Jackson Hole Planning to Run Gondolas and Tram Next Season
The Jackson Hole tram in February 2020. The resort plans to run the tram next season, but at a significantly reduced capacity due to COVID-19.
According to Jackson Hole News & Guide, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has provided some detail on lift operations for the 2020-21 season. The resort plans to run all its lifts, including gondolas and the aerial tram, with capacity changes. Lifts and gondolas will be loaded with only those in the same group—those alone will be riding by themselves. The tram, which normally fits 100 people, will be run with “separate capacity considerations.”
In addition, the resort plans to operate its shops and restaurants, but with reconfigurations to allow for social distancing. It’s unclear if this means indoor dining and retail will be allowed.
Our Take
While it wouldn’t exactly be a surprise to expect fully operating lifts from a resort in a normal season, Jackson Hole is the first PeakRankings-evaluated resort to confirm the operation of enclosed lifts for next season amid continuing COVID concerns.
This summer, the JHMR lift team has been using snowmaking machines to spray disinfectant into gondola cabins. We presume they'll use similar techniques throughout the winter.
It’s less clear what they’ll do with the much larger aerial tram. Given the tight quarters that have come to define a typical Jackson Hole tram experience, we expect capacity to decrease significantly. Given the long lines the tram typically sees, perhaps we’ll see some sort of reservation system to ride up the iconic aerial lift.
The two gondolas and tram provide more than two-thirds of capacity out of Jackson Hole's main base area, and mountain operations would surely be profoundly crippled if they weren’t able to run. We’re glad the resort has come up with a plan to run these lifts—even if at a reduced capacity—and we hope they can follow through with it.
