By Brittany Jensen
Tourists will soon to be able to travel to the top of Bridal Veil Falls without breaking a sweat.
The owners of Bridal Veil Falls are proposing to build a state-of-the-art tram to travel up and down the cliff. The Grow family has owned the falls since 1975, and they are now asking Utah County to provide a $3.2 million bond to help with the costs of building the new tram.
“The cool thing is the new tram technology will make two 360-degree rotations while going up,” said Wyatt Grow, a recent graduate of BYU and son of the owner.
The Grows presented their proposal to the Utah County commissioners on Tuesday. Salt Lake law firm Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham showed a presentation that compared the proposed tram to already existing ones in Canada and Colorado. Projections show that 42,000 riders are likely to ride the tram between May 1 and Oct. 31, said Susie Becker, a representative from the firm.
They estimated the costs of the tram ride to be between $9 and $14, but the commissioners wondered if more could be charged in order to garner more money.
The commissioners were excited about the prospect of the tram, but they all said there were still a few details that needed work before they would pass the bond proposal.
“[They] need a plan that will have more than just a tram,” said Steve White, Utah County commissioner. “There needs to be something to draw people to the top as well as just the tram.”
Grow said there are numerous trailheads that continue into the mountain range. He”s hoping this will be another incentive for people to ride the tram.
Gary J. Anderson, Utah County commissioner, talked about the restaurant structure that still stands at the top. He reminisced about the times he had gone to dances in the building.
Becker told Anderson the old building could still be used. It would only be a matter of re-decorating, not re-structuring, due to the vandalism to the building”s interior. It hasn”t been used as a restaurant since before the Grows bought the falls.
The original tram was built in 1961. It survived a few avalanches over the years, but was finally deemed no longer safe to operate in the 1994 season. The following winter an avalanche destroyed it.
After 12 years without development, Grow convinced his family to re-build the tram.
“It”s such a unique sight,” Grow said. “It”s been surrounded with mystery and awe for hundreds of years. It”s always been a popular Utah Valley sight and for the greater state of Utah.”
