The Tram is dead. Long live the Tram!

**paulster2626** · 04-07-2022, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by jackstraw

There is (was?) a little apartment in the basement of the tram building. An old mtn manager I know used to live there. Pretty cool spot.

Could never sleep there. Guaranteed haunted.

Originally Posted by baron

that's the same style (enclosed offload area) as the tram in 'where eagles dare'

Curious what % of Trams have that offload enclosed area ??? I wager they are usually in areas where downloading is more important than a pure ski/recreation area

Hey I'm just a stupid idiot on the internet, but I don't think a lot of people download at Jay. I do, however, know that Jay was designed to look very european, 1960's-ish?

Here's the bottom terminal. In fact, lets see some more Tram pics!

**baron** · 04-07-2022, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by paulster2626

Hey I'm just a stupid idiot on the internet, but I don't think a lot of people download at Jay. I do, however, know that Jay was designed to look very european, 1970's-ish?

agreed, but the one that looks like that in 'where eagles dare' is a European castle.. probably a hotel too... obviously that's where the architecture comes from

**paulster2626** · 04-07-2022, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by ghosthop

I would always prefer to wait in line for another tram car than get stuck in a chair on the Flyer for a wind hold.

To this day, one of my all time runs was through the Ullr woods into Beaver Glade. Thigh deep the entire way because the Flyer hadn't spun for three days during the storm and then the wind went to work.

My top 3 coldest chairlift experiences in my life are:
1) Flyer
2) Flyer
3) Flyer

Just brutal sometimes. You get over that crest and see the chairs ahead swinging around, and everyone just stops talking and hunkers down for the last 5 minutes of the lift ride. That wind will penetrate any chink in your armour that exists. I'm cold just thinking about it.

I remember when everything was on wind-hold during a storm there, except the Bonnie. Someone from here PM'd me with some "hike up here when this is happening" beta, and oh boy was that a good afternoon.

**schindlerpiste** · 04-07-2022, 08:43 AM

^^^
For me it was the Mt. Mansfield lift at Stowe. Even when given the wool poncho for the ride, it was COLLLD!

**Core Shot** · 04-07-2022, 08:55 AM

It’s known as the green mountain freezer

**jackstraw** · 04-07-2022, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by paulster2626

My top 3 coldest chairlift experiences in my life are:
1) Flyer
2) Flyer
3) Flyer

Just brutal sometimes. You get over that crest and see the chairs ahead swinging around, and everyone just stops talking and hunkers down for the last 5 minutes of the lift ride. That wind will penetrate any chink in your armour that exists. I'm cold just thinking about it.

Ha! So true. That lift is the worst chair in the world and especially that last 5min where you essentially gain no vert...but it is important vert...although I would have rather walked it than been sitting on that chair moving almost as slow as my walking pace.

**AK47bp** · 04-07-2022, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by paulster2626

My top 3 coldest chairlift experiences in my life are:
1) Flyer
2) Flyer
3) Flyer

Just brutal sometimes. You get over that crest and see the chairs ahead swinging around, and everyone just stops talking and hunkers down for the last 5 minutes of the lift ride. That wind will penetrate any chink in your armour that exists. I'm cold just thinking about it.

I remember when everything was on wind-hold during a storm there, except the Bonnie. Someone from here PM'd me with some "hike up here when this is happening" beta, and oh boy was that a good afternoon.

I’ve only skied Jay around 5-6 times and I agree this was the coldest lift ride of my life. Didn’t help the windchill was negative 20. I had never had to pull my entire upper body into my ski coat like a turtle before.

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**buttahflake** · 04-07-2022, 09:35 AM

Lift should be called, American Freezer. So cold

**singlesline** · 04-07-2022, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by raisingarizona13

Interestingly Telluride just had a chair 9 closing day as they plan to replace that old girl this coming summer. Although it would be a tough argument to compare the chair 9 terrain to everything off Snowbirds tram you know If you've spent any amount of time in Telluride that it's a very loved and revered lift by locals. Chair 9 though, good lawd that thing was long, cold and slow!

Chair 9 might be my favorite single lift anywhere between the runs underneath it and the solid trees off the back.

It has been a long time...guess I'll have to plan a trip next winter to see the new chair.

**Ottime** · 04-10-2022, 11:53 AM

We lodged at the bottom of Chair 8 when we visited. Our mornings were Chair 8 to Chair 9 and lap 9 for a bit before hitting those trees off the back. Very fond of that chair. It was pretty bumped up when we visited and did not mind the slow fixed grip allowing us to rest.

As for trams, I too am not a lover of trams. Waiting for a box and standing in a box. Much rather be on a chair. I visited Jackson when there as no tram, and while I missed top to bottom laps, the reality of it was the mountain skied great. Talking with locals that year, despite the lack of snow, Corbets was skiing great due to lack of traffic. The fixed grip two seater of the bowl did fine at limiting traffic, and the upper reaches were less skied than usual. I can not think of a single tam in the US that access terrain that chairs can not. So fuck that argument. Tho, I scratched a Snowbird trip last week due mostly to the tram not running (and the price of gas).

I used not even like gondolas, but that same trip to Jackson made me fond, as I lapped the gondola in the mornings for a few runs as I waited for the snow to loosen a bit, and the bitter cold to warm into the 20s.

I never saw the use of the tram at Olympic Valley, but can see how it would be great is Silverado opened early on a powder day. And then I'd ride that chairlift. Certainly would not consider lapping that tram.

**baron** · 04-10-2022, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by paulster2626

My top 3 coldest chairlift experiences in my life are:
1) Flyer
2) Flyer
3) Flyer

Just brutal sometimes. You get over that crest and see the chairs ahead swinging around, and everyone just stops talking and hunkers down for the last 5 minutes of the lift ride. That wind will penetrate any chink in your armour that exists. I'm cold just thinking about it.

I remember when everything was on wind-hold during a storm there, except the Bonnie. Someone from here PM'd me with some "hike up here when this is happening" beta, and oh boy was that a good afternoon.

I been at mt Snow with -35 wind chill... your teeth felt like they were freezing

**stuckathuntermtn** · 04-10-2022, 02:24 PM

I think Roosevelt Island still has the same tram

**Buster Highmen** · 04-10-2022, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by paulster2626

In fact, lets see some more Tram pics!

OK, lower Gemsstock:

**Core Shot** · 04-10-2022, 03:13 PM

As a Swede I’m offended that Swiss weed becomes sweed.

But I do have change for a nickel. So I got that going for me.

**waxman** · 04-10-2022, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by paulster2626

My top 3 coldest chairlift experiences in my life are:
1) Flyer
2) Flyer
3) Flyer

Just brutal sometimes. You get over that crest and see the chairs ahead swinging around, and everyone just stops talking and hunkers down for the last 5 minutes of the lift ride. That wind will penetrate any chink in your armour that exists. I'm cold just thinking about it.

I remember when everything was on wind-hold during a storm there, except the Bonnie. Someone from here PM'd me with some "hike up here when this is happening" beta, and oh boy was that a good afternoon.

I see your Flyer and raise you any chair on the backside of Tremblant. Hell, any chair at Tremblant really.

**Shred Baron** · 04-10-2022, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Ottime

I never saw the use of the tram at Olympic Valley, but can see how it would be great is Silverado opened early on a powder day. And then I'd ride that chairlift. Certainly would not consider lapping that tram.

The point of the Olympic valley team really wasn’t for the skiing. It was to get people to visit Alex Cushings self proclaimed 8th wonder of the world, the high camp lodge. That team purposefully takes the hardest route to get there just because. It can be fun lapping towers 16, or even broken arrow, especially in the spring when things are a little slow.

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**old goat** · 04-10-2022, 11:28 PM

The original plan was apparently to have a golf course at High Camp. That fell through for obvious reasons, although it might be a good fall back as things continue to warm up. And there is a disc golf course up there.

**telefreewasatch** · 04-11-2022, 06:10 AM

Originally Posted by Endlessseason

The Tram is dead. Long live the New Tram!
Attachment 411900

Memba when that photo woulda had no helmets in it?
Memba when skis were taller than skiers?
I memba!

Hope the new tram alleviates wind issues at towers and docking...

**skifishbum** · 04-11-2022, 06:16 AM

Originally Posted by Buster Highmen

OK, lower Gemsstock:

upper maggot loaded gemsstock

and a

**paulster2626** · 04-11-2022, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by waxman

I see your Flyer and raise you any chair on the backside of Tremblant. Hell, any chair at Tremblant really.

Been there many times. Tremblant can be COLD - single large mountain that sticks up above everything else for miles. Once it was so cold the mountain was empty, my dad and I just kept skiing. My face hurt. They've at least got the gondola so you can take a warm ride up once in a while. Also Mt. Snow one week when I was a kid, and I remember when the thermometer said 0F one morning and we were all celebrating because it had "finally warmed up." "That's only like -20 back home!"

None of those compare to the Flyer at Jay. That lift is designed to make you cold! There's an initial 8 min of just below normal coldness, a steady breeze enough to just make you a little bit chilly. Then you get to the top of the mountain and there's still 5 minutes of almost-no-vert lift ride left, and the wind is just HONKING. Always, every time. I also never remember it being sunny on that lift.

**Ottime** · 04-11-2022, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by old goat

The original plan was apparently to have a golf course at High Camp. That fell through for obvious reasons, although it might be a good fall back as things continue to warm up. And there is a disc golf course up there.

There will not be any water left by then to irrigate the rocks to grow grass on. Best stick with disc golf, and maybe their summer e-bike tours.

I didn't know Cushing considered High Camp the 8th Wonder of the World. I'm sure it was awesome in its heyday, but now it is just a big building near awesome terrain.

**old goat** · 04-11-2022, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Ottime

There will not be any water left by then to irrigate the rocks to grow grass on. Best stick with disc golf, and maybe their summer e-bike tours.

I didn't know Cushing considered High Camp the 8th Wonder of the World. I'm sure it was awesome in its heyday, but now it is just a big building near awesome terrain.

Don't forget the swimming pool.