Snowbird’s Aerial Tram climbs 2,900 feet in elevation, supported by four towers along its route ranging from 70 to 140 feet in height.


Photo credit: Matt Crawley, courtesy of Snowbird.


Maintenance on the Tram system is daily, comprising a year-round staff of 19. “We’re responsible for all the lifts at Snowbird,” Taxwood added. “Tere are eleven lifts total, which also includes the power distribution system for the whole mountain. Because we run basically seven days a week in our high season, there’s people here everyday.” Daily visual inspections of the cables are the norm,


as well as annual electro-magnetic inspections, along with a host of other responsibilities like oiling cables and keeping a sharp eye on weather forecasts. One good thing, said Taxwood, “Fortunately, the whole tram line is above the trees, so it’s a nice advantage not having to worry about any of that. “And as far as safety, anything that has gone wrong has been of a minor nature—power issues or electrical issues over time. But we haven’t experienced any stranded people or emergency evacuations in my time here.” Te Tram cable replacement project ran from April


18 to June 18, with the crew working seven days a week, often more than 12 hours per day. “We ended up with six additional guys—not part of our internal staff,” Taxwood noted. “Two Canadians, two Swiss guys, and two guys from the Salt Lake office at Doppelmayr.”


WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2017 31


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