Climbing From Mexico to Canada in Palm Springs, California
By anyone's standards, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is an impressive feat of engineering. Not only can it heft 80 people 6,000 feet in eight-and-a-half minutes—from the sweltering heat of the desert to the snow-dusted mountain tops that are 40 degrees cooler—but it will turn you around several times at the same time, so you can see 360 degrees without moving a muscle. The largest rotating cable car in the world (boast verified by several sources) offers the perfect escape from the Palm Springs furnace in summertime, and opens up a whole wilderness of hiking and giddy views.
If you could take just one photo:
Swaying in the wind above granite
Starting from the scorching desert climate of Palm Springs, the tramway glides up Southern California’s second tallest peak. Surrounded by glass, Palm Springs shrinks as sharp rock towers around you. The tram is sensitive to electrical activity during storms, which this writer can attest to after swaying for 10 minutes at a full stop in the wind after a bolt struck the mountain to our left. Whether your looking for a picnic getaway in a crisp pine forest or a 15 minute cheat up a mountain to begin a backpacking adventure, the Palm Springs Aerial tramway provides the feel of a Swiss alpine adventure just outside the urban crush of southern California.
Boarding the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, tourists, hikers and overnight campers file into the fully enclosed 'standing room only' tramcar. Gripping the handrail you gaze out the windows as the tram begins its smooth ascent up 5,873 feet of rugged mountain terrain. The ground beneath shrinks and you marvel at the mere feat of engineering this undertook. When suddenly, the cool factor of this tram increases tenfold! The tram slowly rotates 360 degrees allowing a breathtaking glimpse from every angle. After your ten minute ride, the doors open and the cooler mountain breeze greets you. Not just your body, but your spirit has been lifted. Just entering this park via the World’s largest rotating tramcar proved worth the trip!
By anyone's standards, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is an impressive feat of engineering. Not only can it heft 80 people 6,000 feet in eight-and-a-half minutes—from the sweltering heat of the desert to the snow-dusted mountain tops that are 40 degrees cooler—but it will turn you around several times at the same time, so you can see 360 degrees without moving a muscle. The largest rotating cable car in the world (boast verified by several sources) offers the perfect escape from the Palm Springs furnace in summertime, and opens up a whole wilderness of hiking and giddy views.
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