Winter Park Resort experienced a significant gondola malfunction that required the evacuation of 174 skiers and snowboarders on Saturday, as reported by The Denver Gazette. Following a mechanical issue that occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m., the gondola system automatically shut down, which is a built-in safety feature, leading to an immediate, successful rescue operation by the patrollers with no reported injuries.
This incident left many resort-goers like Aleksey Dmitriyev, a seasoned skier since 1999, and his wife suspended in their gondola cabin; Dmitriyev, who frequents Winter Park about 15 times each season, recounted to FOX31 how the initial 15-minute pause led to a realization that the situation was out of the ordinary, prompting a call to the resort's service line, they were soon reassured by ski patrollers who coordinated the evacuation procedure.
As of Sunday afternoon, the gondola remained out of service for the public, with efforts concentrated on a new part installation that the resort states will allow the system to resume operation on Monday, pending a phase of comprehensive testing and evaluation, these details provided by The Hill indicate that the public will be able to access the gondola again “as soon as possible,” yet no specific timetable for reopening has been projected by the resort to date.
Winter Park Resort remains a destination that draws in crowds for its pristine slopes and scenic rides and while the resort is working swiftly to address the hiccup in its gondola service, guests and those planning visits are encouraged to stay attuned to updates from the resort on the restoration of full service.
