A mechanical failure on Whitefish Mountain Resort’s main chairlift to the summit of Big Mountain on Friday forced a roped evacuation of between 150 and 200 passengers, according to a resort spokesperson, who said “no injuries were reported as a result of this operation.”
“We apologize to all guests involved in this incident,” Whitefish Mountain Resort Public Relations Manager Chad Sokol said.
Chair 1, also known as the Big Mountain Express, initially stopped spinning at 9:55 a.m. on Jan. 9. Staff were able to briefly operate the high-speed quad before it stopped again.
“Our lift maintenance team responded and quickly identified the issue,” Sokol said in an emailed statement. “After multiple attempts to unload passengers using the lift’s backup systems, we made the decision to conduct a full evacuation at about 11:30 a.m.”
Resort personnel and ski patrol used ropes, climbing harnesses and specialized seats to lower guests from the chairlift carriers to the snow surface, Sokol said, “in accordance with our ski patrol’s training and protocols.” All passengers were safely unloaded from the lift by 1:47 p.m.
“The response to this lift stoppage was a mountain-wide, all-hands-on-deck effort involving multiple departments,” Sokol said. “We closed Chairs 8 and 11, and all associated terrain in the Hellroaring Basin and Flower Point, so that additional patrollers and other staff could assist with the evacuation process. In all, more than 40 employees — including patrollers, mountain ambassadors, ski instructors, and staff from the terrain parks and events department — were directly involved in the evacuation process. Four patrollers came in on their day off to assist.”
Whitefish Mountain Resort President Nick Polumbus issued a statement apologizing for the incident and acknowledging the gravity of the situation as midday summit temperatures hovered around 15 degrees Fahrenheit while wind chill values dipped into the low single digits.
“We know this is not how anyone hopes to spend their time on the mountain, and we sincerely apologize to all our guests. We know this was not just an inconvenience but a challenging experience for many of those aboard Chair 1 during this incident,” Polumbus said. “We don’t take these incidents lightly, and we appreciate the patience and understanding that many of our guests expressed to us throughout the day.”
Chairs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, as well as the Big Easy and 2 Easy conveyor carpets, remained open throughout the day.
Whitefish Mountain Resort has encountered challenges with its chairlifts in the past, including malfunctions on Chair 1, 2 and 4. Three years ago, lift malfunctions significantly hindered operations, requiring an emergency evacuation of Chair 1 that lasted more than four hours before riders were safely lowered from the lift.
Guests directly involved in the lift evacuation were directed to Base Lodge Tickets & Information to receive free lift tickets for future use, Sokol said. Passholders involved were given tickets that can be used by friends or family. If any guests involved did not make it to the Base Lodge today, they can still call or visit in the coming days.
“High-speed detachable chairlifts, like Chair 1, are complicated machines,” Polumbus said. “Our lift maintenance team is working diligently to resolve today’s technical difficulties, and we hope to reopen Chair 1 to the skiing public very soon.”
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