BIG SKY — In her goal to visit all 50 states, Lynda Blackburn from Texas decided to get as high as possible without an airplane on her trip to Montana. She took a ride on the Lone Peak Tram to the top of the 11,166-foot tall mountain on July 5.
“I absolutely loved it,” said the 82-year-old after stepping off the large windowed cabin that hangs from a cable for the 4,600-foot ride. “It was truly amazing.”
Using a cane for support on the tram platform, she then moved to a four-wheel-drive pickup. The truck, which had seats in the bed, quickly transported Blackburn and the rest of the group “a comically short distance,” as noted by guide Tim Dietz. The shuttle made a stop at the top of the Swift Current chairlift for tour participants to slide back down to the ski area’s base.
Lynda Blackburn steps off the Lone Peak Tram after a tour to the top of the 11,166-foot peak. The cars can hold 75 passengers, but are limited to about 50 in the winter. The tram runs at a top speed of 23 mph.
Brett French
New tram
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Although the grand opening of the Lone Peak Tram occurred during the ski season, some parts of it are still in the process of being built. Crews are assembling the structure for a clear geodesic dome near the tram base on weekdays. As a result, tram tours like the one Blackburn experienced are limited to weekends.
One of several ongoing projects at Big Sky Resort this summer is the construction of a new gondola that will travel from the base area to the tram. Heavy machinery is currently active on the mountainside, with welders at work, crane arms lifting large pieces of metal into place, and various construction projects underway.
“In a couple of years when we finish our new gondola, you’ll be able to step out of your hotel room, get on the gondola for a fully enclosed ride,” Dietz explained to the tour group on their way to the tram. “You can take the gondola all the way up to the base of the tram, and then ride the tram to the peak. And you could do all of this in your slippers with a coffee in hand, without needing ski boots. You don’t have to be an experienced skier at all, which is fantastic.”
The mix of people participating in the tour to the summit of Big Sky Resort perfectly embodies what Stacie Harris envisioned when Boyne Resorts USA, her employer, announced the revival of summer tours to Lone Mountain after a three-year break, inaugurating on July 4. The aim was to make one of the most extreme environments accessible to everyone.
“So in future summers, this tour could potentially be self-guided,” expressed Harris, Big Sky Resort’s public relations manager. “You could reach the top of Lone Peak in 18-20 minutes.”
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