CAMAS COUNTY, Idaho — Soldier Mountain is receiving maintenance after mechanical issues prompted them to close this past weekend.
“We don’t like being closed, and we don’t like inconveniencing our guests,” said Paul Alden, the General Manager for Soldier Mountain Ski Area.
The primary issue is with one of the ski lift's bull wheels, and although it's not a particularly difficult fix, the logistics is what makes it more challenging.
“You’ve got an 8,000-foot long cable hanging from it," said Alden. "Then you’ve got to get a very large, very heavy bull wheel removed from the tower and down to our shop and repaired and reverse engineered and get it back up.”
Repairs to the lift are going smoothly, but before the mountain reopens, operators will follow the ANSI code and ensure the lift is safe for all skiers.
“We follow that religiously, and so we will do quite a bit of testing once we determine that the problem is fixed,” said Alder.
Visitors are encouraged to check for updates on Soldier Mountain's website and other social media platforms. However, the goal is to reopen later this week.
“We’re very optimistic about Thursday, or as I said earlier, worst case opening for Friday," said Alder. "But we intend to be open for this weekend.”
