The shrinking Snowbird tram

The 2,500 skiable acres that Snowbird ski resort claims are accessed by 10 chairlifts plus its iconic tram that can normally welcome 125 skiers and snowboarders within its large cabin, and whisk them 2,900 vertical feet, in approximately seven minutes, to the top of the mountain.

This summer and more likely this winter too, if nothing changes, mask-wearing passengers will be limited to just 25! Talk about a massive drop in uphill capacity…

Today, all of Snowbird lifts boast a total capacity of 17,400 riders per hour, but its tram capacity alone will dwindle from 1,000 to just 200 passengers per hour.

Now, I can see the lines going down 6 miles to the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon on busy weekends!

If the resort’s total lift capacity were to be cut by say, two-third or half, we’d be looking at a total capacity comprised between 5,800 to 8,700 people per hour.

Unless something is done to allow a full chairlift load with masked riders, patience will now trump audacity when someone's considering to ski the “Bird”!