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MONDAY February 23, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels January 17, 2004 Mt. Ashland trying its best to make ski area accessible for all By Greg Williams Ashland The Mt. Ashland Ski and Snowboard Resort season is off to a great start, but has not been without its glitches. As the current president of the Mt. Ashland Association, the entire MAA board and I are proud of the way our management and staff have handled the early-season challenges and have worked to the best of their abilities to please our visitors. After a spectacular few days following Christmas, a major blizzard closed not only the ski area but 150 miles of Interstate 5, knocking out power for much of the region. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) spent 40 hours rescuing people in stranded cars and clearing the roads. It is also the responsibility of ODOT to plow the ski area access road and parking lot, but understandably, they could not possibly do so. Without power or access, we could not operate, and it would have been irresponsible to invite people to drive up I-5 to the Siskiyou Summit in those dangerous conditions during ODOT's rescue operations. As soon as limited Mt. Ashland access was provided, our grooming crew hiked miles up the access road to get started on plowing and grooming the snow on the mountain, which was by then three feet deep, with drifts over twelve feet high. To their credit, the crew did get the ski area open the next day, but not without problems on the road. ODOT did its best to provide full access, but their equipment and manpower were overly taxed. Our crew arrived at 5 a.m., right behind the ODOT plows, and started working on the lot as well. The day crew worked hard to inform our guests of the delays they would face and, though many people were disappointed, we had a large number who thanked us for our efforts. We faced further challenges with the access road on New Year's Day, but once again the crew got to the ski area (this time via a snowcat) and had the facility ready to operate as soon as the road was usable. That was not the case until the next morning, but when they could finally - and safely - get to the ski area, the skiers and snowboarders loved it! This limited level of service is not what we strive to provide, but our planning and staff motivation was strong and as effective as possible, allowing us to serve many guests. Improvements are certainly needed in providing access to Mt. Ashland, and we will do our best to provide them. Our management is working with ODOT to provide the best access and service for ski area guests for the remainder of this season and in future years. We work to build a highly motivated staff and make Mt. Ashland a rewarding place to work. We are proud to pay wages to our staff that are always competitive with ski areas across the state. Though ski areas always have turnover in staff, our success is shown in the fact that we have one of the lowest seasonal turnover rates in the Northwest! And, despite the limited terrain and aging facilities, we have a management staff that would do most anything to have Mt. Ashland succeed. The theme is "find a way or make a way" to make the place welcoming for our guests. The major purpose of our planned modest expansion is to provide terrain and facilities (including expanded parking and base area buildings) that are more accommodating and welcoming, and are easier to operate. The best way to do this is to work positively with those interested in the long-term success of the ski area. We all want Mt. Ashland to be a place where people can come, be comfortable, challenge themselves physically, appreciate the winter alpine environment, and just have a good time. Greg Williams is the president of the Mt. Ashland Association, which operates the ski area. 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: A new improved archive search is coming! Look for it in mid-February! .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams