Interdasting - Ski Gondola

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch) 06/18/2020 at 14:51 • Filed to: None

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I’m attending a public hearing meeting on alternative transportation plans for the massively overcrowded Little Cottonwood canyon that is just up the street from me. Interestingly one of the more promising plans is a Gondola. Cars every 2 minutes and 24 minutes from base to snowbird, and another 4 to Alta. Thats not far off what it takes to drive plus it would massively cut down on traffic, smog and stanky brakes.

Of the three plans (more busses, more road and more busses and gondola) the gondola is the middle for cost, and would add an element of cool the Canyon. I’m for it. Granted it’s going to be over budget, there will be issues of land use and privatization, it will add an element of noise to the canyon, etc. But honestly it’s still better than more cars or busses in the canyon.

Granted their plan is kind of dumb as it requires to get to the base station via bus, which means you have to add 25 minutes to the ride on a bus to get to it. The resorts are lobbying to add a parking lot at the base, which would make the whole thing work.

For Sweden > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:04

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Better idea: build a wall to keep the jerries out

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:09

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I’ve been casually following this. I like the idea of a gondola . A huge parking lot at the gondola is needed, people hate buses .

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:09

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Hope they make the pricing reasonable...

HammerheadFistpunch > For Sweden 06/18/2020 at 15:13

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It’s called the Wasatch back. Jerries on one side, ski bums on the other.

HammerheadFistpunch > This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: 06/18/2020 at 15:15

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That is just the ride?  or is that the summer pass with more than transportation.  I would suspect the Gondola would be free or cheap

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:15

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They definitely need a lot at the gondola to make this work. Otherwise it’s a great idea.

This is what we'll show whenever you publish anything on Kinja: > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:16

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No sir, you want to ride that’s what it costs. Those are additional “perks” of going.

Or you could walk.

https://www.grousemountain.com/grousegrind

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Length: 2.9 kilometres (1.8 miles)

Elevation Gain: 853 metres (2,800 feet)
Base: 274 metres above sea level (900 feet)
Summit: 1,127 metres (3,700 feet)
Total Stairs: 2,830

Statistics: Annually, over 150,000 people hike the trail.
Average Time: On average it takes up to an hour and a half to complete the hike. For novice hikers, two hours is recommended.
Participants: Hikers range in age from 7 to 90, with an equal male/female split.

Or you could drive to Whistler and use their gondola:

Whistler Blackcomb Day Pass - Book by September 7, 2020

Though you get to ski for that price.

DipodomysDeserti > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:26

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A gondola would be cool. Only one I’ve been on was on Mt. Pilatus. Took it to a park near the top and had a Fourth of July BBQ with my SIL who was living in Luzern at the time. Very peaceful way to see the mountain.

TheRealBicycleBuck > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:28

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Something is a little off about their estimates. https://liftblog.com/2020/06/09/can-a-gondola-solve-little-cottonwood-canyons-woes/

They promi se “...thirty 30 passenger cabins arriving at stations every two minutes.” That means 900 people per hour can be transported, but their estimate says 5,000 people per hour per direction.

What gives?

jminer > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:29

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A gondola would be awesome - they’re always fun!

HammerheadFistpunch > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/18/2020 at 15:33

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Good question worth asking.

PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:42

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I rarely go to the cottonwood resorts but when I do it’s for backcountry. Would the gondolas be stopping anywhere other than the resorts? Also, there will be so much trash riddled below the entire path of that because people are assholes

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/18/2020 at 15:46

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I think that “b” notation is probably important here to give context. One of the other graphics is much more in line with the math, showing a little over 1000 people/hr on the gondola.

Edit: I looked it up...here is what that “b” was notating, “b The maximum hourly capacities are based on literature reviews and do not necessarily represent the gondola capacity in the Little Cottonwood Canyon setting.”

I assume that means the gondola they are specifying can in theory transport that many people per hour, but that is severely limited in reality due to other cons traints.  

HammerheadFistpunch > PowderHound 06/18/2020 at 15:49

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1. no.

2. dammit.  You aren’t wrong.  not to mention sticker city.

TheRealBicycleBuck > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 06/18/2020 at 15:50

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I spotted the superscript but assumed it pointed to a footnote not included in the article and I didn’t go looking for it. Even the other graphic doesn’t live up to expectations - their combined gondola and personal transportation total is just about 3,300 people, a far cry from the 5,000 cited in the table.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/18/2020 at 15:56

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I did actually go look for it ...here is what that “b” was notating, “b The maximum hourly capacities are based on literature reviews and do not necessarily represent the gondola capacity in the Little Cottonwood Canyon setting.”

I assume that means the gondola they are specifying can in theory transport that many people per hour, but that is severely limited in reality due to other constraints.  

The Snowman > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 15:59

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Gondola needs to be free for salt lake county residents and ungodly expensive for the ikon invaders.

HammerheadFistpunch > The Snowman 06/18/2020 at 16:02

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PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 16:02

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I didn’t think so, is payment for this coming mostly from the resorts? I would also think that putting a bunch of gondola towers across the hill or at the bottom in what is essentially all slide paths is not the greatest idea. They of course need to do something for congestion but figuring out a way to get everyone on board is certain ly going to be tough.

TheRealBicycleBuck > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 06/18/2020 at 16:04

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Other parts of the article mention that they are limiting capacity to 30 in order to reduce operating costs and allow a greater distance between towers. I suppose that would reduce the number of towers required and lower the initial construction cost.

I find it misleading to not include the actual proposed installation in the table. That is usually not an oversight. It’s done purposefully to cause confusion among the constituents.

HammerheadFistpunch > PowderHound 06/18/2020 at 16:05

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The good news is that for the most part the south slopes have good runout zones so there wouldn’t be a lot of threat from avalanches. The only weird part where be where the line crosses snowbird.

Not sure who’s paying...which is what I am very interesting in this meeting given that I am in the same zip as Alta.

PowderHound > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 16:22

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Oh yeah that entire top portion would be a mess going over snowbird and the town of Alta.

facw > HammerheadFistpunch 06/18/2020 at 18:34

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Hmm, yeah seems like you should either have parking at the base, or have the gondola continue to somewhere with parking.