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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW SOU's Academia Latina program helps incoming high schoolers learning to lead ... Ashland Calendar, Saturday, Aug. 8 ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Affirmative actions ... SOU's Academia Latina program helps incoming high schoolers learning to lead ... Ashland Calendar, Saturday, Aug. 8 ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Affirmative actions ... SKI AREA Mt. Ashland launches new fundraiser to bolster operations Donations will assist with facility and slope maintenance Comment By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Posted Jun. 18, 2015 at 1:49 PM Updated Jun 18, 2015 at 4:09 PM By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Posted Jun. 18, 2015 at 1:49 PM Updated Jun 18, 2015 at 4:09 PM » Social News Mt. Ashland Ski Area officials on Thursday announced the public launch of a $650,000 fundraising campaign to maintain the ski area and allow it to better operate under low-snow conditions. The Mt. Ashland Association Board of Directors hopes to raise the money before the end of the year. It already brought in $275,000 before the public announcement of the 2015 Local Mountain Fund campaign. Of that, $68,000 came from board members and ski area employees themselves. "We're going to reach out to everyone in the Rogue Valley," said Hiram Towle, general manager for the ski area. He added, "No amount is too small. Even $5 or $10 can make a difference when you think of the number of people the mountain serves." The ski area remained closed all winter two years ago and was open for just 38 days last winter due to low snow conditions. "Mother Nature has dealt us a hand the last couple of years that's been most challenging," said Mt. Ashland Association board President Lisa Beam. Although an El Niño weather pattern is developing in the Pacific Ocean that could bring more snow to the mountain this coming winter, officials want to be prepared for cyclical low snow years as well as potential reduced snow pack from long-term climate change. Because of a lack of money, workers haven't trimmed trees growing on ski runs for two years. Some trees are now 5 feet tall. The fundraiser would pay for the $25,000 cost of cutting back those trees so runs could be opened even with low snow. The ski area would use $6,000 to build wooden ramps in the chairlift loading areas. Currently, precious snow is gathered and piled to form ramps for skiers to load onto chairs. Donations would also pay for repairs to the 51-year-old Tudor-style lodge, which has a leaking roof. Water and snow seep into the lodge, which could cause structural damage, ski area officials said. Roof repairs would cost $10,000. A new roof, while needed, would be too expensive at approximately $400,000, Towle said. The ski area also needs $25,000 to repair a front-end loader used to haul snow to low-snow spots on the slopes and repair its aging fleet of snow grooming machines. Some of the machines have logged 10,000 hours of operation — which would be equivalent to driving a car with 500,000 miles on it, said Alan DeBoer, a member of the Mt. Ashland Association board. Other maintenance needs include a $3,000 upgrade to the phone system and a $6,000 realignment of a Windsor Chairlift tower, ski officials said. Officials would use $300,000 to support operation costs from now to the end of November. Like many ski areas, Mt. Ashland runs through its cash on hand before the beginning of each winter season. Funding operations through donations would allow the ski area to avoid taking on more debt, board members said. In 2014, the ski area took out a $742,000 disaster relief loan to stay afloat after it was unable to open. Remaining money from the fundraiser would help the ski area build up a contingency fund. Plans to expand the ski area have been pushed to the back burner given the ski area's financial situation. Towle said officials have identified five years worth of maintenance and improvement needs. An expansion is not part of that five-year plan. The ski area has sought permission from the U.S. Forest Service to offer more summer activities, including a double zip line and portable rock climbing wall. Those additions could be made in the summer of 2016, Towle said. The board would launch a separate fundraiser of about $150,000 to pay for those summer additions, DeBoer said. He said like the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and the Britt Music & Arts Festival in Jacksonville, the Mt. Ashland Ski Area is a nonprofit organization and needs to do regular fundraisers. Officials said the ski area is a vital community asset to the Rogue Valley and Northern California, boosting the winter economy and providing physical activity in a mountain environment for all ages. "We're competing with Xbox and the instant gratification of the TV remote control," Towle said. "This is where we convert kids from couch potatoes into people who say, 'Mom and Dad, I can't wait to get back out there!' This is something people can do for life." For more information or to make an online donation, visit www.mtashland.com. Donations can also be sent to the Mt. Ashland Association, P.O. Box 220, Ashland, OR 97520-0008. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Vickie Aldous for the Tidings Posted Jun. 18, 2015 at 1:49 PM Updated Jun 18, 2015 at 4:09 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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