To the relief of skiers and snowboarders who regularly visit Heavenly, the South Lake Tahoe ski resort announced Monday that its gondola should be back in operation sometime this week.
In a video on social media, Tom Fortune, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Heavenly and Tahoe Region, said the reassembling of the gondola would take a couple of days, but having the parts and a diagnosis of the problem is a step in the right direction.
“The good news is that if all goes according to plan. We’ll have the Gondola operating again this week,” Fortune said. “Once the bearings are replaced, we’ll have to spin it for some tests before we can get guests back on it. In the meantime, we still have two main mountain access points open at California Base and Stagecoach Base, and we’re working hard to get enough snow at Boulder area.”
The convenient and popular gondola has been shut down indefinitely due to a mechanical issue that was discovered Thursday morning (Jan. 4).
The gondola transports skiers, snowboarders and sightseers on a scenic 2.4-mile ride up the slopes overlooking the famed waters of Lake Tahoe. It serves as a convenient point of access to the slopes during peak winter days and allows guests to access the famed ski resort without having to get in their car. The gondola drops off skiers and riders on the Nevada side of the ski resort.
The gondola is the only lift that operates out of the Heavenly Village, where many of its guests stay. For at least the short term, skiers and riders have had to drive or take a shuttle bus to the resort’s California Lodge or the recently opened Stagecoach Base until the gondola is fixed.
Two recent storms in Tahoe brought over 17 inches to over the last week, allowing the resort to open more terrain as the season continues.
“With the 12 inches of snow we got Saturday night, we are stoked to announce that we nearly doubled our skiable acreage so far for the season,” Fortune said. “We also added North Bowl and Olympic chairs Sunday (Jan. 7), and will continue to open chairs and terrain as soon as we are safely able.”
Understandably, skiers and riders are anxiously awaiting the gondola’s repair, but Heavenly promises to keep everyone in the loop.
“We’ll keep you posted with our progress and we’re grateful for your patience and understanding,” Fortune said.
