About 40 skiers and riders got an unexpected dose of adrenaline on Sunday when the Little Eagle lift at Vail Mountain stopped operating around noon and ski patrollers had to lower them to the snow by rope, the resort said. The rope evacuation, handled by Vail Mountain ski patrol, took about 90 minutes from start to finish. Vail Resorts added that the Little Eagle chair will stay closed until crews sort out the problem and inspect the equipment.
In a statement to CBS Colorado, Michelle Dallal, senior communications specialist for Vail Resorts, wrote, "We place the highest value on the safety of our guests and will resolve the issue before reopening Little Eagle to the public." Dallal also apologized "to our skiers and riders who were inconvenienced by this event" and did not immediately answer questions about what caused the stoppage. Resort officials told the outlet that ski patrollers used ropes to evacuate an estimated 40 guests.
How rope evacuations work
Rope evacuations, in which trained patrollers reach stalled chairs or cabins and then lower riders in a harness or seat attached to a rope, are a standard but time-consuming rescue method. AP News documented a 64-person rope rescue at Cannon Mountain that lasted a few hours, and The Guardian covered a December Winter Park operation that lowered 174 people after a cracked gondola component forced a shutdown. Those incidents resulted in no reported injuries and triggered inspections, underscoring why resorts keep lifts closed for checks after mechanical stoppages.
What’s next for Little Eagle
Vail told reporters that Little Eagle will remain closed while crews and engineers investigate, and Vail's lift-status page is posting updates for guests watching for reopenings. Manufacturers or state tramway safety boards sometimes take part in follow-up inspections after mechanical failures, and resorts typically repair or replace affected components before putting a lift back into public service. This story will be updated if Vail or regulators release additional details.
