Five-Hour Rescue at Gore Mountain After Gondola Malfunction Strands 67 Skiers

What began as a perfect bluebird morning for early-season skiers at Gore Mountain turned into a harrowing five-hour ordeal on Wednesday when a mechanical malfunction brought the Northwoods Gondola to an abrupt halt, leaving 67 people suspended in 20 cabins high above the Adirondack slopes.

The incident unfolded shortly after the gondola opened at 8:30 a.m., with the system automatically shutting down around 9 a.m. after a safety sensor detected that the tower wheel assembly had moved out of alignment. New York State Police and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers responded to the scene to rescue the skiers, using ropes and cables to lower each person to the ground. The operation took nearly five hours, with all 67 skiers in 20 gondola cabins helped back down to the ground by 2 p.m. No injuries were reported.

"This is a situation that we're taking very seriously," Governor Kathy Hochul said during an unrelated press conference after being handed a note about the developing emergency. "The good news is these individuals are obviously dressed for the cold, in their ski gear, but this is a situation we're taking very seriously and the rescue teams are on the ground."

The dramatic rescue played out in full view of hundreds of skiers on the mountain, many of whom stopped to watch the meticulous operation unfold. Linda Clark, who had come to ski that morning, captured video of the scene from the base of the mountain. "I came to ski here today but there's been a tough situation here at Gore with gondola down and a pretty massive evacuation going down," she told NEWS10 ABC. "It was quite the operation."

New York State Police and Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers climbed lift towers and traversed along cables to reach the gondolas, then belayed from the cable into each cabin. Once inside, rescuers belayed cabin occupants safely to the ground.

For those trapped inside the swaying cabins, the experience was nerve-wracking. There was anxiety among those trapped, and worries about having to use the restroom. Although temperatures were below freezing, the cabins remained warm as the doors were closed and the sun was shining.

Kevin Bolan, a 64-year-old physician assistant from Newcomb, New York, called the experience sobering. "It was something that I'll probably carry with me for the rest of my life," he said. "You think nothing of getting on a lift or getting on a gondola, and now you're going to think twice. You're going to make sure you go to the bathroom and maybe have a power bar with you and make sure you're prepared, just like if you were going into the woods on a hike."

Despite the anxiety, Bolan praised the professionalism of the rescue teams. "The rescues went very smoothly, and I complimented the professionalism of the rangers and ski area staff," he said.

The timing of the rescue proved fortuitous in one critical respect: the DEC forest rangers and Gore Mountain ski patrol had conducted joint training for exactly this type of scenario just three months earlier in November. "They trained with Gore Mountain ski patrol to prepare for this type of situation," said Jeff Wernick with the DEC. "They ascend lift towers and traverse along the cable to reach the gondola".

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority, which operates Gore Mountain, issued a statement explaining the mechanical issue. "The tower wheel assembly of the gondola lift moved out of alignment, triggered a safety sensor and the lift was stopped immediately," the authority said. "Our trained mountain operations team carried out the evacuation, and guests were supported throughout the process".

Gore Mountain emphasized that the system worked exactly as designed. "The issue was identified as a non-emergency mechanical alignment matter involving a single lift component. The gondola was stopped immediately as a precaution, in accordance with established safety protocols," the resort stated.

However, the incident has raised questions about the gondola's recent maintenance history. The New York State Department of Labor inspected the lift in late September and identified a brake-related violation. The issue was corrected, and the gondola was cleared to operate after a followup inspection in November.

The Northwoods Gondola has been a critical piece of Gore Mountain's infrastructure since 1999, when it replaced the state's original "Red Gondola" that dated back to the 1960s. The system received new cabins last season as part of ongoing improvements to the state-run facility, which is the largest ski area in New York.

Gore Mountain is located in North Creek in Warren County, roughly 90 miles north of Albany, and serves as a major winter destination for skiers across the Northeast. The resort is managed by ORDA, which also operates other major winter sports facilities including Whiteface Mountain and Olympic venues from the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games.

Following the incident, the gondola underwent a thorough inspection before being cleared to reopen on Thursday. ORDA officials said the lift passed all safety requirements and was deemed safe for operation. Mountain operations resumed Wednesday afternoon, with other lifts and terrain either open or reopening by 2 p.m., allowing skiers to salvage at least part of their day on the slopes.

"We are very thankful for the outcome, which was everyone was safe," said Darcy Norfolk, communications director for ORDA. The authority expressed regret for the disruption and thanked guests for their patience and cooperation during the emergency.

For the rescue teams, the successful outcome validated years of training and preparation. Nine DEC rangers participated in the operation, putting into practice the specialized high-angle rescue techniques they had honed just months earlier. The coordinated response between state police, DEC forest rangers, and Gore Mountain ski patrol demonstrated the importance of inter-agency training and readiness for mountain emergencies.

As skiers returned to the slopes on Thursday, the incident served as a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with mountain sports — and the critical importance of well-trained rescue personnel ready to respond when things go wrong. While gondola malfunctions are rare, Wednesday's five-hour ordeal at Gore Mountain highlighted both the vulnerability of passengers suspended in the air and the skill required to bring them safely back to earth.