Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Baldy gondola almost ready to roll

Last step scheduled to be completed later this month

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By TREVON MILLIARD
Express Staff Writer

Workers on Tuesday tested the first gondola cabin loaded onto the system’s cable. After the height of the cabin is properly adjusted to the loading platforms, crews plan to run the cabin through the system numerous times as a test before loading other cabins. Photo by Willy Cook

If all goes as planned, Sun Valley Resort's first gondola should see its final step of construction completed on Oct. 26.

Peter Stearns, Sun Valley's director of mountain operations, said the 56 gondola cabins will be load-tested on that date. But crews still have some work ahead of them to get there.

Two weekends ago, the River Run Trail on Bald Mountain was closed as workers spliced more than two miles of cable. Now that the cable is strung, Stearns said there shouldn't be any more trail closures related to gondola construction.

He said a retaining wall does need to be built for the footing of one tower. The 20 remaining towers along the ascent from River Run Lodge to the Roundhouse restaurant shouldn't need any more work, and neither should the terminals.

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In coming days, crews will start attaching the eight-passenger cabins along the cable ascending 6,200 linear feet. Once the cabins are securely hanging in the air, the electronics will need to be dialed in and brakes secured, Stearns said.

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Once all the little things meet approval, a successful load test will earn the gondola its certification, putting an end to seven and a half months of work. The first passengers will then be lifted 200 feet above the ground as they pass over Lower Olympic ski run. The 2,000-vertical-foot trip will take eight minutes.

Previously, a chairlift ride to the same destination took 12 minutes—four minutes on the Lower River Run lift and eight minutes on the Exhibition lift.

Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com