 There are two ways to get from the
mill area up to the mining area: drive through upwardly-spiraling
tunnels, or take the tram. Driving on the mine property requires
special permission and an authorized vehicle - both are very tough to
come by. The tram is the way most workers get to the top and the
ride is spectacular. |
  The
tram carries workers up a 700 meter (2,300 feet) high shear cliff to an
elevation of about 4200 meters (13,800 feet). The tram rises
quickly, some say quickly enough to cause a phenomenon called TIF due
to the rapid change in atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure
is higher at the mill, but as you go up in eleveation, the air is
thinner and so the pressure is less. Gasses tend to move from
high pressure environments to lower pressure environments. TIF
(Tram Induced Flatulence) allegedly results from this pressure
change. |
  The cables disappearing into the
mist are the cables from which the tram hangs. Riding the tram is
a sort of leap
of faith. If the tram were to fail, there is no doubt of the
result of the fall. In riding the tram, you resign yourself to
the judgement of an unseen tram operator, a bunch of engineers who've
all long since moved on to other things, and countless construction
workers, many of whom may not have had their minds 100% on their
work. Life's like that, though. We live in a world in which
we depend on others, so there's no use in sweating it! |
  The view from the top is breath taking, not only
because of the elevation and my average physical condition. These
photos were taken in the morning before the clouds started to move
in. I hear that on a clear day, you can see all the way to the
ocean.
|
  The
clouds roll in quickly. Although they obscure the view, they add
a wonderful mystique... or maybe it was just the thin air and
excitement about working at one of nature's greatest mineral deposits... |
 Once
you're out of the tram, there are a few stairs to the parking area from
which busses and trucks can take you to various mining areas (Gasberg,
Ertsberg, etc.) I did my best to keep from huffing and puffing
when I saw Spence Titley walking around with no problem (and he's in
his 70's, I think! He is one tough cookie! That's Spence on
the right and Stacie in the yellow rain slicker. The ambulance
was there to evacuate a fellow who had a bad fever from malaria. |
There are two ways to get from the
mill area up to the mining area: drive through upwardly-spiraling
tunnels, or take the tram. Driving on the mine property requires
special permission and an authorized vehicle - both are very tough to
come by. The tram is the way most workers get to the top and the
ride is spectacular.
The
tram carries workers up a 700 meter (2,300 feet) high shear cliff to an
elevation of about 4200 meters (13,800 feet). The tram rises
quickly, some say quickly enough to cause a phenomenon called TIF due
to the rapid change in atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure
is higher at the mill, but as you go up in eleveation, the air is
thinner and so the pressure is less. Gasses tend to move from
high pressure environments to lower pressure environments. TIF
(Tram Induced Flatulence) allegedly results from this pressure
change. 
The cables disappearing into the
mist are the cables from which the tram hangs. Riding the tram is
a sort of leap
of faith. If the tram were to fail, there is no doubt of the
result of the fall. In riding the tram, you resign yourself to
the judgement of an unseen tram operator, a bunch of engineers who've
all long since moved on to other things, and countless construction
workers, many of whom may not have had their minds 100% on their
work. Life's like that, though. We live in a world in which
we depend on others, so there's no use in sweating it!
The view from the top is breath taking, not only
because of the elevation and my average physical condition. These
photos were taken in the morning before the clouds started to move
in. I hear that on a clear day, you can see all the way to the
ocean. 
The
clouds roll in quickly. Although they obscure the view, they add
a wonderful mystique... or maybe it was just the thin air and
excitement about working at one of nature's greatest mineral deposits...
Once
you're out of the tram, there are a few stairs to the parking area from
which busses and trucks can take you to various mining areas (Gasberg,
Ertsberg, etc.) I did my best to keep from huffing and puffing
when I saw Spence Titley walking around with no problem (and he's in
his 70's, I think! He is one tough cookie! That's Spence on
the right and Stacie in the yellow rain slicker. The ambulance
was there to evacuate a fellow who had a bad fever from malaria. 
