Confronting Fear

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.  

photo credit: website

Of course we safely arrived at the top where views of the entire Palm Springs valley stretched far below us. From the top of the tramway, there are many views from the station building and decking, and behind that, there are several trails to enjoy through the forested mountain top, 8,000 to 10,000 feet above the valley.

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.

Francis Crocker’s dream was completed in 1963; the inaugural ride occurred on September 12th of that year with local and state dignitaries, and celebrities on hand. Crocker rode the Tramway numerous times and fellow passengers often would receive a narration from him as they rode up to “where it was nice and cool.” Francis Crocker died in 1992.

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).