Girdwood, AK – Damage from a New Year’s Eve wind gust that drove Alyeska Resort’s aerial tramway cabin into a tower near the summit will leave the ski lift inoperable while repairs to fix the damage are completed.

The 7:20 p.m. incident on Dec. 31 left one passenger with minor injuries. Unstable snow beneath the liftline that night forced resort officials to send a rescue car up the cable, and passengers on the disabled lift to climb down the tower and back up to reach the rescue car.

The lift was ferrying diners that night to the ski resort’s Seven Glaciers restaurant at the top of the tram.

Employees of Doppelmayr and CWA are on hand to complete the repairs to the lift, which are expected to take several weeks.