Cannon's Tram to Close Before Replacement Ready

TomWhite

Cannon Mountain to Retire, Eventually Replace Aerial Tram
This is Peter Landsman lead story today. He is a member of SJ.
It seems very odd that the tram will be closed long before the new one is built. Especially since Leitner-Poma, the only bidder, was $11M over the state's allocation. We've not heard, nor does Peter mention, problems with the current 1981 system. A closure announcement is due this summer.
https://liftblog.com/

justkeepmovingne

That... is an enormous hit to my enjoyment of Cannon as a ski area. Very unfortunate. At least it's not a Jay Peak situation where if they ever shut the quad, you're in for a walk for a top-to-bottom ski, but this is a bummer.

If the tram is actually unsafe to run this winter, I get it, but it seems silly to not have a replacement or even a timeline established.

ceo

My inner cynical asshole wonders if this is a maneuver to generate more public pressure towards replacing the thing. But more likely it's a matter of required maintenance, lack of parts availability, that sort of thing. Going to try to get a last ride on it sometime this summer; I've been riding it since it was built but haven't for a few years.

Sully

If I purchased a season pass for next year, I would be furious about this. Even as just an Indy Pass holder I'm super bummed knowing I won't get a chance to ride the tram, even if it is a bit of an awkward layout.

abubob

TomWhite

Liftblogers are saying things SJers have said:

5 thoughts on “Cannon Mountain to Retire, Eventually Replace Aerial Tram”
wh2oshredder's avatar
wh2oshredder
July 14, 2025 / 11:12 am
So does that mean it will be a Leitner-Poma tram?

Evan Grubis's avatar
Evan Grubis
July 14, 2025 / 11:29 am
Never been here before, but it looks to me like the left parking lot will be devoid of lift access, and a whole lot of runs will be hard to lap, especially the blues right above that parking lot. I wonder if they will run bus service to the base of another lift in the mean time, or perhaps add or relocate a lift over there to allow access to the rest of the mountain from that parking lot

Evan Grubis's avatar
Evan Grubis
July 14, 2025 / 11:33 am
https://skimap.org/skiareas/view/347
It looks like in the 70s, the B lift was located on the “Banshee lift line” run. Maybe they could throw a used T-Bar or double there temporarily?

Bearclaw's avatar
Bearclaw
July 14, 2025 / 11:42 am
For heaven’s sake just put in a gondola already. Much cheaper, way higher capacity and still protected from the elements. Plus, you don’t have to stand the whole time.

“But the tram is an icon”.

Well, if you are going without service because you can’t afford nostalgia, I think you have your answer.

dber08's avatar
dber08
July 14, 2025 / 12:27 pm
100% agreed here and as a skier I would absolutely prefer a gondola. The path does not justify a tram, modern gondolas are just as wind/weather resistant as trams (especially the 2 or 3 cable variety), and are substantially cheaper.

Folks seem to be tied up in nostalgia, and the only sensible argument I’ve heard is that nostalgia drives interest and therefore more business. They’ll need a lot of extra “nostalgia business” to justify that extra cost, though. Not totally sure how it weighs in, but the clientele is different than most other lifts, mostly riding in the summer/fall for sightseeing.

I still don’t agree but hey I’m just observing from my armchair.

justkeepmovingne

I’d kind of be of two minds.

Does a lack of an immediate replacement mean no skiing from that area for 1-3 seasons? I’d be fine with that tradeoff because there is a huge novelty and history behind the Franconia Notch tram.

Ideally, yes, in the interim a T-bar or something is thrown up so all the terrain can be skied without a shuttle or without hiking.

Does it mean no replacement tram for 4-10 years? That’s tough. At that point, just install a gondola. The longer these things wait, the more likely nothing will be put in place - period - as a replacement.

powderstud

While no one in NH is willing to publicly say it, how much do you want to bet that the economics of keeping the tram running go right out the window because of the illegal tariffs instituted by our convicted felon president, which are raising maintenance costs to the point that they break the already-strained maintenance budget? I can't say this with absolute knowledge, but I'm assuming that aerial tramway parts are imported from Europe and are not manufactured in the U.S. (and why would they be, given that most aerial tramways are in Europe and are manufactured by European companies).

But hey, NH state leadership, who happen to belong to the president's party, is not about to be honest with the public about these things, right? It's funny how there was no talk of the need for a 2025 "dignified retirement" of the tram back in 2024--before the election.

Cue up the apologists: "No one could have known..."

justkeepmovingne

powderstud;c-69549 wroteWhile no one in NH is willing to publicly say it, how much do you want to bet that the economics of keeping the tram running go right out the window because of the illegal tariffs instituted by our convicted felon president, which are raising maintenance costs to the point that they break the already-strained maintenance budget? I can't say this with absolute knowledge, but I'm assuming that aerial tramway parts are imported from Europe and are not manufactured in the U.S. (and why would they be, given that most aerial tramways are in Europe and are manufactured by European companies).

But hey, NH state leadership, who happen to belong to the president's party, is not about to be honest with the public about these things, right? It's funny how there was no talk of the need for a 2025 "dignified retirement" of the tram back in 2024--before the election.

Cue up the apologists: "No one could have known..."

It must have something to do with it.

By Wikipedia's "List of Aerial Tramways" page, it claims 22 in the US at least. Most tramways are in Europe and Asia. Algeria alone has another 11, with a couple dozen others scattered across Africa and South America.

There's certainly not many companies that design these things anyways. Doppelmayr and Leitner are the two big guys. Bell has done a couple - the most notable I'm aware of being the Sandia Peak Tramway in NM. Skytrans kind of counts, I guess, as they'll rehab lifts but they're not making anything new.

Is there anyone else who has any experience in North America (because obviously New Hampshire won't get innovative with a company entering a new market) that actually designs and manufactures double reversible aerial tramways these days?

powderstud

justkeepmovingne;c-69553 wrote Is there anyone else who has any experience in North America (because obviously New Hampshire won't get innovative with a company entering a new market) that actually designs and manufactures double reversible aerial tramways these days?

Keep in mind that in 1980, the company that built the current Cannon Mountain tram was an Italian company, with a VT contractor who did the installation. There were no remaining American manufacturers in 1980 who built aerial tramways. Since 1980, we've seen the complete loss of independent American lift manufacturers altogether (Hall Ski-Lift Company, which I believe was the last remaining major American lift manufacturer, was acquired by the Swiss lift manufacturer Von Roll in 1982, which was itself acquired by Austria's Doppelmayr).

The fact is, this is an industry based in Europe that manufactures in Europe (or maybe now Asia as well, I'm not sure.). And let's dispense with the ridiculous notion that the illegal tariffs are intended to bring back U.S. manufacturing. They aren't and they won't, according to Nobel-prize winning economist Dr. Paul Krugman. Dr. Krugman has said the president's illegal tariffs are intended to bring in revenues so that tax cuts for billionaires can be even larger without giving the appearance of being as economically damaging as they are.

Wake up and smell the coffee (that now comes with a 30% tariff, because coffee beans are not grown in the U.S.).

snowphoenix

I've skied Cannon a handful of times but have never ridden the tram - it's either been closed, or I've opted to stick to the chairlifts due to the out-of-the-way location of the tram. For me, the presence or absence of a tram doesn't make a huge difference to the ski experience, as there is plenty of terrain that can be skied without the tram. Yes, some trails will be impacted since you'll need to traverse or walk to Zoomer at the bottom, but the silver lining is that they won't get as much traffic on powder days. :smile:

That's not to say it wasn't on my bucket list. I hope they can figure out some way to keep it running for one more ski season. If that happens, then I'd try to make a point of riding it (which may be tricky due to the tram mainly running on weekends when the Indy Pass is blacked out).

Ultimately, the ski-history-nerd side of me would love to see them build a new tram to keep the legacy of the mountain and Franconia Notch alive. A monocable gondola, while cheaper, just doesn't have the same feel to it IMHO.

Hard agree on the previous comments regarding the impacts of tarriffs on this whole situation.

NELSAP

Thought I'd share some of my favorite photos from or of the Tram. This was June, 2023, the night before I raced in the White Mountain Triathlon (Sprint Distance). The weather was just about as perfect as it could get - partly sunny, dry, excellent visibility.

Panorama from lower section of Tram. You can see the swim course set up in Echo Lake if you click on the larger version.

View from the Summit:

lotsoskiing

Love the tram for nostalgia and esthetic. After getting a brake job on my truck for much higher parts cost due to the geopolitical fun and games, I can see how reparing this lift would be stupidly expensive now.

NewEnglandSkier13

powderstud;c-69554 wrote Since 1980, we've seen the complete loss of independent American lift manufacturers altogether (Hall Ski-Lift Company, which I believe was the last remaining major American lift manufacturer, was acquired by the Swiss lift manufacturer Von Roll in 1982, which was itself acquired by Austria's Doppelmayr).

This is not true, we still have SkyTrans and Partek that will build new lifts, although they aren't major players and won't build aerial trams.

powderstud

NewEnglandSkier13;c-69563 wrote
powderstud;c-69554 wrote Since 1980, we've seen the complete loss of independent American lift manufacturers altogether (Hall Ski-Lift Company, which I believe was the last remaining major American lift manufacturer, was acquired by the Swiss lift manufacturer Von Roll in 1982, which was itself acquired by Austria's Doppelmayr).
This is not true, we still have SkyTrans and Partek that will build new lifts, although they aren't major players and won't build aerial trams.

OK, you are correct that there is at least one lift manufacturer in the U.S. - SkyTrans. Partek was acquired by Doppelmayr in 2005. But I'm sure you will also agree that SkyTrans is not considered by anyone to be a MAJOR manufacturer in the overall market, and their market share of new lift construction at U.S. ski areas doesn't even come close to 5%. Which means, therefore, that SkyTrans doesn't matter in the general scheme of things. None of the skiing conglomerates are purchasing even a single lift from SkyTrans.

riverc0il

justkeepmovingne;c-69548 wroteDoes a lack of an immediate replacement mean no skiing from that area for 1-3 seasons? I’d be fine with that tradeoff because there is a huge novelty and history behind the Franconia Notch tram.

They already don't have a tram running most of the week, it doesn't close any trails. They are accessible from the Zoomer lift (with a short walk from the tram base to the lift).

If anything, snow conditions on trails that drop down to tram base will be better than before because traffic will be significantly less. The upper part of Avalanche might actually ski well during the closure!

It will take longer to do a lap and most people will not want to walk back to zoomer. So Banshee Glade, Tramline, and Kinsman should ski really well (whenever there is enough snow to open them).

The tram wouldn't be getting replaced if it wasn't for summer tourism. Cannon has shown little regard for its skiers who get treated as second class compared to summer tourists. Can you imagine the tram running weekends only for tourists?

No, it runs daily for five months straight. Because you don't want guests to come to experience the tram and find that it is closed on the day of their visit (unless you come with skis during the week, in which case, go pound sand).

Personally, I am ambivalent about a replacement tram. I think they should scrap the tram idea and replace it with something unique in the northeast like a tricable gondola. That still differentiates it from Loon's gondi, increases capacity, and reduces wait times.

NewEnglandSkier13

powderstud;c-69568 wrote
NewEnglandSkier13;c-69563 wrote
powderstud;c-69554 wrote Since 1980, we've seen the complete loss of independent American lift manufacturers altogether (Hall Ski-Lift Company, which I believe was the last remaining major American lift manufacturer, was acquired by the Swiss lift manufacturer Von Roll in 1982, which was itself acquired by Austria's Doppelmayr).
This is not true, we still have SkyTrans and Partek that will build new lifts, although they aren't major players and won't build aerial trams.
OK, you are correct that there is at least one lift manufacturer in the U.S. - SkyTrans. Partek was acquired by Doppelmayr in 2005. But I'm sure you will also agree that SkyTrans is not considered by anyone to be a MAJOR manufacturer in the overall market, and their market share of new lift construction at U.S. ski areas doesn't even come close to 5%. Which means, therefore, that SkyTrans doesn't matter in the general scheme of things. None of the skiing conglomerates are purchasing even a single lift from SkyTrans.

I'm pretty sure that Partek is no longer connected with Doppelmayr.

powderstud

So let's think through what the closing of the Cannon Mountain tram will mean. Reportedly Franconia Notch State Park is one of the 2 economic engines of the entire NH state park system (the other reportedly is Hampton Beach) that generates all of the cash that pays for the rest of the system.

If the tram is closed (the #1 cash generator), what happens to tourist visits to Franconia Notch State Park? They'll obviously drop - and likely by a lot. Fewer tourists means economic hardship for the entire state park system which will ripple across the state as there will be enforced cuts across the entire system to cope with the large loss of income, economic hardship for the restaurants and hotels/lodges in the Franconia region, and for general economic activity in that tourist-dependent part of the state.

I remember riding up the Peabody Express at Cannon prior to the pandemic with a member of the Lahout family (owners of the great ski shop in Littleton), and he said to me, "If we ever lose the tram, you can kiss the well-being of this place goodbye, business will drop off precipitously."

Given the large adverse economic changes that are working their way through the system before they will hit all of us hard (except for billionaires), the consequence of gross economic mismanagement by Trump will lead to a reinforcing cascade of corporate layoffs, significant job cuts in state government, high inflation caused by Trump's illegal tariffs, large state budget deficits (likely leading to large user fee and tax increases), etc.

If I had to be a betting man, I'd say the state of NH will not build a replacement Cannon aerial tram unless the federal government pays 100% for it beyond what NH has already budgeted. And that ain't happening.

NH and Cannon are screwed, I'm afraid. By the time Governor Ayotte realizes exactly how many more $$$$$ the state will have to pony up to get a replacement Cannon tram beyond what's already been appropriated (which still left an existing project funding gap in 2024, PLUS now we have the increased project cost as a result of the illegal Trump tariffs of 2025 adding 30% more cost based on Trump's latest EU tariffs starting August 1), the state won't be able to come up anything further because NH's state finances will already be spiraling down with the worst yet to come. And this is before the savage Medicaid cuts take effect that were necessary to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, even though these cuts will hit NH especially hard.

Enjoy your final tram ride this summer/fall.

powderstud

It just occurred to me - maybe John DeVivo saw the writing on the wall better than many of us and got outta Dodge in time.

ski_it

If they call it a prototype they won't have to pay tariffs.