Post by nickchu

• Due to harsh weather, the Sandia Tramway in New Mexico left 19 employees and 2 tram operators stranded for hours. The icy weather and high winds on New Year’s Eve caused the tram cables to tangle and stalled the tram. The descending cabin was carrying 20 people, including 19 restaurant employees and 1 operator. An ascending cabin contained a single operator. The emergency rescue was started in the morning by the owner who climbed the tower and then onto the cabin roof. Eventually a host of other emergency workers helped harness people up and lower them to the ground. They were then flown by helicopter to the base. All were back to safety by 3:45 p.m.

• The Jerusalem cable car has received support from the state despite opposition from the ministers of transportation and environmental protection. In Israel’s highest court, the government expressed their approval for the project despite the ministers objections and said the project should not be changed or canceled. Those opposing the cable car cite impacts to scenery and the sensitivity of the area. Read more of the Gondola Project’s coverage here.

• Staff at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming started digging trenches at 2 am to restore power to the resort and get lifts running. On a Tuesday night the power went out and staff searched through the night to find the problem which affected lifts, the lodge, the restaurant, and more. With still no power in the morning the Bridger and Sweetwater gondolas, as well as the Marmot Double and Teton Quad, had to be closed. Finally, on Wednesday night, a faulty wire was found. On Thursday at 2 a.m., resort staff with headlamps dug a 500-foot trench by hand in knee-deep snow for a new power cable which restored power by morning.