Powerless on Aspen Mountain
Aspen, CO Colorado
ASPEN ” A downed power line pulled the plug on Aspen Mountain on Monday morning.
Powder hounds eagerly awaiting turns in some 9 inches of fresh snow had to exercise patience after trees loaded with snow fell across a power line on Tourtelotte Park in the early hours Monday.
The broken line severed power to the Aspen Mountain gondola, as well as Ajax Express lift, Gentleman’s Ridge lift, and the Sundeck and Bonnie’s, two on-mountain restaurants, according to Peter King, Aspen Mountain manager.
Lift crews switched to diesel engines to rush ski patrollers up the slopes to clear any potential avalanches, and the first skiers boarded the gondola some 30 minutes late, at 9:30 a.m, King said.
Holy Cross crews restored power to the lifts and restaurants shortly before noon.
Mountain operations are occasionally delayed because of high winds or dangerous avalanche conditions, King said, but Monday’s incident was the first time King had heard of an all-mountain power cut.
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