California: Palm Springs AERiAL Tramway
Link on the first logo image below for official deets but the Dillers give the largest rotating tram in the world a big 👍 A 😎 for the 2.5 mile/10min ride up and back but also for the fun forest and snow waiting on top.
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A mere 2000ft drive up to the Tram departure form Palm Springs and you’re ready to ride!
One of the 5 towers on the tram ride up. Each offers a swing after cresting the tower.
The tram floor rotates slowly so you don’t have to move to see all the way around. View of the valley after tower 2.
All were excited but Jayde is not a fan of hieghts but he did great and thought it was cool… after :)
Almost to the top after Tower 4, the Chino Valley walls snaking down to the bottom.
Made it off and quite a view!
Mount San Jacinto State Park is a gem with tons of simple and advanced back country hiking. Hard to imagine but this moutnain top is a forest between deserts? We went from 80 degrees in Palm Springs to 28 degrees. We arrived at 8516 feet and then dropped down into San Jacinto for a roughly 2 mile hike around the woods and boulders surrounding Long Valley Creek and the eastern slopes. Gorgeous views of the valley as well as epic Pines offering their twisted, gangly arms as whistles for the more than 30 mph winds. With gusts into the 50s the trees sounded a chorus of banshee like cries that also cut through our FL clothing like a freeze ray… sorry the boys watched Batman vs Mr Freeze and Despicable Me this weeks so freeze ray is on the mind 😏
The cold didn’t phase at first because the boys found snow, left from a few weeks back that was still slide worthy. Bit icy so few scrapes and ice rashes to remember the fun but they felt tall as the pines sliding between boulders on wood chips they found. With some sleet mixing in and clouds engulfing the tee tops we all had a unique time on top the mountain. This Florida crew had to double-time our last mile due to some frozen fingers… it was COLD when the novelty wore off and wind picked up. 😳
Warming inside we grabbed a pizza and chicken strips at the Tram Cafe and road down after sunset enjoying the valley lights and an impromptu rock concert in the gondola. Some riders may have waited at the bar before boarding… for awhile… so when the Tram music kicked in we had a karaoke frenzy slowly rotating down a 2 inch cable. They were fun and aside from an emphatic “no Taylor Swift!” it was a lively decent into the valley!
We highly recommend this stop if you’re ever in SoCal. It was far from ideal conditions and we loved it so a good weather day would be amazing. We definitely want to get into that backcountry hiking on a future trip! Off for a quick stop in Los Angeles and then into the Sequoia and Serria Nevadas!
Above the Tram Station is a lookout. West is the forest and east the valley.
Yep follow that finger and thats where our RV is parked 18 miles away :)
Robert Rock-hopper!
A bridge, a very cold creek and a sheet of icy snow… what do you think the boys did?
These pine trees are the biggest I’ve seen and the arms sprawl in some crazy shapes.
Found a hill, snow and a piece of wood from a tree, what else should they do?
Jayden lost his wood plank and the snow isn’t too soft and his butt isn’t that padded :)
Cool leaving …
Cool arriving…
Just cool!
View southeast as clouds roll over the mountain.
If a tree falls in the forest across a path and the rangers hear it… this happens!
Cool panomrama on top the mountain.
There are red spots on these rocks Dad… Ok thats good now head back down :)
View east of the Salton Sea.
Now lest go down with the lights on!
Bottom of the Tram is lighting the way with Palm Springs beckoning.
