Crystal Mountain, WA – Engineers from the ski lift company Doppelmayr on Tuesday discovered that the haul cable of Crystal Mountain’s new Mt. Rainier Gondola, set to open for the first time yesterday, had stretched over three feet in the preceding 24 hours, far more than normal tolerances. Ski area officials now indicate that the gondola’s debut may be delayed by a week as engineers re-splice the cable.nAs a result, Tuesday’s load test was canceled and will resume after the cable re-splice has been completed. The grand opening celebration will be rescheduled, with a date to be announced next week.

“While this setback is disappointing, smooth functioning of the gondola is more important than meeting a deadline,” said John Kircher, Crystal Mountain’s General Manager. “We are committed to doing this right.”