While weather might make driving to Lake Tahoe futile this weekend, travelers who’ve already made the trek to South Lake Tahoe to carve the slopes might be disappointed if they planned to visit one of the region’s most popular ski resorts.

Heavenly Ski Resort recently announced it would be shutting down its famed gondola due to a mechanical issue caused by “one of the bearings in the high-speed shaft,” according to a social media post on Thursday. 

“At no time has the Gondola been unsafe to operate, but it’s best to replace these bearings early before they do become a more serious problem,” the resort said in a statement. 

The resort has no “definitive timeline” on when the gondola will reopen, spokesperson Cole Zimmerman told SFGATE in an email.

The gondola is a highlight of the resort because it runs 365 days a year and offers a 2.4-mile ride with breathtaking 360-degree lake and mountain views. And with fresh snow powdering Tahoe’s mountains, it’s one of the critical ways guests make their way up the slopes.

Tahoe’s 2023 snow season has been troubling and frustrating for those wanting to enjoy the slopes. It ended the year receiving less than a third of its usual offerings. Unfortunately, the gondola shutdown is the latest setback for winter in Tahoe. Although guests can still ski anywhere on the mountain, the Stagecoach lift is also closed, so they’ll have to funnel their way into one crammed entry point: the California Base. 

“We need one more night of snowmaking at the bottom of Stagecoach to get that lift open and aim to have it ready by Saturday morning,” Heavenly Ski Resort said in a statement. “We should be able to open North Bowl Express and Olympic Express next week if temperatures cooperate and we get some natural snow.”

Although parking at the California Base won’t be free and will require a reservation this weekend, Heavenly offers free shuttles to Kirkwood Mountain Resort through the weekend.

Many commenters were concerned about the resort’s plans to bus people to Kirkwood Mountain Resort, fearing it can’t handle the influx of tourists.

“@skiheavenly can’t seem to manage the shuttles they have circling their own lodges. Bussing people to Kirkwood?! During a storm? On a weekend? When everybody knows KW has good coverage?! The backside isn’t even open,” user bishop341b wrote on Instagram. 

There is also free parking on Ski Run, which has shuttle access, and parking at Stagecoach will be free of charge once it opens.