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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us March 23, 2005 A good finish By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Recent storms in the Rogue Valley brought more than a foot of new snow to the Mt. Ashland Ski & Snowboard Resort just as students began spring break. Kenzo Masuda, left, Ben Kwiatkowski, center, and Matt Langhorne call it quits Tuesday as the fog rolls in after a long day on the mountain. Orville Hector | Ashland Daily Tidings "The colder the weather is in the valley during spring break, the more people are reminded we still have skiing and boarding on the mountain," said Rick Saul, marketing director for the ski area. Powder enthusiasts are bundled up and enjoying the slopes, he said. Just last week, skiers and snowboarders were taking in the sunny weather but lamenting the slushy conditions on some parts of the mountain, especially near the lodge. "If it keeps on like this, it's going to be time to break out the shorts and Hawaiian shirts," Jason Villavicencio of Brookings said on Thursday. "I hope it gets better. I'd like to come back." Villavicencio got his wish when a moisture-laden weather system moved into the area over the weekend. The Medford office of the National Weather Service is forecasting mostly cloudy skies with a chance of snow through Monday. Cloudy skies and a chance of rain will prevail in the valley through Monday, according to the forecast. Despite recent spring-like weather, ski area managers had planned to stay open until April 10 because of a solid base, Saul said. The ski area experienced a winter storm over the Christmas holiday that helped create the base for the season, followed by sporadic snowfall since then. Groomers have had to work harder to spread out the snow, and navigating the mountain has been more difficult in recent weeks due to night freezing of the snow melted by the spring sun, Saul said. On the other hand, the sporadic storms have meant the access road has stayed relatively clear, allowing visitors to reach the mountain more easily, he said. The cumulative snowfall is about two-thirds of average, according to Saul. Ski managers hope visitor numbers for the season will come close to the 102,479 visits logged in 2003 and the 102,329 visits counted in 2004, he said. Even with new snow, the ski area will not stay open past April 10. "Spring sprung with a lot of potency this year," Saul said. "We would be competing with a lot of other recreational activities. It creates a lot of distractions for people." For updated information on ski conditions and the Mt. Ashland Access Road, call 482-2754 or visit www.mtashland.com. Staff writer Vickie Aldous can be reached at 482-3456 x 3018 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams