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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 27, 2005 Skiers found fresh powder on the slopes of Mount Ashland Monday. The ski area was busy with both parking lots full. The near future looks very good with lots more snow expected to accumulate all week. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell SKIING SEASON By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Santa Claus didn’t forget Mount Ashland this year, dumping four inches of fresh snow on the popular winter recreation site Sunday night. "Business is very brisk — both parking lots are full," Ski Ashland marketing director Rick Saul reported late Monday. "It’s a great day for us." After a week of sloppy snow, Monday dawned cold and crisp at 26 degrees, he said. "The snow was nice and dry," he said, noting there is now 34 inches at the lodge with 66 inches on top of the mountain. The lodge is at 6,000 feet while the peak rises to a little more than 7,000 feet in elevation. "The lifts are rockin’ and rollin’," he added. "People have their holiday shopping behind them and they are coming up here." Advertisement Farther south, the Mount Shasta Board and Ski Park wasn’t faring quite as well, although five runs and two lifts are open. As of Monday afternoon, there was 18 inches at the lodge with 22 inches at the top of the park, according to spokeswoman Jeanette Mazzoni. The lodge is at 5,500 feet while the top is 6,600 feet above sea level. "But it’s trying to snow now — and we’re expecting a big storm," she said. A series of storms is expected to march through the mountains of Southern Oregon and Northern California this week, dumping snow on the higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service. Snow could be dropping to much lower elevations by Thursday and Friday. Fresh snow falling atop a snowpack that has been cemented by rain into an icy sheet with a slick surface creates the potential for avalanches in steep, treeless terrain, experts warn. As a result, anyone venturing into the remote high country is advised to be extremely careful this time of year. Atop Mount Ashland, officials will keep a close eye on the bowl area immediately below the peak, Saul said. "If we get more snow in that area, we send a patrol out to stabilize it," he said. For the latest update on Ski Ashland, call 482-2754 or visit www.mtashland.com on the Web. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at SKIING SEASON ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s