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1 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 UPDATED: Thousands still without power after Sunday snow ... Mt. Ashland is open and the skiers couldn't be happier ... Film fest seeks volunteers ... UPDATED: Thousands still without power after Sunday snow ... Mt. Ashland is open and the skiers couldn't be happier ... Film fest seeks volunteers ... OUTDOOR RECREATION Good news for skiers Mt. Ashland slopes will open Sunday, the earliest in three years Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 11, 2015 at 10:40 AM Updated Dec 11, 2015 at 11:10 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 11, 2015 at 10:40 AM Updated Dec 11, 2015 at 11:10 PM » Social News The lifts are ready to roll and the snow-washed hills are calling, Rogue Valley: Mt. Ashland Ski Area will open for the 2015-16 season Sunday. Mt. Ashland officials said the mountain will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., thanks to snowfall over the past several days and more forecast for the weekend. Mountain staff said they had hoped for a Saturday opening, but the forecast made Sunday more realistic. “We’re stoked,” said General Manager Hiram Towle, adding that about 130 seasonal employees are ready to go for the season. "We couldn’t be more happy." The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the Cascades and Siskiyous from 10 a.m. today through 4 p.m. Sunday. Snow is expected to accumulate in the mountains mainly at elevations above 4,000 feet, with as much as 2 feet in some spots, weather officials said. The ski area’s website showed 33 inches of snow at the top of the mountain and 23 inches at the base as of Friday morning. Four inches of snow had fallen in the past 24 hours, bringing the season total to 50 inches. For current snowfall, visit www.mtashland.com . More information about which snowboard park elements are open will be provided on opening day, Towle said. The announcement makes for the earliest opening day in three years. The ski park did not open at all in 2013 because of lack of snow. Officials took out a $750,000 Small Business Administration disaster loan to keep afloat. The park was open only 38 days — including a closure for the full month of January that necessitated laying off some staff — during the 2014-15 winter season. Towle said mountain staff took actions so the mountain could open with less snow, including trimming brush and constructing low-snow ramps. “We made a plan to get ahead of it,” Towle said. “We have a resilient staff. They don’t get down by this stuff. They get motivated by it. “We’re tough up here at 6,500 feet.” All-day lift tickets for adults cost $39 on weekdays and $46 on holidays and weekends, according to the Mt. Ashland website. For children ages 7 to 12, they cost $29 and $36. Children 6 and younger and senior citizens ride free. Season passes cost $499 for adults, $249 for children ages 7 to 12 and $449 for youth ages 13 to 17, according to the site. Additional rates for twilight skiing and half days are available online at www.mtashland.com/lifttickets . Ski rentals, which include skis, boots and poles, cost $29 for a full day of use for skiers 13 and older. Snowboard rentals, which include a board and boots, cost the same. For those 12 and younger, a full rental day costs $18. Individual items such as helmets can also be rented. Any youth wanting to learn to ski can participate in the My Turn youth skiing program. The three-day class costs $124 and includes a lift ticket and equipment for attendees. Upon graduation, pupils 12 and younger will get a season pass, and 13 and older will get a seven-visit lift ticket punch card. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune DailyTidings.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 11, 2015 at 10:40 AM Updated Dec 11, 2015 at 11:10 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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