Saline Valley salt tram, Industrial aerial tramway in Inyo Mountains, California, US.
The Saline Valley Salt Tram is an aerial tramway system built between 1911 and 1913 that spans 13.4 miles across rough mountain terrain. The line connected salt mines in the valley to processing facilities on the opposite side using towers, cables, and bucket carriers to move the mineral downhill and supplies uphill.
The tramway was built from 1911 to 1913 to support growing salt production in the region. It operated until 1935 when the Sierra Salt Company failed, ending commercial salt mining on the mountain.
The Shoshone and Owens Valley Paiute peoples harvested salt from these deposits for trade long before mining companies arrived. This practice shaped the region's economy and culture for generations before industrial operations began.
The location is remote and accessible only on foot through mountainous terrain, requiring careful planning to visit. Visitors should prepare for steep elevation changes and exposed conditions with little shelter or shade along the way.
Construction required approximately one million board feet of lumber and 265,000 feet of steel cable, all transported by pack animals through difficult mountain passes. This engineering approach was remarkable for its time and highlights the challenges of industrial mining in remote high terrain.
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