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FRIDAY January 30, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels January 29, 2004 Skiers worked before the lifts came By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Skiing down Mount Ashland once required an exhausting uphill trudge through the snow, laden down with a backpack and ski equipment. Ashland resident Cynthia Lord, now 82, recalled the days when skiers did just that before the opening of the Mt. Ashland Ski area 40 years ago. "We had to climb for all of our skiing. It really strengthened us," Lord said, noting that skiers quickly got into excellent shape. "You got that way just by doing it." Skiers relied mainly on natural openings below the current developed area to hone their skills. Getting up to the mountain was half the adventure. Lord would load up her Volkswagen bus with skiers for the trip. Although the vehicle's engine was in the back, it was not heavy enough to give the bus sufficient traction on the snow and ice-covered road. Lord carried a piece of train track railing, sash weights used to balance old-fashioned windows and other objects. "I had a whole collection of heavy items," she said. Passengers weren't just along for the ride. "The passengers were very well trained. I would yell out, 'Everybody over the engine!' They would crowd to the back," she said. Once on the mountain, the strenuous hiking began. But skiers sometimes got a much-needed tow up the mountain when Tommy Parker would pull them using a tracked snow cat. Skiers - 10 or more at a time - would tie their poles to the top of the cat and hang on to ropes. "There were two or three switchbacks. It was difficult for even a strong, experienced skier to hang on," Lord said. "The centrifugal force would send you out into the woods if you weren't careful." Many skiers spent all day on the mountain, carrying a sandwich, an occasional thermos of soup, water and extra clothing in a pack. "We would sit down on a log and eat lunch and then go at it again," Lord said. Just like today, skiers in large enough openings were treated to beautiful vistas. "You could be in Ashland on a gray day and as you drive up, it clears. You could look down on an ocean of white clouds with peaks sticking up," she said. The promise of the construction of a new ski area piqued many people's interest in skiing, said Lord, who was involved in the effort to get the ski area sited on Mount Ashland rather than Brown Mountain. She also served on the board of directors for the new ski area. "Everybody was looking forward to the time when there would be a lodge and lifts. They were eager to learn. It prompted more people to learn," Lord said. "People were looking forward to a ski area in their own back yard." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams