Board the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and head up, up, up to summer fun (and savings)

ALPINE EVERYTHING, for many mountain mavens, is a way of life, whatever time of year it might happen to be and wherever you find yourself. It's an evocative word that pays homage to the Alps, of course, but even California, which sits a considerable distance from Europe, has its awesome alpine-inspired experiences. But some of the state's ultra-green, pine-scented, needles-crunching-beneath-your-boots adventures do happen in places that may not, at first glance, seem especially alpine-y, including the beautiful desert expanses of the Coachella Valley. But look up from that cactus-and-pool-laden landscape and you'll spy Mount San Jacinto, the majestic mountain and longtime home of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, a conveyance that fans rely on to get to the snow in the winter and the cooler temperatures in the summertime.

SUMMER IS NIGH, and to help peak-obsessed people enjoy an alpine kind of afternoon at the attraction's Mountain Station, there is a special annual pass. It is, in fact, the popular Summer Pass, which provides tram visitors the opportunity to enjoy unlimited rides from May 1 through Aug. 31. "Temperatures at the top of the Tramway are typically 30-40 degrees cooler than on the valley floor," is the refreshing promise from the tram team. But where to go once you're at the time chilling out? There are lots and lots of trails — over 50 miles in all — as well as places to picnic, and camp, around the sizable Mount San Jacinto State Park (the "pristine wilderness" rambles over 14,000 acres).

PERKS APLENTY: Passholders can score a few other benefits, including 10% off the tickets of their friends and family who accompany them (up to four guests) and 10% off at Peaks Restaurant and Pines Café. Where to purchase your Summer Pass, which is $85 for an adult and $45 for a child? Start here, alpinists, for a fabulous route to keeping cool, far above the toasty desert, this summer.