Passholders welcome Friday, Dec. 6; all comers Saturday, Dec. 7
By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news
Break out the downhill and snowboards. It’s almost time to go skiing and riding.
Abundant snowfall means the Mt. Ashland Ski Area will open early for the 2024/25 winter season on Friday, Dec. 6, with Season Passholder Appreciation Day. The area will open to all on Saturday, Dec. 7. Both days the Sonnet, Comer, and Windsor chairlifts will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Making the upcoming special are upgrades, including the widening of Aisle 2, the entryway to the main mountain, along updated LED lighting for Twilight Skiing beginning Jan. 9. New, too, is the highly anticipated opening of the first new chairlift, the Lithia Chair, in more than 30 years.
Ski area officials said information about the Lithia Chair’s grand opening will be coming soon. The chairlift project was made possible by the largest gift in Mt. Ashland Ski Area history — $2 million from the Sid & Karen DeBoer Foundation, along with an additional $500,000 from Sid & Karen DeBoer.
When Mt. Ashland opens Dec. 6, all services — including lessons, rentals, retail shop, T-bar Lounge, and the Gemütlichkeit Grill — will be available. As an added bonus, the first 100 guests on the Windsor Chairlift will receive a 2024/25 Winter Season neck gaiter as part of the opening day festivities sponsored by People’s Bank.
Ski area spokesperson Gabby Conner said that Ariel Chair’s Tower 8 was struck by a fallen tree on Nov. 22, which has forced the closure of that chairlift for the start of the winter season.
“The tree removal itself took a total of 11 hours between trained tree removal professionals and our mountain operations teams. The crew is now in the process of determining next steps based on the assessed damage. Ariel Chair will operate this winter, but with a delayed opening — a date to be determined based on the extent of repairs required to operate safely.”
Although the opening of the Ariel chair is delayed, Andrew Gast, Mt. Ashland’s general manager, expressed delight with the early snow and resulting early opening.
More info
For updated information through the season visit Mt. Ashland Ski Area’s events on the events page at mtashland.com/event-directory/
The Mt. Ashland Ski Area is owned and operated by the 501(c)3 nonprofit Mt. Ashland Association under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. Mt. Ashland’s mission is “to provide and promote healthy alpine recreation.”
“We are thrilled to announce that Mt. Ashland will be opening earlier than anticipated this winter, adding four bonus days to the start of the season,” Gast said. “Thanks to a bountiful November snowfall and the hard work of our dedicated team, we’re ready to welcome the community back to the slopes.”
November’s snowfall was the most in the month since 1994. Because many skiers and riders wanting to take pre-season turns to get ready for opening day, Conner said Mt. Ashland is opening up Uphill Travel Access through Sunday, Dec. 1.
“The Ski Area strongly encourages uphill travelers to continue to check the Mountain Report throughout the weekend and prior to Opening Day at mtashland.com/mountain-report for updates on uphill travel access and road conditions.
“Opening day is only the beginning as the 2024/25 Winter Season promises a packed-full events schedule beginning with Mt. Ashland’s Winter Kick-off Party,” Conner said. “With live music, food and vendors, the first weekend in December is one you don’t want to miss!”
And, she adds, “Mt. Ashland is looking forward to an unforgettable ski season and as General Manager Andrew Gast famously says in his Andrew in the Alpine videos, ‘We’ll see YOU on the mountain!’”
Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at 337lee337@charter.net.
