So I guess you can take comfort in the fact that this thing has been running people up & down the mountain since the 1960s without ever killing anyone; so that’s a good thing!
In short, it’s a little pricy. However it is an incredible adventure from the desert floor all the way up to the very top of San Jacinto, where the views are just expansive & breathtaking. In the winter, I hear that it’s especially cool when there’s snow up there. There’s not a whole lot to do up there, apart from hiking around or whatever. The snack shack up there is kinda crappy I should mention.
But I had NO IDEA the ride would be so terrifying! I mean that thing is super high up — WAY higher than I ever imagined, suspended over gigantic canyons & crevasses — & every time it goes over one of those metal trestle-support things, the whole cage bounces, & bobs up & down — which literally made me gasp out loud! It got so out of hand that I had to face inward, close my eyes, & not look out anymore. I will say that the ride up is far more scarier than the ride down.
All in all it’s pretty cool & potentially a great way to spend an afternoon.