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| Palm Springs Aerial Tramway |
While I have been to Palm Springs numerous times, the Tramway has always been kind of a mystery to me. It is unseen from the freeway, tucked into a canyon; the idea of riding it has always been a daunting thought to me. Confronting my fear of traveling up the steep cliffs aboard a seemingly fragile tramway, Steve and I recently embarked on a trip to the top.
First we had spent some time in prayer that I would have the peace of God covering me. For me this was an exercise in faith...faith that not only would we arrive at the top, but also that a lifelong fear could be conquered!
All throughout the valley station and boarding area were pictures and details of the cost and construction of this engineering marvel. Families were gathered with their little ones, seeming to be quite unconcerned about the journey ahead. While I was still anxious about this journey, it was soon time for us to board the tram for the upward leg of our adventure. Instead of standing on the rotating floor along the windows, I chose to sit on a bench in the center, looking at views of the sky and cliff below and behind us.
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| photo credit: website |
We chose to hike along a loop trail with 5 desert outlooks, each one on the edge of the rocky mountain. I was struck by how beautiful it was to be so high up and be able to see so far! I was so glad that I had faced my fear, and made it to the top of the tramway. On the tram ride back down, my peace had increased and I was able to stand on the rotating floor and enjoy the 360 degree view during the 10 minute ride to the bottom.
If you are facing a wall of fear that is keeping you from enjoying something amazing, be sure to face it and ask the Lord to help you overcome it; I am so glad that I did!
He is faithful to be
with you and help you!
"For I, the Lord your God,
will hold your right hand,
saying to you,
'Fear not, I will help you.'"
Isaiah 41:13
I had an interest in how this tramway could be constructed up such a steep canyon. If that is what you are wondering as well, you can check their website to see all the technical details.
Below is a synopsis of the history of the Tramway, also from the website:
The
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, constructed in the rugged Chino Canyon on the
north edge of Palm Springs, did not just happen. It required foresight, planning, financing and,
most of all, vision.
As a young electrical engineer, Francis
Crocker’s dream began in 1935 while he was on a trip to Banning, California,
with newspaper publisher Carl Barkow. Mopping his brow in the heat of the day,
Crocker gazed at the still snow-capped peak of Mount San Jacinto 10,834 feet
elevation and longed to “go up there where it’s nice and cool”. At that moment,
“Crocker’s Folly,” as it was soon dubbed by one newspaper woman, was born – a
tramway up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon.
Government red tape, World War II and
the Korean War, caused setbacks and delays in the plans. So while the vision
began in 1935, construction began many years later.
By 1950, technicians were moving ahead on designs for the
tramway, spending more than $250,000 solving riddles of road and tower
construction. Funds for the construction of the Tramway were raised by the sale
of $8.15 million in private revenue bonds. Culver Nichols, who donated the land
for the Valley Station and parking lots, helped stretch the funds raised. Not
one cent of public funds were used for either the construction or operation of
the Tramway. The 35-year bonds were successfully paid off in 1996.
Construction of the Tramway was an engineering challenge and
was soon labeled the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” The superlative was earned
because of the ingenious use of helicopters in erecting four of the five
supporting towers. Twenty-years later, the Tramway was designated an historical
civil engineering landmark.
Since 1963, nearly 18 million people have traveled the 10-minute, 2.5-mile ride, which begins at the Valley Station (elevation 2,643 feet) and ends at the Mountain Station (elevation 8,516 feet).
