Nearly 70 skiers stranded in midair for hours after gondola malfunctions at popular resort

More than five dozen winter adventurers had an experience recently that likely wasn't on their agenda.

A gondola malfunction left nearly 70 skiers stuck in midair for hours at a New York ski resort. The incident occurred Wednesday morning at Gore Mountain in North Creek.

Resort officials said the gondola stopped due to a mechanical alignment issue that triggered a safety sensor - bringing the lift to an automatic stop, Olympic Regional Development Authority and Gore Mountain said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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A standard evacuation was immediately launched - with trained mountain operations and ski patrol teams assisting passengers.

Some 67 guests were riding in roughly 20 cabins at the time. 

ll were returned to the ground without injuries, the department noted.

The call for assistance was made shortly after 9 a.m. The evacuation was completed before 2 p.m., leaving skiers stranded for nearly five hours, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

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The gondola returned to normal operations Thursday morning, Gore Mountain said.

"Thanks to the hard work of our crew, the Northwoods Gondola has been repaired, all safety checks completed, and the lift returned to service this morning," the resort said. 

"We are grateful to our guests for their patience and cooperation."

Officials said some of the responding forest rangers had completed gondola evacuation training at Gore Mountain last fall, helping crews safely carry out the rescue.

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"Safety remains our top priority, and our teams are fully trained and experienced in managing situations like this," Olympic Regional Development Authority said.

The incident also drew attention online, with some users on social media reacting to the evacuation as it unfolded.

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One user emphasized that he or she had no issues with keeping plans for skiing at Gore Mountain following the incident, though the person mentioned avoiding the gondola.

Others commented on the experience of being stranded at some height, noting that gondola cabins may feel safer than open chairlifts in similar situations.

"Had it been a chair lift, that would have been very cold," one user commented.

Gore Mountain in New York is one of the "most popular alpine skiing and snowboarding destinations in the Adirondacks, with an even mix of trails across levels and plenty of gorgeous glades, including the longest gladed trail in the Northeast," according to the Visit the Adirondacks website.

"Winter activities include downhill, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. Special events range from non-competitive family-oriented fun to regional and Northeastern ski races."

The site also notes that "Gore has an incredible gondola ride that warms guests while offering stunning views of the snowy slopes before it's time to zip down again."