and need to be found.
After taking our leave from Ranger Jed, we wandered back toward the mountain station, and I was amazed at how many families were playing in the snow.
Throwing snowballs, catching snowballs, getting hit by snowballs – everyone was having a great day.
A large group of monks walked by, and one gentleman asked me if I had seen any bighorn sheep.
Though bighorn sheep often occupy high grounds as we were in, they prefer elevations below 1,000 feet during the winter.
I did my research before this trip, hoping to glimpse these incredible Ovis Canadensis.
“Sorry, but no sheep today,” I replied.
“Thank you,” he said while giving me a quick bow.
I had not researched meeting a monk on a mountain trail, so I bowed back.
He grinned.
Folks were sunning themselves on the large outdoor patio on the west side of the mountain station. Snow on the ground but a clear blue sunny sky – the temperature was perfect.
Inside the three-story Swiss-styled mountain station is the Pines Cafe, the Peaks Restaurant, the Lookout Lounge, a natural history museum, a couple of theatres for documentaries, a gift shop, and observation decks facing east toward the Coachella Valley.
Since it was mid-afternoon and we had already eaten before climbing aboard the tram, I suggested an adult libation in the lounge.
The lounge has an unbelievably gorgeous panoramic eastward view of the Coachella Valley.
As another destination was in store for us, we finished our beverages and headed for the exit to board the downward tram car.
Folks were already lining up as we got into line and began speaking with the gentleman doing the headcount for the return guests.
“The fully rotating cars were installed bn 2000, replacing the stationary cars that are now on display in the parking lots below,” he informed us.
“How many people do these cars hold?” Paul asked.
“They can hold up to eighty, but today I’m going on a weight ratio,” he replied while looking at me, “I think sixty-four will be the limit for this trip.”
I had had one Stella, not a keg, at the Lookout Lounge.
Any season is worth the trip up the cables to the mountain station. There is so much to do for anyone or any family. Just remember to travel light and limit your Stella-intake.
For more information - https://pstramway.com/
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Palm Springs Tramway an E-Ticket ride through the Valley
