Cannon Mountain’s second-generation aerial tramcars took their final rides over the weekend. The current tramway has been operating since 1980, replacing the original one built in the 1930s.
On the packed final descent Sunday afternoon, the mustard-yellow car glided through blowing snow, carrying just about its maximum occupancy.
For most riders, the moment called for a celebration. Some sang specialized tunes like “We are Tram-ily,” cheered or took selfies.
But for Allan Girard of Littleton, the trip triggered a complicated mix of emotions. More than 45 years ago, in the summer of 1979, Girard was part of the construction crew that built the very car he was riding on now.
“I was the last person alone to ride the old car,” he said.
On Sunday’s journey, he stood at the back of the car, quietly watching the mountainside roll by below. He said he was thinking about the decades the tram’s lifespan bookended, remembering children who once rode the car who returned to ride it with children of their own.
“It just makes me think back to the old days and all of the old people that I worked with,” he said. “They’re not here, but I’m sure they are.”
The third-generation tram is planned to open in two years.
