The Sandia Tram took its first trip up the mountain on May 7, 1966. The construction of the Tram took 24 months to complete and 60 days of testing the cable cars for safety before it was officially open for business.
Each car can currently hold 50 passengers — approximately 10,000 pounds. It travels above the Cibola National Forest with cables that are 4,000 feet long, making the trip 15 minutes both ways.
Over the Tram’s life span, it has carried more than 11 million people to the top and back. The elevation at the top of the mountain is 10,378 feet above sea level. The Tram also offers access to hiking trails and the Sandia Ski Resort.
The Tram runs daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Labor Day to Memorial Day, with the exception of maintenance days.
Text and images by Autumn Sage King.
Autumn Sage King is a freelance photographer for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at photo@dailylobo.com or on Twitter@autumnsagekingg.
