Sunday, November 4, 2007

Exploring my first abandoned building

While we were up by Bridalveil Falls today, Dave and I came upon an old, dilapidated structure at the bottom. We quickly realized that it was the old tram station that connected to the restaurant/reception center way up on the edge of the mountain, above the falls.

Most people may not know this, but I am completely fascinated with old, abandoned buildings. I have always wanted to become what some refer to as an urban explorer, a person who seeks out old buildings and goes inside to look around at what remains (some examples are shown in sites like these: Forgotten Ohio, Abandoned But Not Forgotten). I've never had a chance to do it, but today I took the opportunity.

There are many pictures, so I posted them very small. Feel free to click on them to get the full effect.

The bridge, with the tram station off to the left.

The other station up on the cliff. It's toward the right side of the picture (a white building).

Junk hanging from the tram cables.

The cables coming from the tram station, with razor wire along the roof. They must really want to keep people off...

This is a gap under the building with bars. Basically there is just a lot of junk down there--piles and piles of rubble and ruin.

The main room as you enter the tram station. WARNING: there are some unsavory things spray painted on the walls, so don't look at the larger picture if you don't want to see them.
If you turn left from the main room, you see this area. If you keep going down the hall, there are two rooms and a stairway.

This is a hole in the floor in the main room.

Some of the tram machinery.

More machinery. Notice the writing on the wall: "World's Steepest Aerial Tramway."

Up the stairs at the end of the hall.

Check out the ripped carpet shreds, and the view out the door.

The view, looking down, from the top of the stairs.

History:
The tram station seems to have been built in the late 1960s as a means to reach a restaurant that is nestled up in the cliffs about Bridalveil Falls. I believe it was used for parties and wedding receptions. Around 1996, an avalanche ruined the tram station and it was shut down. There are plans to rebuild the tram station, but when it will be reopened is uncertain.

2 comments:

kenna said...

Wow, you went up there? I have always wanted to! Every time I see the chair up there I giggle to myself.

Karen said...

Well, we didn't go up to the old restaurant on the cliff. We just explored the tram station at the bottom of the falls. We have been trying to think of ways to get up to the restaurant, though, but I don't see it happening :)